Prior to 1954 the words "
under God" were not in the
pledge of allegiance. They were added under pressure from
Christian leaders in a time of heightened
nationalism and Communist fear in America. This period in
American history was heavily
authoritarian and ripe with the automaton conformity of it's citizens. Today, only 3/4 of Americans believe in the Christian
god mentioned in the pledge. Therefore, tens of millions of US citizens are left out.
