New Pledge, now with the power of God

When Original Pledge was introduced in 1892, we were just "one nation indivisible." A 1954 act of congress changed all that, creating a new and putatively improved Pledge in which we are "one nation under God, indivisible."

So, should public school teachers be applying Original Pledge or New Pledge to the minds of American children? Well, what does the Constitution have to say about it? Amendment numero 1 forbids the government from establishing religion and also from restricting the free exercise thereof. That has been interpreted to mean that the Gov.'t can't favor one religion over another, can't favor religion over secularism, and can't favor secularism over religion.

Fair enough. So what does New Pledge do when it is an integral part of a government-run, government-funded school system? It favors religion over non-religion, most obviously because it presumes the existence of God. Religiously neutral Original Pledge, on the other hand, doesn't say what role God may or may not play in our nation.

Some people seem to be arguing that reverting to Original Pledge is anti-religious. That ain't right. An Anti-Religious Pledge would read: "one nation not under God." Leaving out any mention of God, as Original Pledge does, allows both religious and secular Americans to cleave to their own views on the subject of God's role in American life, and that's just how it should be.

Clearly, then, Original Pledge is constitutional, and New Pledge is not.

It's not clear which version of Pledge is better at preventing streaking.