Frankendesign

God fearing or Communist fearing?
(...) A decade later, the pledge was altered once more. The change was spurred by a sermon delivered on Feb. 7, 1954 by George M. Docherty, pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington D.C. With President Eisenhower sitting in the front pew the Reverend declared, "Apart from the mention of the phrase 'the United States of America' it could be the pledge of any republic. I could hear little Muscovites repeat a similar pledge to their hammer-and-sickle flag in Moscow. Russia is also a republic that claims to have overthrown the tyranny of kingship. Russia also claims to be indivisible."

Three days later a bill was introduced in Congress to add the words "under God." Baer recalls that "Congressmen said Communists would feel very uncomfortable saying the pledge, because they were atheists." Eisenhower signed the bill into law on Flag Day, June 14. (...)
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