● Have a question about the news? Colin Bessonette will try to get an answer. Call 1-404-222-2002; write him at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, P.O. Box 4689, Atlanta, GA 30302; or e-mail him at q&a@ajc.com.

Question: I understand the words "under God" were added to the Pledge of Allegiance years after it was written. Can you confirm the year and discuss the circumstances?

 

Answer: It was 1954 when Congress added "under God." On June 14 of that year, President Eisenhower signed a bill into law making the change effective. In 1953, members of Congress had been lobbied by leaders of the Knights of Columbus and other groups to change the wording. The original Pledge, written in 1892 and usually credited to Baptist minister and educator Francis Bellamy, made no reference to religion: "I pledge allegiance to my flag and the republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." Another modification was to change "my flag" to "the flag of the United States of America." A history of the Pledge of Allegiance is online at www.undergodprocon.org/ pop/PledgeHistory.htm ● Have a question about the news? Colin Bessonette will try to get an answer. Call 1-404-222-2002; write him at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, P.O. Box 4689, Atlanta, GA 30302; or e-mail him at q&a@ajc.com.