Most Americans can still recite the Pledge of Allegiance, which they learned in grade school.
This Pledge is a vow to remain loyal to the United States of America and to uphold the guiding principles for which it stands. Every time an American recites the Pledge of Allegiance, his or her personal commitment to this country is confirmed.
Since 1892 when the Pledge was first written, it has been revised four times. The last revision, written in 1954 by a Presbyterian minister, added the phrase, “…One nation under God….”
Why? Because of President Abraham Lincoln who emphasized in his famous Gettysburg Address that America’s greatness and strength depends on its being a nation under God.
Since that time, America’s rich Christian history and heritage have continued to support the belief that God and the Christian faith are the foundation of the nation.
But…a recent nationwide survey by The Barna Group tells a different story. It seems that the American viewpoint has changed significantly. No longer is America predominantly Christian; it now embraces a plethora of faiths (over 200 denominations) from which to choose a religious persuasion. Christianity is only one option among many.
What does this portend for the Christian worldview and its influence on American society in this millennium?
Read “Christianity Is No Longer Americans’ Default Faith” by The Barna Group for additional insight.
