The latest study from Lifeway Research finds Americans overwhelmingly supportive of keeping the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance. From the release:
In 1954, the United States Congress added the words “under God” to the country’s Pledge of Allegiance. Sixty years later, most Americans would like to keep it that way, despite ongoing legal challenges to the pledge.
A lawsuit filed against a New Jersey school district on March 28 contends that reciting the phrase “under God” in the pledge sends a message that nonbelievers are bad citizens and creates a hostile environment for atheist students.
But a telephone survey of 1,001 Americans from Nashville-based Lifeway Research found that 85 percent want to keep “under God” in the pledge.
Other highlights from the study:
- 88 percent of women want to keep “under God,” compared to 83 percent of men
- 94 percent of self-identified born-again, evangelical, or fundamentalist Christians say it should remain
- 25 percent of Americans believe forcing students to say “under God” violates their rights
- 8 percent of Americans want to remove “under God” from the pledge
- 14 percent of those 18-29 want to remove it, compared to 5 percent of those over 65
