Today’s theme for the Family Research Council: Theocratic nationalism.

Activists: NBC should air Pledge daily

The Family Research Council, a conservative Christian advocacy group, is turning up the heat on NBC after it edited out “under God, indivisible” - twice - during a taped piece of children reciting the Pledge of Allegiance as part of last weekend’s final round coverage of the U.S. Open Golf Championship.

The group wants to see the pledge recited on NBC, in its entirety, daily.

[…]

The phrase “under God” was not always in the Pledge of Allegiance.

The pledge was written by Francis Bellamy, a former Baptist minister who had left the pulpit and was working at a magazine, Youth’s Companion. The magazine was putting together a nationwide celebration to honor Columbus discovering the New World. The pledge was expressly patriotic according to author and political scientist Richard Ellis in “To the Flag: The Unlikely History of the Pledge of Allegiance.”

The pledge and the protocol for the pledge did not make it into U.S. law until June 22, 1942.

The phrase “under God” was added in 1954. Rep Louis Rabaut, D-Michigan, offered an amendment to add the phrase to the pledge. It was a homage to President Abraham Lincoln who had famously used it in the Gettysburg Address.

[…]

Perkins said in addition to the public service announcement of a daily Pledge of Allegiance he said he would also like to see NBC produce a program explaining the history of the pledge and why “under God” was inserted in the first place.

NBC hasn’t responded to Perkins about his requests. A spokesman for the network declined to comment further on the matter.

A couple of comments:

First, the “Under God” change to the Pledge of Allegiance was made due to pressure from Joseph McCarthy’s HUAC inquisitions during the 1950s.

Second, given Tony Perkins’ white nationalist past, I wonder if he also supports returning the pledge to its original salute?

Bellamy Salute