July/August 2014 – Several atheist organizations have filed suit against schools that mandate the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. They say the phrase “under God” in the pledge sends the message that nonbelievers are bad citizens and creates a hostile environment for atheist students.
LifeWay Research conducted a telephone survey of 1,001 Americans to find how average citizens feel about the phrase.Researchers found 25% of Americans believe forcing students to say “under God” violates their rights, but only 8% want to see it removed. Scott McConnell, director of LifeWay Research, said, “Most Americans have recited the Pledge hundreds of times and are not inclined to memorize a different pledge. Changing it may just feel wrong. Most Americans say they believe in God or a higher being and feel comfortable having ‘under God’ in the Pledge.”
LifeWay broke the numbers down further by age and gender. According to the research, 14% of younger Americans, ages 18-29, want to see it removed compared to only 5% of those over the age of 64. Men are more supportive of the change, 27%, compared to women, 22%.
