One nation with liberty and justice for all.

I have had to explain a number of times to my friends and people I talk to that the phrase 'under god' was added into the pledge of allegiance in the fifties as a side effect of the godless red scare and the propaganda during that time. It is not the only crack in the wall between church and state, and I think it behooves us to remember that we are a secular nation of religious freedom and freedom from religion being state endorsed, coerced, or otherwise.

It is unfortunate that the knowledge of when the pledge and "in god we trust" were added to our government, because so many people assume that they were put there by the people who founded these united states. If you presume that the founders of your nation were of the same faith as you and not interested in the separation of church and state, then you'll be more inclined to believe you can wedge your faith further into the government without such actions being massive violations of the establishment clause.

Which brings us to another point. In my wanderings on the internet I have seen many people who deny that there is a constitutional separation of church and state. Here is the first amendment in full for your perusal:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Alright, so, what exactly does this mean? Well, President Jefferson (The most awesome of all of the founding dudes) had a bit to say about this more explicitly.

To messers. Nehemiah Dodge, Ephraim Robbins, & Stephen S. Nelson, a committee of the Danbury Baptist association in the state of Connecticut.

Gentlemen

The affectionate sentiments of esteem and approbation which you are so good as to express towards me, on behalf of the Danbury Baptist association, give me the highest satisfaction. my duties dictate a faithful and zealous pursuit of the interests of my constituents, & in proportion as they are persuaded of my fidelity to those duties, the discharge of them becomes more and more pleasing.

Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church & State. Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties.

I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection & blessing of the common father and creator of man, and tender you for yourselves & your religious association, assurances of my high respect & esteem.

Th Jefferson

Jan. 1. 1802.

(http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9806/danpre.html) [Emphasis mine]

We have a very clear intent written at the turn of the century for the purpose and nature of the first amendment. It is clear that those people who believe that the establishment clause does not provide for a separation of church and state are either willfully ignorant or maliciously deceptive and I am unsure which one I would prefer. What I know for certain is that a theocracy would be unequivocally worse than a secular state. It is something that religious people ought to recognize just as much as atheists if they just stop to imagine living in a theocracy of a different religion.