Democrats opening at least two caucus meetings during the Democratic National Convention (DNC) cut “under God” out of the Pledge of Allegiance, according to videos captured by CBN News’s David Brody. Both the Muslim Caucus meeting and the LGBT Caucus meeting began with truncated versions of the pledge.
“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all,” delegate A.J. Durrani said, opening the DNC’s “Muslim Delegates Assembly.”
According to Brody, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and DNC Chairman Tom Perez spoke at the caucus meeting.
NEW! Democrats leave out, "Under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance at the #DemocraticNationalConvention Muslim Caucus meeting this week. Watch delegate AJ Durrani skip it. Featured speakers at the event were @BernieSanders @RashidaTlaib & @TomPerez @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/Ra4SX2cqNy
— David Brody (@DavidBrodyCBN) August 19, 2020
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A speaker opened the “LGBTQ Caucus Meeting” with a similar omission of “under God,” but his version proved more pronounced. After holding up three flags — an American flag, an LGBT rainbow flag, and a transgender flag, the presenter said, “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, [nods during pause] indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
NEW VIDEO: At the #DemocraticNationalConvention , LGBT Caucus purposely leaves out the words, "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance. Watch. This now makes twice that two key constituencies of the Democratic Party have done this. See my earlier tweet about DNC Muslim Caucus pic.twitter.com/2GIDcCMq1F
— David Brody (@DavidBrodyCBN) August 19, 2020
While Democrats often try to robe themselves with outward religion, they have repeatedly undermined the principle of religious liberty. Last year, the DNC adopted a resolution warning against the “misplaced claims” of “religious liberty,” insisting that religious freedom threatens the “civil rights and liberties” of many liberal interest groups.
Leftists argue that false claims of religious freedom enable conservatives to “discriminate” against same-sex weddings by refusing to provide services, to deny women’s rights when it comes to abortion, and to deny “health care” to transgender people when they demand irreversible elective surgeries in pursuit of their identities. In reality, Americans have First Amendment rights of free exercise of religion, free speech, and free association to refuse to celebrate same-sex weddings, to refuse to support and perform abortion, and to refuse to maim healthy bodies in the name of a cross-sex identity.
Although Democratic nominee Joe Biden is a Roman Catholic, he has taken radical positions that are out-of-step with official Catholic teaching, many of which also undermine religious freedom. He has announced that he would restore the Obamacare contraception mandate which the Little Sisters of the Poor, an order of Catholic nuns, has spent years fighting.
While the phrase “under God” was not part of the pledge when Congress first codified it in 1942, President Dwight D. Eisenhower added it in a 1954 bill.
“From this day forward, the millions of our school children will daily proclaim in every city and town, every village and rural school house, the dedication of our nation and our people to the Almighty … In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America’s heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country’s most powerful resource, in peace or in war,” the president wrote at the time.
America’s principles of liberty and equality trace back to the Judeo-Christian tradition and the idea that a Creator God endowed all people with inalienable rights. The concept of an almighty creator God is not unique to Christianity, and the idea of universal inalienable rights protects everyone, regardless of their beliefs. Furthermore, Eisenhower added the phrase “under God” to contrast with the government-mandated atheism and oppression of the Soviet Union.
While the DNC has not omitted “under God” from the pledge for its main events, these removals at caucus meetings are particularly noteworthy, given the Democrats’ increasing attacks on religious freedom.
Tyler O’Neil is the author of Making Hate Pay: The Corruption of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Follow him on Twitter at @Tyler2ONeil.
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