The First Amendment to the Constitution has this in it: > Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise

The First Amendment to the Constitution has this in it: > 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. Requiring the Pledge of Allegiance to the Republic to include affirming a monotheistic God seems a lot like "mak[ing a] law respecting an establishment of religion", which is prohibited. There are people who are polytheistic and people who are atheists. If taking the Pledge of Allegiance is required for civil service or military service, you're putting them into a rather uncomfortable position. Edit: I generally dislike the Pledge of Allegiance anyways. If you look at the words - "I pledge allegiance... to the flag... of the United States of America... and to the Republic, for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all" - it's just not particularly well formed. Pledging Allegiance to the flag first, then it's not clear what "the Republic for which it stands is" - who am I pledging allegiance to? To the federal government? To the States? To the federalist federal/state mix? To the idealized version of American values? If there's a conflict between my state and the federal government, who exactly have I pledged my loyalty to? And what is entailed in allegiance? It's just a murky, hazy, not well thought out thing. And we start doing it at five years old or whatever, which is far too young to understand the implications of the Oath of Loyalty that you're taking. As an example of a much clearer and better oath, here's the United States Marine Corps Oath: "I, (name), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God." Very clear exactly what you're pledging, to whom, and what your duties are, and who you ask if you're not clear on what your duties are. And Marines take it voluntarily, knowing the weight of what it entails.