What Happened to “Under God”? The Forgotten Phrase Still Matters

Once upon a time, it was everywhere. On our money. In our schools. Echoed in the Pledge of Allegiance. Spoken proudly by presidents and everyday citizens alike. The words “under God” weren’t just a national motto - they were a reminder of who we are, and whose we are. But today, that phrase is fading. You rarely hear it. Schools skip it. Culture shuns it. Some even want to erase it completely from public life. So what happened? Why does it matter? And what would it mean for America - and for all of us - if we reclaimed the truth behind those two powerful words?

1. A Nation That Once Acknowledged Its Creator

The phrase “under God” didn’t just come out of nowhere.

“In God We Trust” was first placed on U.S. coins during the Civil War (1864), and officially became the national motto in 1956.
“One nation under God” was added to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954, during the Cold War, to reaffirm that America’s freedom comes from God-not government.

Presidents like Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Reagan, and John F. Kennedy spoke often of our accountability to the Almighty. It wasn’t about forcing religion- it was about grounding our freedoms in something higher than ourselves.

They knew: A nation that forgets God loses its moral compass—and its soul.

2. “Under God” Reminds Us Where Our Rights Come From

The Declaration of Independence says it plainly: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights…” That’s not just political poetry. It’s theological truth. If our rights come from government, then government can take them away. But if our rights come from God, they are sacred and untouchable. “Under God” reminds us: We are free because God made us free. That’s the foundation of true liberty.

3. Removing God Leaves a Vacuum

In the last few decades, “under God” has been quietly pushed aside - dismissed as outdated, irrelevant, even offensive. But as God has been removed from public life, we’ve seen a rise in what can only be called a moral and spiritual vacuum:

Families fractured.
Anxiety and depression on the rise.
Violence, confusion, and despair spreading across generations.

Without God, we don’t know who we are or why we matter. We lose the sense of objective right and wrong. We replace eternal truth with temporary feelings.

That’s not progress. That’s drift. And drift leads to darkness.

4. “Under God” Is a Call to Humility—and Hope

To say we are “under God” is to admit that we are not the highest authority. That truth is not up for vote. That we are accountable to a Higher Power, but also cared for by Him. It’s not about politics. It’s about posture. It’s about a people who remember that their strength, blessings, and freedoms are not earned, but given. And when we drift, we don’t just need policies - we need repentance. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” (Psalm 33:12)

5. It’s Time to Say It Again - and Live It

It’s time to bring back “under God.” Not just as words, but as a way of life.

Say it when you say the Pledge.
Talk about it with your children.
Remember it when you vote, speak, work, and lead.
Live like someone who knows there is a God above you—and a mission before you.

America doesn’t just need more opinions. It needs more reverence. More virtue. More men and women who aren’t afraid to say: “We are one nation, under God—now and always.”

Reclaim the Phrase. Revive the Heart.

“Under God” is more than a motto. It’s a declaration of dependence - not on the state, but on the Savior. It’s a reminder that true freedom flows from faith. That justice only makes sense in the light of divine truth. That hope comes not from human hands, but from the hand of God. The words may be fading from the headlines. But they don’t have to fade from our hearts. It’s time to remember. It’s time to return.

Because we are still - by grace - a people under God.