The federal appeals court ruling declaring the phrase “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional is, despite popular opinion, one of the most responsible decisions made in recent history. Although it’s received widespread condemnation, this ruling most respects the ideals of America’s founding fathers, who made it very clear when drafting the Constitution that ours would be a nation governed by a secular system.

Until the changes in 1954, the United States was simply “one nation, indivisible.”

But, much like now, our nation was threatened with war during that period - Americans were frightened of the Cold War and paranoid of communist threats - and President Eisenhower saw the reference to God as a way to calm nerves and promote unity.

But Congress and the president made a mistake in 1954. A declaration of loyalty to our nation should not be tied to a declaration of loyalty to any god.

Two seemingly innocuous words, harmless to many, create a conflict for thousands of Americans - atheists, polytheists and others - not subscribing to Judeo-Christian beliefs.

Do they stand behind their country, or do they support their religious beliefs?

America’s first settlers fled Europe to escape religious persecution, and the colonies declared independence, in part, to ensure no one here would ever have to endure such injustice. But creating an official pledge that includes a reference to one God, even if some argue that statement can include many religions, stands against those founding principles.

The 1954 revision of the pledge was, in fact, an effort to combat atheism and persecute those who held that belief.

But our Pledge of Allegiance simply needs to be a declaration of loyalty to our nation, and not to any other agenda.

Yes, many of the founders were religious men. Thomas Jefferson referred to our God-given rights in the Declaration of Independence, and George Washington added the words “so help me God” to the oath of office for the presidency.

But the drafters of the Constitution ingrained in our laws something different - a belief that our government should operate independently from the different faiths of those who run it.

This is why the drafters of the Constitution turned down a proposal by Benjamin Franklin to begin the day’s work on the document with a prayer. While most were devout men, the decision demonstrated the founders’ desire to erect a wall between church and state.

The original pledge itself, written in 1892, respected this wall and made no mention of God or any religion.

Lawmakers across the nation, including President Bush, seemed to forget this history as they jumped to the defense of the unconstitutional pledge, choosing to chastise the appeals court.

So as they raised their voices in defiance to the court, reciting “under God” in the pledge, they ignored the most important part of the pledge - the last line.

“With liberty and justice for all.”