November 13, 2002: President Bush signed into law a bill reaffirming the reference in the Pledge of Allegiance to ours being one nation "under God." Tony Hileman, executive director of the American Humanist Association(AHA) responded, "This legislation divides us when we need uniting, attacks the First Amendment when it needs bolstering, and places responsibility outside ourselves when we most need to accept it. "It is paradoxical that the words 'under God' and 'indivisible' are side by side in our nation's Pledge of Allegiance. Our constitution intentionally had no reference to God because it's not the job of the government to impose religious belief. How can a declaration of America's subjugation to God unite the thirty million people in our country with no religious affiliation?

"Over recent months we've seen an overabundance of public religious endorsements by government officials. This latest action is just another swipe at Thomas Jefferson's wall of separation between church and state. Our leaders forget that such separation is what maintains religious liberty and protects us from theocracy." By placing our trust in a higher power we relinquish responsibility at a time when we are struggling with a war on terrorism and contemplating preemptive military action against another nation. Will Bush be relying on divine inspiration to guide his executive decisions as he places our citizens in harm's way? I hope not." Congress was overwhelmingly supportive of this latest legislation with only Barney Frank of Massachusetts, Michael Honda and Pete Stark of California, Jim McDermott of Washington, and Bobby Scott of Virginia voting against the measure.

Hileman concludes, "On behalf of the American Humanist Association, I commend these representatives who were brave enough to vote against this uncalled-for measure. AHA will continue to support those who speak out for religious liberty and freedom of conscience in defense of an indivisible nation."