Full Text of HJR0071 98th General Assembly
HJ0071 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, On February 10, 1954, Senator Homer Ferguson of | 3 | | Michigan introduced a bill in the United States Congress to | 4 | | amend the Pledge of Allegiance by adding the words "under God" | 5 | | to the text of the pledge; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, February 10, 1954 was chosen as the date to | 7 | | introduce the bill by Senator Ferguson to recognize the | 8 | | five-year anniversary of the imprisonment of Cardinal Joseph | 9 | | Mindszenty of Hungary, who was imprisoned and tortured by | 10 | | Communists for his sermons exposing the goal of communism to | 11 | | eradicate all religion; and
| 12 | | WHEREAS, Speeches were delivered in Congress by members of | 13 | | both political parties honoring Cardinal Mindszenty and | 14 | | emphasizing the threat posed to America by communism; and
| 15 | | WHEREAS, Upon introduction of the bill, Senator Ferguson | 16 | | commented, "I believe this modification of the pledge is | 17 | | important because it highlights one of the real fundamental | 18 | | differences between the free world and the Communist world, | 19 | | namely, belief in God"; he continued with, "Our nation is | 20 | | founded on a fundamental belief in God, and the first and most | 21 | | important reason for the existence of our government is to | 22 | | protect the God-given rights of our citizens. Spiritual values |
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| 1 | | are every bit as important to the defense and safety of our | 2 | | nation as are military and economic values."; and
| 3 | | WHEREAS, The vote to add "under God" to the United States | 4 | | Pledge of Allegiance was a unanimous vote; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, On February 7, 1954, President Dwight D. | 6 | | Eisenhower became convinced that adding the words "under God" | 7 | | to the United States Pledge of Allegiance would be the right | 8 | | thing to do after hearing Reverend George Docherty preach that | 9 | | the phrase "nation under God" was first used in the Gettysburg | 10 | | Address and that the words were appropriate to be added to the | 11 | | United States Pledge of Allegiance because freedom "is defined | 12 | | by a fundamental belief in God"; and
| 13 | | WHEREAS, The first time the United States Pledge of | 14 | | Allegiance was recited was on Flag Day, June 14, 1954; and
| 15 | | WHEREAS, It is the policy of the members of the General | 16 | | Assembly to recognize and honor such an important date, which | 17 | | strengthens the ties of history that bind us to our Christian | 18 | | heritage; therefore, be it
| 19 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 20 | | NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE | 21 | | SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we recognize February 10, 1954 |
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| 1 | | as the anniversary of the addition of the words "under God" to | 2 | | the United States Pledge of Allegiance; and be it further
| 3 | | RESOLVED, That the members of this body are urged to | 4 | | reflect upon the importance of the words "under God" each time | 5 | | it is recited within the chambers.
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