How Corporate America Created Christian America

This advertisement appeared in _Life_ magazine July 1952. Put out by Conrad Hilton, famous hotel millionaire and ardent anti-Communist, Hilton was one of many Americans who supported a sense of nationalism that entwined Christian religion with patriotism at altogether new levels.

In the twentieth century, the drive to portray America as a Christian nation was galvanized by wealthy businessmen opposing the New Deal of FDR. As the Cold War grew during Eisenhower’s administration, however, this push became increasingly fueled by anti-Communist sentiments. Democrats and Republicans were united against the Communist USSR, and being Christian reinforced this feeling.

It was such an extreme movement that in 1954 The Christian Amendment to the United States Constitution was discussed. If passed, it would have altered the U.S. Constitution to read, as Vermont Senator Ralph Flanders proposed:.

“This nation devoutly recognizes the authority and law of Jesus Christ, Savior and Ruler of nations, through whom are bestowed the blessings of Almighty God”.

Jeepers. In fact, there had been and were other proposals for various Christian Amendments. While this did not pass, it was in Eisenhower’s administration that the phrase “under God” was added to the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States flag. (The rest of the text was written in 1892 by an American with socialist leanings — however, Congress didn’t formally adopt it until 1942).