Judge Tosses Atheist Lawsuit Seeking to Remove ‘In God We Trust’ From American Currency

Christian News ^ | September 13, 2013

[NYer]

WASHINGTON – A federal judge has tossed a lawsuit filed earlier this year that sought to remove the motto ‘In God We Trust’ from American currency.

As previously reported, well-known atheist Michael Newdow, who has filed numerous suits challenging the mixture of God and government, submitted a complaint in the Southern District of New York this past March, asserting that the motto violates the Establishment Clause of the United States Constitution as it serves to proselytize unbelievers.

“[T]he American dollar travels all over the world, into every country of the world, and frequently gets behind the Iron Curtain, and if it carries this message in that way, I think it would be very good,” Newdow quotes Pennsylvania Representative Herman P. Eberharter as stating during his tenure in Congress. “I think that is one of the most compelling reasons why we should put it on our currency. … The principles laid down by God and the teachings of our way of life should be kept alive in the hearts and minds of our friends enslaved behind the Iron Curtain.”

Those named in the lawsuit, which included seven children and their parents, along with other singular entities and the group New York City Atheists, remarked that they do not like being forced to look at the name of God on their currency every time they make a purchase. They contended that it makes them feel discriminated against and rejected by society because they have rejected the Creator.

However, on Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Harold Baer, Jr., nominated by Bill Clinton, rejected the arguments of the plaintiffs and Newdow, opining that “the inclusion of the motto on U.S. currency . . . does not violate the Establishment Clause [of the Constitution].”

“The Supreme Court has repeatedly assumed the motto’s secular purpose and effect, and all circuit courts that have considered this issue – namely the Ninth, Fifth, Tenth, and D.C. Circuit – have found no constitutional violation in the motto’s inclusion on currency,” Baer wrote. “[The plaintiffs] may be inconvenienced or offended by the appearance of the motto on currency, these burdens are a far cry from the coercion, penalty, or denial of benefits required under the ‘substantial burden’ standard [in case law].”

Following the ruling, the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), which had represented 41 members of Congress in an Amicus brief, praised the ruling.

[fungoking]

No justice...present him with a bill for wasting everyone’s time and money...make him pay in cash with those “offensive” bills.

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

Oh not this guy again. We are living under a soft tyranny, we have a POTUS who is more interested in empowering and spreading radical Islam while destroying the US from within, and this freakin’ guy is concerned about what the F is on money! Someone should smack him upside the head and yell in his face “THE WAY WE ARE GOING NOW MONEY IS SOMETHING YOU ARE RARELY GOING TO SEE ANYWAY IDIOT!”

[Pearls Before Swine]

I’m not religious, but this reminds me of the line from one of the Charles Bronson Deathwish movies: “Do you believe in Jesus? ‘Cause you’re going to meet him.”

[jazusamo]

This fruitcake has become a real nuisance, as this article pointed out it’s already been settled in the courts.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Why is he upset that an “imaginary” being’s name is on anything? He is a God hater, not an atheist.

[Cowgirl of Justice]

Is this the guy who filed a lawsuit in his daughter’s name about saying the Pledge of Allegiance in school over the words ‘under God’?

Turned out his daughter was a Christian and never said anything about being offended about the words.

What a scumbag. And he should be made to pay for everyone’s time and any legal fees incurred.

[Mastador1]

You know I believe that atheists practice a religion, the religion of hate and envy. If they, as they claim have no belief in God then why are they so upset that others do? That the words of a prayer, the sight of a cross or Star of David or any other religious symbol so anger(or is it shame) speaks to their recognizing something inside that they refuse to accept and so lash out at those of us that do.

[GraceG]

We need to add “Mind your business” back TO our currency!

[GraceG]

Why is he upset that an “imaginary” being’s name is on anything? He is a God hater, not an atheist.

Why is he upset that an “imaginary” being’s name is on “imaginary” money backed by “imaginary” commodities? He is a moron, not a smart man.

There I fixed it for you!

[.45 Long Colt]

God hates dishonest weights and measures, yet we say we trust Him on currency we debase by the day. Even though I am a born again child of the living God and I do trust Him, I don’t really care if they take the slogan off our money because we are kidding ourselves if we think it has real meaning. On a national level we stopped caring what God thinks a long time ago. Could we even get majority agreement on which God we say we trust? We can say we trust Him, but The Lord knows the truth.

That slogan is a vestige of a much better country. Maybe we ought to replace it with “Please Pray for National Revival.”

[Farnsworth]

the judge is yet to decide on the gay lawsuit to change the moto to “for buggering we lust”

[CityCenter]

Why doesn’t he just use checks or a debit card. Problem solved.

[yarddog]

I wonder how many know that “In God We Trust” was the state motto of Florida long before the U.S. adopted it on our money.

[Secret Agent Man]

I thought courts could smack people with frivolous lawsuit fines and make it impossible for them to resubmit cases for periods of time.

[Hoodat]

Yet another atheist using the courts to impose his religion on the rest of us.