Posted on 04/22/2014 9:07:19 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
A Washington, D.C.-based secular organization has filed a lawsuit against the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance.
The American Humanist Association announced Monday that a New Jersey school district will be the latest entity sued over the two words.
David Niose, attorney for the American Humanist Association's Appignani Humanist Legal Center, said in a statement that he believes the pledge's words are religiously coercive.
"Public schools should not engage in an exercise that tells students that patriotism is tied to a belief in God," said Niose.
"Such a daily exercise portrays atheist and humanist children as second-class citizens, and certainly contributes to anti-atheist prejudices."
The lawsuit is being brought on behalf of an anonymous Monmouth County family that claims the words under God are discriminatory against non-theists.
Filed in the Superior Court of New Jersey Saturday, the lawsuit contends that with its under God phrase the pledge "unlawfully discriminates against plaintiffs on the basis of religion."
"Plaintiffs seek a declaratory judgment that said statute and the daily classroom exercise required by it violate the equal protection guarantees of the New Jersey Constitution, along with injunctive relief and nominal damages," continued the suit.
Placed in the pledge in 1954, the under God phrase has been the subject of many atheist lawsuits.
In the past, atheist activist Michael Newdow of California has, on multiple occasions, sued to remove the two words from the pledge, ultimately failing in his efforts.
The New Jersey lawsuit filed last week is not the only legal challenge the American Humanist Association is levelling against the pledge.
Last fall, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' highest court heard oral arguments in the case Doe v. Acton-Boxborough.
Brought before the Supreme Judicial Court, the case similarly argued that the under God phrase violates the equal protection of atheists under the law.
The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a Washington, D.C.-based law firm that specializes in religious freedom cases, has defended the pledge from various lawsuits.
Regarding the Massachusetts case, Becket Fund Legal Counsel Diana Verm stated that AHA and its clients "have every right not to say the pledge if they don't want to, but they don't have the right to silence everyone else."
"Removing the words under God would deny the source of our rights and show hostility toward religion," said Verm.
"The pledge is appropriate in public schools because it is a statement of political philosophy, not theology."
I just can’t imagine anyone, no matter how stupid and evil, sitting about thinking, “You know what the problem in this country is? Too much God.”
Seems like they arguing over nothing.
Seems pointless ....
This has been tried and failed.
OMITTING THE words would be discriminatory.
Judicial selection should not be in the hands of the bar OR the politicians.
I wear a cross lapel pin on every coat/jacket.
There would be a lot fewer atheists if they all had a chance to use a foxhole during a fire fight or even have a job that involves powerful machinery, high speed, etc. or any of the dozens of other occupations that makes one happy to get home in one piece every night.. I guess I miss the draft And I wonder if it’s possible to poll these snivelers to find out whether any of them have a service record?
Anonymous? They must have a weirdass rule in that state? My state requires the name of the plaintiff at the top of the first page of the complaint. It eliminates a lot of cheap krap.
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Really? Then the reverse must also be true. Forbidding Christians and all other citizens from using the words “under God” portrays them as second class citizens and contributes to anti-Christian prejudices.
The majority of the people are getting sick and tired of being coerced and forced to live according to the way that a minority of people dictate.
Bastards picked the right state.
Atheists are idiots.
I don’t like violence and don’t think it is the answer, but sometimes, just sometimes, I enjoy thinking about beating the snot out of these idiots.
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