Blogtrek

Under God

The time has come. The case of Michael Newdow vs Elk Grove School is coming to the Supreme Court. Dr. Newdow sued to have the Pledge of Allegiance removed from the school that his daughter attended because the words "under God" were in it and hence it was a violation of the principle of separation of church and state. A lower court disagreed with him but the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed, saying that a Pledge that contains "God" cannot be recited in a public school classroom.

I agree with this ruling. Bringing in God or Christ into the classroom make people who don't believe in God or Christianity feel like second class citizens. However, the entire Senate of the USA voted in favor of a resolution condemning this decision. This includes some of my favorite senators such as Dianne Feinstein, John Edwards, and John F. Kerry, Democratic (probably) candidate for President of the United States. I resolved not to vote for any incumbents in the Senate in 2002 and I didn't. The House passed a similar resolution, which was voted 440-3 or something. One of those three was Bobby Scott of my home state of Virginia. I now am likely to write him in every time I see an unopposed race here in Virginia.

But with such a herd of people insisting that we must hear "God" in the public classroom here in America, what hope is there of this ruling surviving the Supreme Court? Actually much better than I had expected. Scalia saw fit to blabbermouth about his wanting to force God into the classroom, and Newdow objected, whereupon Scalia had to recuse himself from the case.

That makes it 8 justices, minus a conservative one. Further, a 4-4 tie is a null decision, thus leaving standing the ruling of the 9th Circuit Court and forbidding "God" in pledges throughout America. So the pro undergod forces need a 5-3 margin, and I don't know if they will get it. All that is needed would be for the four justices that voted against the selection of Bush as President in 2000 to rule in favor of the 9th Circuit Court. So far they think this is not religious or a prayer. Well, it is not a prayer, but anything containing "God" is religious and needs to be kept out of the public classroom. I am hoping that the justices will see the light and not ride the wrong-way white horseman of God through the public schools.