Judge Brilliantly Defends Keeping 'Under God' in Pledge

New Jersey Judge David F. Bauman recently dismissed a case orchestrated by a student, his parents, and the American Humanist Association and ruled that hearing the words "under God" during the Pledge of Allegiance does not violate the constitutional rights of atheist students. In his decision released Monday, Bauman brilliantly laid to rest the notion that the phrase can, or should, be erased from America's history.


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Eugene City Council compromises on Pledge of Allegiance

FOXNEWS.COM, 6/28/2011 by Dan Springer (Hat tip: John H. Detweiler) - Compromise on Pledge of Allegiance in Oregon Town Has Some Seeing Red

An Oregon town's City Council voted down a proposal to say the Pledge of Allegiance before every council meeting, but later passed a compromise that seemed to make no one happy. ∴ The approved measure allows the pledge to be recited at just four Eugene City Council meetings a year, those closest to the Fourth of July, Veterans Day, Memorial Day and Flag Day. ∴ It was supposed to be simple, but Councilman Mike Clark soon found out when you’re dealing with God and country, nothing in Eugene is easy. Read more at Fox...

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No decision yet on Pledge or U.S. Motto

Pacific Justice Institute, Sacramento, CA, Dec. 4: A year after lawsuits against the Pledge of Allegiance and national motto ["In God We Trust"] were argued before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the fate of both cases still hangs in the balance.

Both lawsuits were filed by atheist Michael Newdow, who convinced the Ninth Circuit in 2002 that recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in schools is unconstitutional. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned that decision on a technicality, which Newdow has since avoided in re-filing a similar suit. A federal district judge in Sacramento sided with Newdow against the Pledge of Allegiance but rejected a separate attempt by him to have the national motto, "In God We Trust," removed from our nation's currency.

The Pacific Justice Institute intervened as a co-defendant with the U.S. government in the national motto case. PJI Chief Counsel Kevin Snider, who argued in defense of "In God We Trust" at the Ninth Circuit last year, commented, "While the courts have shown some alarming tendencies to agree with Michael Newdow, particularly in his battle against the Pledge of Allegiance, the good news is that he has not yet succeeded in silencing recitation of the Pledge throughout the West Coast, or in erasing In God We Trust from our national currency." Karen Milam, who heads PJI's Southern California office, added, "PJI responds to thousands of request for help every year, but these two cases are particularly important because of their nationwide implications. For this reason, the Pacific Justice Institute will continue to defend our time-honored national traditions - all the way to the Supreme Court, if necessary."

With no time limits on its decision-making process, the Ninth Circuit stands in contrast to both the U.S. and California Supreme Courts. The U.S. Supreme Court begins its annual term in October and typically announces all of its decisions by June. The California Supreme Court issues decisions within ninety days after oral arguments are held. The Ninth Circuit is easily the largest of the twelve federal circuit courts, having jurisdiction over nine western states as well as Pacific territories. Several legal commentators and even Ninth Circuit judges have called in vain for its division into two or more smaller circuits to increase efficiency. Read More......