I thought you might be interested in this.-- BANNED?
>
> > >  Date: October 16, 2003
> > >  WILL GOD BE BANNED?
> > >
> > > One nation, under God.
> > >
> > > That's the diminutive phrase that got a California atheist so nervous
he
> > > filed a suit so that his daughter would not be compelled to repeat the
> > > phrase at her California school.
> > >
> > > Incredibly, the case got so far as the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of
Appeals
> > > where a panel of judges actually agreed that "under God" is a
violation
> of
> > > the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
> > >
> > > It still astonishes me that we have arrived at a point in our nation's
> > > history that the mere mention of God's name - something our Founders
> > > recurrently did as they established this religiously influenced
nation -
> > is
> > > now seen as inappropriate and downright wrong.
> > >
> > > Now, the U.S. Supreme Court has accepted a Justice Department appeal,
> > > agreeing to take on the case, giving hope to the majority of Americans
> > that
> > > this simple, yet powerful, phrase will remain in the Pledge of
> Allegiance.
> > >
> > > As I reported last year, the entire argument made by Michael Newdow -
> the
> > > atheist who brought suit against the Pledge - was bogus from the
onset.
> > Mr.
> > > Newdow claimed that his nine-year-old daughter (at the time) was
> offended
> > > because she was required to make reference to God at school.
> > >
> > > This was patently false.
> > >
> > > When one of my staff members spoke with the girl's mother in
California,
> > she
> > > explained that her daughter actually loved to recite the Pledge of
> > > Allegiance in her Elk Grove school.  She also said that the little
girl
> > was
> > > an active member of her church and a professing Christian - hardly the
> > rigid
> > > atheist her father portrayed her to be.
> > >
> > > But the truth rarely matters to those who want to purge the public
> square
> > of
> > > time-honored religious phrases that have been embraced by our nation's
> > > leaders throughout history.
> > >
> > > Nevertheless, the 9th Circuit, in a shameful decision yielding to
> secular
> > > social trends and political correctness, found that God has no place
in
> > the
> > > Pledge of Allegiance.  School children, the court deemed, should
> function
> > in
> > > a Godless classroom devoid of any spiritual influence.
> > >
> > > Those who respect the role of the Almighty in our nation's founding
are
> > > praying that the Supreme Court will determine that this small phrase -
> > under
> > > God - is not found to be an establishment of religion, but rather a
> simple
> > > and respectful acknowledgment that God does indeed rule in the affairs
> of
> > > men.
> > >
> > > "We are committed to stand up to the outrageous decision by the Ninth
> > > Circuit," said Brad Dacus, president of the Pacific Justice Institute,
a
> > > Citrus Heights, Calif.-based religious freedom organization, one of
many
> > > groups that will petition the Court in defense of the Pledge.  "We are
> > > already in the process of preparing to file a brief that will make it
> very
> > > clear to the majority of the Supreme Court that the mention of the
word
> > > 'God' in the Pledge of Allegiance is not a violation of the
> Constitution."
> > >
> > > Jay Sekulow at the Virginia Beach-based American Center for Law and
> > Justice
> > > will also file a brief favoring the Pledge, representing 33 members of
> > > Congress in so doing.
> > >
> > > Mr. Sekulow said the phrase "one nation, under God" is a
> > > "constitutionally-protected patriotic expression - not a blatant
> > affirmation
> > > of a particular faith."
> > >
> > > He added, "The Pledge is part of an American tapestry of time-honored
> and
> > > historically significant traditions that has come under attack.  This
> case
> > > represents an important opportunity to put a halt to a national effort
> > aimed
> > > at removing any religious phrase or reference from our culture. ...
> We're
> > > hopeful the court will bring some clarity to this murky legal issue
and
> > > protect the freedom of our nation's students who wish to voluntarily
> > recite
> > > the complete and uncensored Pledge of Allegiance in school."
> > >
> > > Many others will join the fight, including the 2.8 million member
> American
> > > Legion and a host of other civic-minded groups.
> > >
> > > Sadly, Justice Antonin Scalia - whom I believe to be the Court's most
> > > discerning justice - will not participate in the appeal because he
> earlier
> > > issued a blistering denouncement of the 9th Circuit's ruling.
> > >
> > > Even without his wise influence, I believe the Court will understand
the
> > > significance of briefly recognizing God in a public forum such as a
> public school classroom.  sPlease join me in praying that the Court will
uphold the right of the people to publicly identify God as a significant
part of our history and our present society.-