Posted on 05/15/2015 12:42:23 PM PDT by Elderberry
The Pledge of Allegiance is said at schools across America, every day. But a Judge in New Jersey, after hearing the arguments made by angry atheists, had to decide if the words “under God” violated the constitutional rights of atheist students. In one local school district, the lawsuit filed by the American Humanist Association, said the phrase promoted an environment of discrimination in class because it elevated religion and made the atheist students feel like “second-class citizens.”
However, State Superior Court Judge David F. Bauman was not happy with these frivolous arguments! The judge upheld a New Jersey law that says pupils must recite the Pledge of Allegiance unless they have “conscientious scruples” that do not allow it.
Quoting George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Dwight D. Eisenhower and the New Jersey Constitution, Bauman said the United States for centuries has woven small aspects of religion and references to God into its customs and traditions – not as an endorsement of any faith, but as an acknowledgement of the role religion played in the country’s founding.
“As a matter of historical tradition, the words ‘under God’ can no more be expunged from the national consciousness than the words ‘In God We Trust’ from every coin in the land, than the words ‘so help me God’ from every presidential oath since 1789, or than the prayer that has opened every congressional session of legislative business since 1787,” Bauman wrote in his decision.
“The pledge of allegiance, in this historical context, is not to be viewed, and has never been viewed, as a religious exercise,” Bauman wrote. Instead, the judge said, it was meant to promote the “core values of duty, honor, pride and fidelity to country on which the social contract between the United States and its citizens is ultimately based.”
And,
Bauman said even the New Jersey constitution included a reference to an “Almighty God.”
“Under plaintiffs’ reasoning, the very constitution under which plaintiffs seek redress for perceived atheistic marginalization could itself be deemed unconstitutional, an absurd proposition which plaintiffs do not and cannot advance here,” Bauman wrote, adding later: “Protecting students from viewpoints and ideas that may offend or upset them is not and has never been the role of public schools in America.”
Rulings based on common usage rather than objective truth will all eventually be overturned.
But I do need to acknowledge the shockingly strong blast of common sense in the Judges statement.
Cruz/Bauman 2016!
How long before Judge gets his IRS audit paperwork?
A sane judge - IN NEW JERSEY?!!!!!
Seems to me Judge did a great job illustrating both common sense AND objective truth.
In both a true Democracy and Representative Republic it is the social norm of the majority that dictate law.
Oh wait. ...that was yesterday.
In my opinion atheists shouldn’t be experted to recite “under God” in the Pledge any more than Christian-owned businesses should be expected to provide services for gay-related events.
They don’t have to if they have “conscientious scruples”
The judge upheld a New Jersey law that says pupils must recite the Pledge of Allegiance unless they have “conscientious scruples” that do not allow it.
Abolish government schools.
Problem solved.
The judge is essentially saying that pupils must recite the Pledge unless they don’t want to. So I’m not sure where the judge is coming from.
Wasn’t a 9th Circus Court ruling on this overturned at the SCOTUS a few years ago?
“Rulings based on common usage rather than objective truth will all eventually be overturned.”
Well of course. If it goes unchecked eventually it will be
overturned in civil war. But I wouldn’t put much trust in our
judicial system. Especially in the US Supreme court.
“atheist students feel like “second-class citizens.”
Atheist don’t believe in god so they believe that when you
die there is just nothing. It could be a safe bet for them.
On one hand there’s nothing on the other is hell. So what
would be worse? Hell or nothing?
Atheists ARE second-class citizens. This is a Christian nation. It was built on Biblical principles.
I would only “force” them if they were to be on juries or hold public office since our Constitution and Justice (virtue) System is based on Rule of Law (Higher Laws) and that our Natural Rights come from God—not man.
Our Founders didn’t allow atheists to hold any positions of power—or be on juries.
Anyone who doesn’t believe in the Judeo-Christian God, can never “Rule” according to our Supreme Law of the Land. As Justice John Marshall stated, any law which is antithetical to the Supreme Law is “Null and void”.
Why would we EVER allow an atheist who doesn’t believe we have Natural Rights from God-—to ever be in positions of power when we know that power tends to corrupt????? All history is replete with govts. throwing out God and making kings/man into gods where there is no Individual Natural Rights at all.
Ideas and concepts matter. The belief in God MATTERS!!!!! Children should always be taught the Truth-—about our Individual Rights and how Christianity is the basis of Common Law and the US Constitution——and only Christian ideology founded Individualism and made slavery and pederasty and homosexuality-—all typical pagan practices-—into “Evil”.Individuality is a Western concept and Collectives/Socialism was ejected for the first time in the history of mankind with the US Constitution-—to give an INDIVIDUAL power to be their own master.
This war against Christianity v Man is about erasing the concept of Individual Natural Rights come only from God, and not the State.
Children are being forced to a pagan worldview to erase Lockean ideology and Christianity from their minds....it is why all the irrational Marxism, Eastern irrational Yoga-type mysticism——to eject Reason and Logic-—basis of Western Civ and Christianity: Faith and Reason. Faith without Reason (like in the East) is Blind Faith.
If those atheists jackasses are offended by the Pledge of Allegiance, they'll really flip out when it is pointed out to them that "Our Lord" is referenced at the tail end of the US Constitution.
When I recite the Pledge of Allegiance in a public forum, I always leave out the word "indivisible". That is my pledge of allegiance to the country. I don't believe that, under all circumstances, the United States is "indivisible". I can foresee a number of situations where, in keeping with my oath as a soldier, it becomes patriotic and necessary to separate myself (my county, my State) from the United States. I support Texas independence; that makes the word "indivisible" meaningless in a pledge that I can currently make to the United States.
If the atheists don't like "under God", just don't say it when reciting the pledge of allegiance.
“It was built on Biblical principles.”
I think it’s Judeo-Christian and your right. This is what this
anti-Christian, homosexual agenda is all about. They think
that if they can delegitimize God then the Constitution has
no standing. It’s just another front of the Coup D’état.
Atheists ARE second-class citizens.
There is no second class citizen in America. Citizen trumps
royalty, serfdom, subjects and the proletariat. There is
no second. A good example of second class anything is the
British royalty.
Well said!
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