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Posted on 07/11/2002 6:32:36 PM PDT by knak
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The 8-year-old girl whose father successfully sued to have the Pledge of Allegiance declared unconstitutional has no problem with reciting the pledge at school, her mother said Thursday.
"I was concerned that the American public would be led to believe that my daughter is an atheist or that she has been harmed by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, including the words 'one nation under God,'" Sandra Banning said in a statement. "We are practicing Christians and are active in our church."
Banning never married Michael Newdow, the third-grader's father and the atheist behind the pledge lawsuit. She has full custody of the girl, which Newdow is challenging in court.
It was Banning's first public comment since the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with Newdow that the words "under God," inserted by Congress in 1954, make the pledge an unconstitutional endorsement of religion. The ruling has been put on hold pending appeals.
Banning, who has hired lawyers in part to explore intervening in the case, said she hopes her efforts will lead to a reversal of the ruling. She also said her daughter "expressed sadness" after the ruling.
In his lawsuit, Newdow argued that his daughter was "injured" by being forced to listen to others recite the pledge at the Elk Grove Unified School District.
He said Thursday that he has the right to determine how she is raised.
"I have a right to send my child to a public school without the government inculcating any religious beliefs," he said.
Newdow also said that taking an 8-year-old to church doesn't mean the girl is choosing to be religious - and at any rate, it doesn't matter what the child believes.
"The main thrust of this case is not my daughter, it's me," he said.
Some legal experts said the mother's revelation that the girl herself willingly recites the pledge in class could cast doubts on the legitimacy of the case.
Courts can only hear cases in which there is an injured party, and if there is no injury there is no grounds for a case, said Rory Little, a Hastings College of the Law professor who follows the 9th Circuit.
"The federal courts can't address anything unless it's a case of controversy," Little said. "You have to have injury."
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The daughter is a regular church goer, and the mother is a Sunday school teacher.
This athiest guy is doing it to try to hurt them, not help his daughter. Now, the poor kid is hurt by it all.
Selfish ba$tard. He should be charged with purgery. He lied.
This article is further proof of that fact.
I was wondering how long it would take for one of you to show up with a handful of rocks.
I would not want a Sunday school teacher near my kid if she never married her daughter's father.
You have no idea when this woman underwent her conversion. I'm guessing it was after her relationship with Newdow.
Nice to see you expressing that kind of faith in the power of God. I suspect she has more faith than you.
Then you would have had a hard time hanging around Jesus, were you living in his day. I mean....Jesus made a point to bless and honor those with ethical problems. In fact, he made one of the people in the most hated profession of his time one of his special TWELVE DISCIPLES....the TAX COLLECTOR...I guess if he was good enough for Christ, a woman who never married her dtr's father would surely be good enough for Christ.
Ya better check out your judgemental meter, maxwell, you might be making Christ sad.
Having trouble distinguishing between rocks and words?
Stand still as I toss a word at your head.
Now remain still as I heave a rock at your head.
Now pick youself up off the ground and tell me if you could discern a difference.
Do we have to do this again, or is one time through enough?
I would have no problem having this woman teach my child in a Sunday school class if she had repented and was not defending or justifying motherhood outside of marriage. If she had learned her lesson and was refusing to marry the athiest twit Newdow, I would give her bonus points for having good sense.
You, however, I give no points for good sense insamuch as you cannot tell the difference between rocks and words.
You better check which Christ you are worshipping. Some liberal has substituted a simpering wan-smiled, effeminate, mincing, retiring, endlessly apologizing, feckless, and weak facsimile for the real thing.
Yes, Christ was compassionate. He was and is also awesomely powerful, no-nonsense, and painfully insightful, exercising astonishing and searing judgment that cuts clear straight through to the bone.
Depsite his enormous love, he made sinners feel exquistely uncomfortable--especially those who were comfortable in their sins. It wasn't just the Pharisees who delivered Christ to judgment. There was a mob of everyday people that demanded a thief and murderer be released over him.
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