Atheist Loses Bid to Ban Inaugural Prayer

abc ^ | 2/23/04

[knak]

SAN FRANCISCO Feb. 23 — The atheist who persuaded a federal appeals court to strike down the Pledge of Allegiance because of the words "under God" lost a bid Monday to abolish prayer at presidential inaugurations. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Michael Newdow did not suffer "a sufficiently concrete and specific injury" to pursue his latest claim.

Newdow is both an emergency room physician and a lawyer and has represented himself in the two legal actions.

Newdow argued that the Rev. Franklin Graham's prayer at President Bush's 2001 inauguration was an unconstitutional endorsement of religion. He said the practice of clergy-led prayer at presidential inaugurations did not begin until Franklin D. Roosevelt's second inauguration in 1937.

In 2002, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit agreed with Newdow that the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional when recited in public schools. The Supreme Court will hear the case next month.

Newdow challenged the pledge on behalf of his daughter, now 9, claiming she was wrongly being exposed to religion in public school.

The Sacramento man said he was unsure whether he would ask the high court to hear his challenge of inaugural prayer.

"I got other things on my mind at the moment," he said, referring to the pledge case, which Newdow himself will argue.

[You Dirty Rats]

Newdow's fifteen minutes are up.

[cripplecreek]

Newdow is an obnoxious pig.

He's just one of those people who i feel could push me over the line so i would beat him silly with my crutch.

[samtheman]

Cockroach.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Good!

[stevem]

There are homo erecti on earth that if you somehow rendered them moribund you would honestly be doing them a favor.

[henderson field]

The Newdow family came to America "to build a better life."

[Lunatic Fringe]

the Ninth circuit has had a few good ruling in the past couple weeks... what happened? are they feeling gracious? did one of them run over a small child? did a stack of NAMBLA magazines fall over and bury one of the leftie judges?

[Ignatius J Reilly]

I firmly believe in the separation of church/state. But to use this as the basis of changing an traditional American ceremony is just way over the top. Get a life, we have bigger problems than this.

Does anyone know how long this ceremony has been unchanged. Did it start with Washington?

[Blood of Tyrants]

And I would hold you up while you did it.

[xzins]

There is no requirements at all for a presidential inauguration other than the oath.

Seems to me that the prelude to that and the postlude to that are at the discretion of the guy being inaugurated.

If newdow doesn't like the other parts, then tell him to tune in to the inauguration only.

[WinOne4TheGipper]

"a sufficiently concrete and specific injury

Specifically, I'd like to sufficiently injure him with concrete.

[barkingdog]

Why is it, that atheist are constantly bringing law suits against religion. If they don't believe in God, And if they think of us who do, as "believers of mythical tales", why don't they just laugh at us. When I see some third world tribe in the middle of the jungle, worshiping a cow, a tree, the sun, etc. It don't make me mad. I'm indifferent to it. There not, why? Could it be they really believe, there just pissed off at him.

[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

Newdow is both an emergency room physician and a lawyer = nut

[Grampa Dave]

Better yet, he can run for president and if elected, he can do what he wants to do.

Until then, this whining ACLU Poster Boy can go into some dark corner and whine. None of us have a constitutional obligation to listen to his whining.

[steveo]

He's just one of those people who i feel could push me over the line so i would beat him silly with my crutch.

I'm surprised no one has given this guy a pop in the snot locker. Seeing him on television is the epitome of whiny wiener time.

[ravingnutter]

I firmly believe in the separation of church/state. But to use this as the basis of changing an traditional American ceremony is just way over the top. Get a life, we have bigger problems than this. Does anyone know how long this ceremony has been unchanged. Did it start with Washington?

Doesn't matter...there is no clause in the Constitution with the words "separation of church and state". It only says the Govt. shall not establish a religion (as England did), which they have not.

The Constitution stands for freedom OF religion...NOT freedom from religion!

[AmishDude]

There is no requirements at all for a presidential inauguration other than the oath.

Yep. If Kerry wants to have a recitation of the sayings of Buddah, incense, candles and tamborines, then he can do it. If Nader gets elected (bwahahahaha) he can have the Internationale playing while he offers a sacrifice to Karl Marx.

[raloxk]

this guy is a fascist

[netmilsmom]

What exactly do you believe is the foundation of your belief that our founding fathers believed in a separation of church and state? Please give references.