Atheist spars with skeptical justices over Pledge

Washington Times ^ | 3/25/04 | Julia Duin

[kattracks]

Michael Newdow, the atheist whose landmark court case on whether the words "under God" should be removed from the Pledge of Allegiance, told Supreme Court justices yesterday that patriotism should not be mixed with piety.

"Every morning, government agents have children stand up, including my daughter, and have them affirm this nation is under a religious deity who many people, including myself, do not accept," he said. "My daughter is forced to stand up and say, 'My father is wrong.'

[AlbertWang]

A Doctor/Lawyer!


Wasn't he on the Simpsons?

[teletech]

Why doesn't the court ask his daughter if she has a problem saying "....one nation, under God...."?

[Jim Robinson]

God Bless America

Performed by Kate Smith:

http://www.lilesnet.com/patriotic/music/gba[1].wav

Source link:

http://www.lilesnet.com/patriotic/music/kate_smith__god_bless_america.htm

[kattracks]

Thank you,

It's hard to type with tears in your eyes.

[AmericaUnited]

I would like to argue that the real issue here is not whether you believe in God Mr. Cassidy, but whether God believes in you.

Your heart has kept beating, you have life, energy, talents, abilities, etc, etc., all gifts from God. Yes Mr. Cassidy, He does believe in you.

[Jim Robinson]

BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC

Performed by the U.S. Marine Band:

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/natlib/ihas/service/patriotic/100010386/100010386.ram

Source link:

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cocoon/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.200000003/default.html

[EGPWS]

We believe 'one nation under God' reflects a political philosophy of limited government."

That is the reason for the liberal discontent over "one nation under God".

[henbane]

Newdow and his ilk are like chickens scratching at bedrock.

[Recovering_Democrat]

What is scary, in my opinion, is how many Democrat Party Operatives in Congress probably agree with Nedow, but are withholding their true expressions until they're politically able to do so.

[ThePythonicCow]

There's a difference between stating in public "I believe in God", and stating in public that this nation is under God. What's his name Newdow is not being asked to attest to his own faith or lack thereof. He is (well, his daughter is) only being asked to pledge allegiance (voluntarily, no less) to a nation so founded and so conceived.

Even those (of us - I am such) who do not themselves believe in God cannot reasonably deny that this nation, is, to the best of its people's understanding, founded under God. And moreover, that divine foundation and what our founders understood as the divine right of the people to form a government, as opposed to any Divine Rights of Kings, is an essential element of this great nations well being.

And I pledge allegiance to that nation. And I will only vote for genuinely faithful believers for President. The God-damned atheists of the last century or two have given my creed a bad name, a really bad name. I wouldn't trust an avowed atheist for dog catcher. Good thing I'm not running for office.

[ThePythonicCow]

No - the 'Rats don't agree with Newdow. Well, not consciously. I doubt that most of them understand what faith is, and don't realize their own utter spiritual depravity.

[capitan_refugio]

Didn't the Battle Hymn come from the Civil War period?

[DustyMoment]

"My daughter is forced to stand up and say, 'My father is wrong.' "

As soon as he said that they should have tossed him and his lies out of the SC. His case is based on perjury and fraud.

[Paladin2b]

You want to know something interesting? Newdow was in the same law school class (Michigan '87) as Anne Coulter and Sen. Peter Fitzgerald of Illinois. It's just one of those wierd coincidences, like Clarence Thomas and Hillary! being in the same Yale Law class, that shows what real 'diversity' is all about.

[brityank]

Thanks for that link, Jim.

The sad thing is, with Scalia having recused himself from hearing and debating this case, there is a possibility that a 4-4 decision could be made. If so, the egregious Ninth decision will stand, and without some over-ruling by Congress will become the 'Law of the Land'.

Provides a real point to the fact we need to ensure that the Jurists appointed to all Benches are real Americans with America at their core.

[azhenfud]

"My daughter is forced to stand up and say, 'My father is wrong.""

Isn't there a requirement that assertions made under oath be substantiated by a "preponderance of evidence"? Newdow's claim should be either confirmed or refuted by the daughter's testimony.

[Colonel_Flagg]

"Religion in this country is so diluted ... it goes underneath the constitutional radar," he said. "Insofar as the way we live and think and work in schools and civic society ... whatever religious direction there is, is simply lost."

Even a blind hog finds an acorn sometimes. Souter is correct - and he can thank his peers for that.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Why doesn't the court ask his daughter if she has a problem saying "....one nation, under God...."?

Add to that the fact that the girl is not forced to stand and recite the Pledge. She is perfectly welcome to sit and stare at the wall for 30 seconds while the rest of the class acknowledges that they are part of something grand.

[BibChr]

"But she doesn't have to say the Pledge," Justice Ginsburg insisted.

That? ...from Ginsburg?

Oh, he is so doomed!

...and so deservedly!

Dan