Posted on 07/17/2002 9:10:16 PM PDT by kattracks
The plot thickens.
Michael Newdow, a 49-year-old father/lawyer/doctor sends his daughter to Elk Grove Elementary School near Sacramento. California law requires every public school to make some sort of patriotic affirmation each day, with the Elk Grove school district choosing the Pledge of Allegiance.
Newdow, an atheist, claims his daughter must "watch and listen as her state-employed teacher in her state-run school leads her classmates in a ritual proclaiming that there is a God, and that our's (sic) is 'one nation under God.'" Surprisingly, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 decision likely to be reversed, sided with Newdow. The mother of Newdow's daughter, however, now says she disagrees with Newdow's cause, and that his daughter attends a Christian church and actually enjoys reciting the phrase "under God."
Even before the mother's public denunciation of Newdow's cause, the decision outraged Americans. After all, some 30 million Americans do not believe in God, and somehow, some way, they manage to navigate in a world full of Christians. "Nuts," "ludicrous," "ridiculous," said politicians from the left to the right. The Senate hastily passed a resolution, 99-0, condemning the decision. Since the law does not require the girl to stand or to even recite the pledge, what's the problem?
Now, can we all calm down?
True, Christians founded America. The term "In God We Trust" appears on our currency and serves as our national motto. The Supreme Court and Congress begin their sessions with invocations. Denying America's Judeo-Christian foundation diminishes America's heritage, as well as the importance of its ethical moorings.
The first Chief Justice of the United States, John Jay, said, "Providence has given to our people the choice of their ruler, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers." Patrick Henry stated this about America: "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ." President Harry S. Truman said, "This is a Christian nation."
Yet the Founding Fathers, while devout and primarily Christian men, made no reference to God or to a creator in the Constitution. Moreover, the Constitution specifically refuses any sort of religious test to hold public office, and the oath of office set forth in the Constitution does not include the words "so help me God."
From 1782 through 1956, "E Pluribus Unum," not "In God We Trust," served as our national motto. And a Baptist minister, Francis Bellamy, wrote the Pledge in 1892, omitting the words "under God." A campaign by a Christian organization drummed up support for the words "under God," which Congress inserted in 1954.
Critics of the court's decision say that the words "under God" do not establish a state religion, let alone Christianity. Newdow argues, however, that "under God" excludes other religions. The pledge does not, for example, say "under Allah," "under Buddha" or "under Krishna." "Under God" also suggests one God, or monotheism. Newdow says defenders of "under God" want it both ways. They embrace the nation's Christian tradition, arguing, quite properly, that "under God" underscores America's Christian heritage. Yet, then they claim "under God" serves a sort of all-purpose reference to a deity, not to a specific God, let alone a specific religion.
Conservative UCLA constitutional law professor Eugene Volokh said, "The majority decision is actually a very plausible reading of the Supreme Court precedents. The Supreme Court is almost certainly going to have to decide this." Respected U.C. Berkeley constitutional law scholar Jesse Choper said, "You could get a panel of any federal appellate court anywhere in the country who could come this way plausibly." And liberal University of Southern California constitutional law professor Erwin Chemerinsky agreed with the decision.
Must we remove "In God We Trust" from our currency? Will Congress or the Supreme Court cease opening sessions with a religious invocation? No. These things require no affirmation on the part of the citizen, distinguishing it from the element of coercion in this particular case.
God remains in our minds, our hearts, and in our souls. So instead of fighting to retain God in government schools, why not battle to remove government from education? That is the real outrage.
Under our modern welfare state, we silently accept unconstitutional assaults like Medicare, Social Security, farm subsidies, tax-provided college loan/grant programs, the federal operation of Amtrak, corporate welfare and the like. But take out "under God" from the pledge -- again, a decision likely to be reversed -- and, by God (can I say that?), we march on Washington.
Contact Larry Elder | Read his biography
©2002 Creators Syndicate, Inc.
As an American patriot (and a Christian if you are one), how can you continue to send your children to a government indoctrination center for eight hours a day, for 12 years, to have their minds polluted by leftist, homosexual, antifamily propaganda? And expect them to embrace your values when they grow up? C'mon!
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
Wednesday, March 5, 2003
By MONTE BENHAM
GUEST COLUMNIST
House Bill 1194, now before the Washington Legislature, would require schools to explain why we are "One Nation, Under God." Most citizens are totally unaware of the powerful statements made in the federal Declaration of Independence and state constitutions.
Schools teach the mechanics but not the foundation of government. They teach human rights but they do not teach that "our rights are free gifts from God and the purpose of government is to protect individual rights" as stated in the Declaration of Independence and state constitutions.
The Washington constitution states: "We the people of the state of Washington, grateful to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe for our Liberties, do ordain this constitution. All political power is inherent in the people, and governments derive their just power from consent of the governed, and are established to protect and maintain individual rights."
The basic idea stated in the Declaration of Independence, that "our rights are free gifts from God," transformed the intellectual and political history of the world. However, we've lost sight of this American dream. For example, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that we can't say "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. If schools had been teaching the foundation of government, we the people would have said: "Judge, The Declaration of Independence and our state constitutions make it clear our rights are free gifts from God."
The 9th Circuit Court ruling is our wake-up call. We the people must take action so that schools will teach the relationship of the Declaration of Independence to our federal and state constitutions. Here is another wake-up call. There are no social studies questions on the state's standardized tests (WASL), and Gov. Gary Locke wants to keep it that way.
If the governor gets his way, children will get even less instruction on civics, government and history. HB1194 will require tests on the Declaration of Independence and both constitutions. A current Washington law (RCW 28A.230.170) requires the "study" of the state and federal constitutions. A loophole exists in this law because the courts have ruled that any study constitutes study, so they leave it to the teacher to do the right thing. HB1194 closes this loophole by defining the word study.
Unfortunately, most teachers have never seen a copy of the Washington constitution, so how can they study the document with children? As a result, most elected officials swear an oath to support a document they have never seen. HB1194 defines study to include:
By teaching the substance and meaning of our founding documents, students will learn more about religious freedom. The Washington constitution states: "Absolute freedom of conscience in all matters of religious sentiment, belief and worship, shall be guaranteed to every individual and no one shall be molested or disturbed in person or property on the account of religion."
Rep. Jerome Delvin, R-Richland, and 17 other sponsors of HB1194 need your help to persuade the Legislature to pass it. Please call the legislative hot line (800-562-6000) and ask the governor and your legislators to approve it. Washington can be the first state to rekindle the American dream by teaching children why we are one nation, under God. This can be done without a tax increase.
Monte Benham of Kennewick was one of the organizers behind Initiatives 695 and 747.
The Republic was already established well before the Constitution was drafted. The actual founding document was the Declaration of Independence (although some historians would argue, and perhaps rightly, that it was the Mayflower Compact which served as our nation's founding document).
I wonder of FR's atheist who uses Henry's screen name knows this.
Between the NEA and the DNC, imagine how much further down the drains our schools would be if Whore had been elected.
Our nation won't turn around until we do what the caption says - get gubberment out of schools and the polititians out of the classrooms.
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