Michael Newdow and the National Motto -- Down in Flames, Again.

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I have previously written about my dislike of atheist-evangelist Rev(?!?) Michael Newdow and his one man campaign to use his law degree to try to uproot any vestiges of an acknowledgement of religion in the public square. Well, according to the Thomas More Law Center, Mr. Newdow's latest effort -- a lawsuit to have the National Motto of "In God We Trust" declared unconstitutional -- has gone down in flames.

A California federal trial judge has dismissed the lawsuit filed by Michael Newdow challenging the constitutionality of our national motto, "In God We Trust." Newdow is the atheist who achieved national attention in his previous unsuccessful attempt to remove the Pledge of Allegiance from public schools because it includes the words "one nation under God."

The Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, had filed a friend of the court brief seeking the dismissal of Newdow’s national motto lawsuit.

Edward L. White III, the Thomas More Law Center’s trial counsel who submitted the friend of the court brief, commented: "Our national motto does not have the constitutionally impermissible effect of establishing a religion. Rather, it acknowledges our nation’s rich religious heritage, which informed the founding of our nation."

The federal trial judge ruled that the national motto has nothing to do with the establishment of a religion. The judge noted that the use of the national motto is patriotic and has no true resemblance to a governmental sponsorship of a religious exercise.

Hooray! The judge in this case got it dead right. Let's hope that his colleagues in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals don't blow a gasket and overturn this very sane, sensible decision. Keep in mind, Mr. Newdow is like an addict -- every little positive feedback simply feeds his litigation habit.

Comments

Simon said…
I agree with the judge - God has nothing to do with religion.
6/14/2006 03:43:00 AM
BK said…
Clever response, but obviously strains what the judge is saying.
6/14/2006 06:17:00 AM
Layman said…
I think it might be fairer to say that God need not implicate religion, although obviously religion implicates God.
6/14/2006 07:11:00 AM
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