"In God We Trust" and "Under God" Declared Constitutional

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I've said before that I'm not much for religion. At times in my life, I've been actively anti-religion, but mostly I just want nothing to do with it. But we as Americans are surrounded by religion, like it or not. We supposedly have a separation of church and state in this country, but in many ways the separation is gossamer thin.

Take for instance, the "under God" part of Pledge of Allegiance or the motto "In God We Trust." Both are very clearly religious in nature, though it could perhaps be argued that they don't specify a particular religion. Fine, fine. But for an atheist, agnostic (or a hybrid like me), they read like "In Leprechauns We Trust" or "one nation under Superman." They are--again, to me--silly, childish and meaningless.

Just the same, most non-believers don't make too big a fuss out of it. We know we're right, but we also know the fight would win us little, and be far more trouble than it's worth. Let the people who adore those phrases have them, and I'll continue to ignore them. But I've never for a minute conceded that their continued support by government is fair or Constitutional. They flat-out simply, on their face are not.

I always figured if some atheist with a wild hair decided to make a federal case of this, the court would have to twist themselves into a pretzel, or just make some shit up in order to keep the Pledge and the motto. I was right. Yes, it seems that sentences involving the word "God" are not religious at all, but "patriotic!" Who knew?

But you know what? I'm absolutely certain that conservative Republicans will see it my way, and that they'll never take the word of a bunch of "activist judges." If I'm wrong, Batman strike me dead.

[Excerpt]

Court: 'Under God' is constitutional

The federal court that touched off a furor in 2002 by declaring the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance to be an unconstitutional endorsement of religion took another look at the issue Thursday and said the phrase invokes patriotism, not religious faith. . .

Read more at: SF Gate