Judge rules "Under god" unconstitutional in pledge

A federal district court decision against use of 'under God' in public school recitations of the Pledge of Allegiance shows respect for religious diversity,

says Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

U.S. District Judge Lawrence Karlton ruled today in Sacramento, Calif., that public school sponsorship of the Pledge violates students' right to be "free from a coercive requirement to affirm God."

The court's decision was correct as a matter of Establishment Clause jurisprudence,

said Americans United Legal Director Ayesha Khan.

The Constitution forbids government to intervene in religious matters.
America is a very diverse nation. We have some 2,000 different denominations and faith groups, as well as many Americans who choose no religious path at all. It is wrong for public schools to ask students to affirm a religious belief in order to express their patriotism.

(Photo: KTSM-TV, El Paso, no photographer credit available)