SJC to hear case from atheist family

[rug]

By Michael Hartwell, [email protected]
Updated: 11/18/2012 06:35:27 AM EST

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court is gearing up to hear a court case that could permanently strike the phrase "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance recited by schoolchildren.

On Wednesday, attorneys representing an atheist family from the Acton area filed a brief with the state's highest court. The same group had previous challenged the Acton-Boxboro Regional School District and the Town of Acton Public Schools, where the family's three children attend, in Middlesex County Superior Court, saying that the phrase "under God" is an endorsement of a religious world view.

The unidentified family is joined in the case by the American Humanist Association, a secular-rights group. They say this violates the equal-rights amendment in the Massachusetts Constitution. In addition, they also say the daily recital of the pledge counts as unlawful discrimination.

On June 8, the suit was rejected by the Middlesex Superior Court, and the Supreme Judicial Court decided last month to hear the case. Oral arguments will start in early 2013, and the judgment should be revealed by early summer.

http://www.lowellsun.com/todaysheadlines/ci_22021579/sjc-hear-case-from-atheist-family

[LARED]

1. It's amazing

from these simple words

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

arise so much angst.

[cleanhippie]

6. It's amazing

that wanting to follow those simple words creates such hatred.

[LARED]

9. Creates hatred? Really?

Not buying it.

[cleanhippie]

11. Arises so much angst? Really?

Not buying it.

[mzteris]

2. My son used to say

"under BUDDHA" when he got to that part.

Funny thing, people stopped saying it when he was around.

(We were homeschooling by then, so the whole school part was moot, but you'd still run into it in some hs groups.)

Sadly, the vast of majority of people who "recite the Pledge" have absolutely NO knowledge of its history!

[longship]

7. The pledge was the idea of a socialist democrat at the turn of the 20th century.

The words, "under god", were added during Ike's administration in the 1950's.

As a high school math teacher I never recited the pledge when it came over the PA every morning. No student ever said anything about the fact that I didn't participate. If they had, I would have related the pledge's history.

Look it up and find out how this silly pledge came to be. Make sure you read Francis Bellamy's original wording from 1892.

[mzteris]

8. Oh, I know the entire history.

Used to argue it a lot. They refused to listen and wouldn't accept it anyway so I stopped pretty much unless someone is really interested.

[cbayer]

3. I hope they win this one. I think it's time to remove it from the pledge.

[rug]

4. I think it's time to get rid of the Pledge in its entirety.

[cbayer]

5. I agree with that. There has always been something creepy about it.

[rug]

10. Public civil piety is as bad as public religious piety, except the state is armed.