God and country: Newdow wants a rematch
January 6, 2009
Michael Newdow has found a new target: President-elect Barack Obama’s upcoming presidential oath of office.
Newdow, along with 29 individuals and 11 atheist groups, has filed suit against Chief Justice John Roberts, the Presidential Inaugural Committee and others, claiming the phrase “so help me God” in the upcoming inaugural ceremony violates the Establishment, Free Exercise and Due Process clauses of the Constitution and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
In 2000, Newdow filed a lawsuit arguing the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance constituted an endorsement of religion. While the 9th Circuit agreed, the Supreme Court ultimately overturned the decision on procedural grounds. Newdow later brought an unsuccessful lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the prayer recited during George W. Bush’s inaugural ceremony in 2001.
What do you think? Does the use of the phrase violate principles of separation of church and state or does it have “legitimate secular purposes of solemnizing public occasions?”
CHRISTINA DORAN, Assistant Legal Editor
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Of course it violates the separation of church and state, as does a federal holiday for Christmas, as does having clergy members serve on a state commission on capital punishment, as does ….