Michael Newdow
Michael Newdow
Michael Arthur Newdowis an American attorney and emergency medicine physician. He is best known for his efforts to have recitations of the current version of the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools in the United States declared unconstitutional because of its inclusion of the phrase "under God". He also filed and lost a lawsuit to stop the invocation prayer at President Bush's second inauguration and in 2009 he filed a lawsuit to prevent references to God and religion from being...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionLawyer
Date of Birth24 June 1953
CountryUnited States of America
All it has to do is put the pledge as it was before and say that we are one nation, indivisible, instead of dividing us on religious basis.
The Constitution says that government isn't supposed to be infusing religion into our society, and so I asked to have that upheld.
And as soon as I did the research, I realized the law seemed to be on my side and I filed the suit.
I think they'll agree. That is the ultimate goal to get the Pledge of Allegiance to be for all Americans.
I have the right to be able to have my child in public school without her being indoctrinated with religious belief, ... This is supposed to be a public school and supposed to be religion-free.
One day I was just looking at the coins is what brought this up. I saw "In God We Trust" on my coins. I said, "I don't trust in God," what is this? And I recalled there was something in the Constitution that said you're not allowed to do that and so I did some research. And as soon as I did the research, I realized the law seemed to be on my side and I filed the suit. It's a cool thing to do. Everyone should try it.
Those who deny the existence of a supreme being have been turned into second-class citizens by a government that continuously sends messages that 'real Americans' believe in God.
People don't simply wake up one day and commit genocide. They start by setting themselves apart from others, diminishing the stature of those adhering to dissenting beliefs in small, insidious steps. They begin by saying, 'We're the righteous, and we'll tolerate those others.' And as the toleration diminishes over time, the inevitable harms are overlooked. It is for that reason that James Madison wisely wrote that 'it is proper to take alarm at the first experiment on our liberties'.
Most people I know I think agree and even many theists agree with this. We don't want government involved. When atheists become the majority in this country, I don't think the theists are going to be glad to have "one nation under no God" inserted in the Pledge of Allegiance.
I think the Constitution has been upheld. I think they made the right decision.
This issue is whether or not our government should be infusing religion into the public schools. Our churches are very strong in this nation and I think that's great and everybody should have the ability to worship as he or she sees fit. I choose to worship not believing in God and government should not thrust a religious idea down my throat.
My daughter is in the lawsuit because you need that for standing.
Think of it as an Olympic event or a ball game: you practice first.
I think that everybody would not be sitting here saying, 'Oh, what harm is that.' They'd be furious. And that's exactly what goes on against atheists. And it shouldn't.