WASHINGTON, DC—The Supreme Court’s decision to dismiss Elk Grove Unified School District v. Michael Newdow because of a technicality means the battle will continue for the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance.
“The good news is that the Supreme Court vacated an extreme, poorly reasoned decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals,” said Jordan Lorence, senior counsel for ADF, who worked on the Pledge case. The Alliance Defense Fund submitted an amicus brief in the case.
“Because the case was dismissed on a technicality, and only three of the eight justices went on record in support of the constitutionality of the words, ‘under God’ in the Pledge, we believe the battle will continue. The Alliance Defense Fund will be there to defend the words ‘under God’ for future generations of school children,” added Lorence.
Lorence continued: “‘One nation under God’ is a statement of political philosophy, not a religious prayer. It has been routinely used for more than 200 years of American history, long before the Congress added it to the Pledge.”
