The Catholic League, represented by The Thomas More Law Center from Ann Arbor, Michigan, will file an amicus curiae brief in the United States Supreme Court in the Pledge of Allegiance case. The high court is expected to rule on this issue next spring.
The brief will seek to overturn the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision Newdow v. United States Congress, which held that the phrase “under God” rendered recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance by California public schoolchildren an unconstitutional establishment of religion.
It will also be maintained that the term “under God” merely pays tribute to the fact that the founding fathers understood this to be a nation of inalienable rights, the source of which is the Almighty. This is not an establishment of religion; rather, it is a reflection of an historical reality. Indeed, from the Thanksgiving proclamation to the establishment of Christmas as a federal holiday, it is a matter of common experience in this country to give national recognition to the religious roots that undergird our society.
The Catholic League has contended for 30 years that our constitutional liberties regarding religious liberty have been jeopardized by ideological zealots out to undo our religious heritage. They see religion as an obstacle to liberty; we see it the way the founders did—as a constitutive element that allows for freedom. It is now up to the Supreme Court to say which perspective is right.
