Not content with having “under God” stricken from the Pledge of Allegiance, Michael Newdow has filed a lawsuit (paid subscription may be required) to “remove all prayer and ‘Christian religious acts’ from the Jan. 20 inauguration.”
Perhaps Mr. Newdow, Judge Cooper in Atlanta, and all of the justices on the Supreme Court, need to read the First Amendment to the Constitution again. “Congress shall make no law…” [Emphasis added. And will continue to be added until it gets through the very thick skulls out there. —R]
Perhaps Mr. Newdow would like to file suit against the “Father of our Country,” the first President, George Washington. It was Washington who added the words “so help me God” to the end of the presidential oath. It was Washington who chose to open his inaugural address with a prayer to the Almighty.
Mr. Newdow claims “that an inauguration that includes prayers by religious ministers would turn nonbelievers ‘into second-class citizens and create division on the basis of religion.’” Perhaps Mr. Newdow should turn his looking glass inward, for it sounds as though Mr. Newdow has some unresolved conflict within that causes him to feel inferior when he compares himself to others.
I wonder if Mr. Newdow would be as strongly opposed to the prayers and invocations that will no doubt be offered if they were done in Arabic, and quoted from the Koran? Perhaps Mr. Newdow should travel to Saudi Arabia and complain about the domination of Islam in the every day lives of the citizens there. Then Mr. Newdow would learn what freedom of religion is all about.
I think this proves that like the Pledge case, Mr. Newdow isn’t concerned with his daughter (who personally was never opposed to saying the pledge, including “under God”) or anyone else being “forced” to tolerate a “religious” element in the public square. It has more to do with Mr. Newdow getting his name in the papers and his face on television.
It’s freedom of religion, Mr. Newdow, not freedom from. And let’s just say that the “religious” elements you are so opposed to are being paid for by the $40 million in private donations made for the inauguration. Will that satisfy you? No doubt it will not.
