Massachusetts court rules ‘under God’ in pledge does not discriminate against atheists… huge victory!

Actress Julianna Margulies stands with others at her table during the Pledge of Allegiance at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington. (Joshua Roberts/ Reuters)

Actress Julianna Margulies stands with others at her table during the Pledge of Allegiance at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington… No report of whether they uttered ‘Under God’ or not. (Joshua Roberts/ Reuters)

WaPo: The Pledge of Allegiance does not discriminate against atheists and can be recited at the start of the day in public schools, Massachusetts’ highest court ruled Friday.

The Supreme Judicial Court said the words “under God” in the pledge reflect patriotic practice, not a religious one. The court acknowledged that the wording has a “religious tinge” but said it is fundamentally patriotic and voluntary.

The court was ruling in a lawsuit filed in 2010 by an atheist family from Acton who claimed that the daily recitation of the pledge in classrooms violated their three children’s equal protection rights under the state constitution, which protects against discrimination. The family was not identified in the lawsuit.

The phrase “under God,” which was added to the pledge in 1954, has been the subject of numerous lawsuits over the years.

Citizenship ceremony canceled over banning of opening prayer

AP: A New Jersey town has canceled a naturalization ceremony at its borough hall because federal immigration officials refused to let the event begin with a prayer.

Carteret Mayor Daniel Reiman said he had requested that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services relocate the Saturday ceremony, which will now be held in the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Newark office.

Katie Tichacek Kaplan, a spokeswoman for the immigration agency, said it’s a long-standing policy to make sure naturalization ceremonies are “conducted in a meaningful manner which is welcoming and inclusive and excludes political, commercial and religious statements.”

Both Reiman and immigration officials cited Monday’s Supreme Court opinion affirming the right of local governments to include certain prayers in official proceedings. Reiman said the ruling means he should be able to open any event at city hall with a prayer and a moment of silence. The citizenship agency said the high court’s ruling does not mean federal agencies are required to include prayers as part of their ceremonies.

Carteret is a central New Jersey borough of about 24,000 residents just west of Staten Island.

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High School Valedictorian Stuns Audience After He Rips Up Speech and Delivers the Lord’s Prayer Instead — Wild Applause Follows

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About Ask Marion

I am a babyboomer and empty nester who savors every moment of my past and believes that it is the responsibility of each of us in my generation and Americans in general to make sure that America is as good or even a better place for future generations as it was for us. So far... we haven't done very well!! Favorite Quotes: "The first 50 years are to build and acquire; the second 50 are to leave your legacy"; "Do something that scares you every day!"; "The journey in between what you once were and who you are becoming is where the dance of life really takes place". At age 62 I find myself fighting inoperable uterine Cancer and thanks to the man upstairs and the prayers from so many people including many of my readers from AskMarion and JustOneMorePet... I'm beating it. After losing our business because of the economy and factors related to the re-election of President Obama in 2012 followed by 16-mos of job hunting, my architect-trained husband is working as a trucker and has only been home approximately 5-days a month since I was diagnosed, which has made everything more difficult and often lonely... plus funds are tight. Our family medical deductible is 12K per year for two of us; thank you ObamaCare. But thanks to donations from so many of you, we are making ends meet as I go through treatment while taking care of my father-in-law who is suffering from late stage Alzheimer's and my mother-in-law who suffers from RA and onset dementia as well as hearing loss, for which there are no caretaker funds, as I continue the fight here online to inform and help restore our amazing country. And finally I need to thank a core group of family, friends, and readers... all at a distance, who check in with me regularly. Plus, I must thank my furkids who have not left my side through this fight. You can see them at JustOneMorePet.

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