Is having 'In God We Trust' on U.S. currency unconstitutional?
(The Christian Science Monitor) An atheist activist wants to remove the phrase, “In God We Trust,” from U.S. currency, and he plans to take his case to court.
Michael Newdow, who in 2004 unsuccessfully sued his daughter’s school district over the words “under God” in the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance, said he will use the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act as the basis of a series of lawsuits against the motto printed on U.S. coins and paper bills. His efforts, while singular, reflect a growing push for tolerance by the nation’s atheist and religiously unaffiliated populations, who are among the least accepted groups in American society today.
About 40 percent of Americans responded in the negative when asked how they viewed atheists. One survey found that more Americans would vote for an adulterous candidate than an atheist one. Eight states have laws that technically ban atheists from holding office—and while a 1961 Supreme Court ruling prevents these laws from being enforced, there are no openly atheist members of Congress.
