The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said on Wednesday, June 26 that reciting the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional. The court ruled that the words "under God" is a particular endorsement of religion that violates the Constitution's Establishment Clause requiring a separation between church and state.
The next day, however, the court ruling was put on hold due to the vast amount of opposition across the United States. It has been a popular subject for newspaper editorials and political speeches across the nation.
An atheist, Michael A. Newdow of California, whose daughter attended a local elementary school, filed the lawsuit. The suit claims that the Pledge of Allegiance being recited by a teacher harms her rights.
However, Dr. Michael Newdow, who is an emergency room doctor with a law degree, said that the pledge harmed his daughter's First Amendment rights because she had to "watch and...