American Atheists California is holding a rally in front of the San Francisco Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals building on Tuesday, December 4, to support the removal of religious references in the Pledge of Allegiance and on national currency. Joining them will be a number of Atheist and Humanist groups and others from the Bay Area and across the state.
This peaceful demonstration will be held on the day that California Atheist Dr. Michael Newdow presents arguments before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in two lawsuits: one seeking to strike the phrase "under God" from the Pledge, the other challenging the inclusion of "In God We Trust" on currency. Congress mandated both phrases in the mid 1950s.
"Those words were added during the height of the Cold War, and should never have been included," stated Dave Kong, California director for American Atheists. "The intent was to differentiate the United States from what was then perceived as 'godless communism' by touting the country as a religious, god-fearing nation, and in the process it divided Americans on religious lines. As a result, many citizens think that if you do not believe in a god, you cannot be a good American. It is time to put an end to such an outdated, false notion."
"Dr. Newdow was the catalyst for our rally in 2003 when he argued before the Supreme Court in his original Pledge suit. This rally is a celebration of the progress we have made since then. The Atheist community grows stronger in its solidarity, we have bestselling authors among our ranks and a presence on Capitol Hill. We have joined with our affiliated groups and other Atheist, Humanist and freethought groups - the 'god-free Californians' - to cheer on Dr. Newdow, applaud the Ninth Circuit for its landmark 2002 decision, and urge removal of these archaic and inappropriate religious references."
The event at the Ninth Circuit will begin at 9:00 a.m. and include a program of speakers.
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