Now that a Federal Judge has declared
unconstitutional the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance in
public schools, the religious fundamentalists are coming back out of their rabbit-holes.
This time the Supreme Court cannot dodge the issue, since Atheist Michael Newdow has
joined with other Plaintiffs who cannot be pushed aside on technicalities, so the fundies have alot to be worried about. Their main goal in life is the same as that of George Bush and his administration, to divide America for their own personal advantage--red and blue, liberal and conservative, gay and straight, rich and poor, fundamentalist and non-fundamentalist.
Contrary to the goals of the religious right, the purpose of the Pledge Of Allegiance is unity, so naturally they will be at odds with the law as it stands. The people supporting the insertion of "Under God" into the pledge are using something designed for unity as a tool for division. Just like a baby whose toy has been taken away, the religious right will badmouth American institutions and show their contempt for the US Constitution --but the message to them is this, --the decision was right, "Under God" should have never been inserted into the Pledge of Allegiance in the first place.
We were "one nation" for hundreds of years. In the last generation the Pledge has been corrupted into a tool for religious prostelyzation, used by dogmatic idealogues. 
Those who seek divisiveness in the Pledge want the American government to tell Atheists, Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Pagans, non-monotheists, and other Americans, you aren't like us --you aren't a real American.
Religious zealots often argue that the founding fathers were Christian --as if this is some kind of credible basis for affirming the insertion of "Under God" into the Pledge. This argument has no merit, since "Under God" was inserted 50 years ago and has nothing to do with the founding fathers. Moreover, many of the founding fathers were deists and anti-Christian, as evidenced by the disdainful some used when referring to Christianity and their express exclusion of religion via the First Amendment.
Many monotheistic religions such as Judaism expressly forbid the utterance of the word God, instead referring to God as "Adonai". Muslims refer to God as "Allah". Clearly, the only purpose to the insertion of "Under God" into the Pledge is to favor certain sects of Christianity over all other religions, a clear violation of the constitution.
It matters not whether people would vote to keep "Under God" in the Pledge. The First Amendment is designed to protect religious minorities from persecution and is enforced by the Courts, thereby insulated from the whims of the religious right or any other group that would seek to legislate repression or put it up for a popular vote.
Forcing children of atheists to say "Under God" is persecution and excusing them from the room during the Pledge preaches exclusion and makes them outsiders for not believing in God. Contrary to popular belief, this isn't a case about the founding fathers, the majority religion, someone's version of morality, or slogans on courtrooms and money. It is about one simple question about one simple act of government --was it constitutional for government to insert "Under God" into the Pledge 50 years ago. For some of the reasons stated above, "Under God" should never have been inserted into the Pledge and it should be restored to its original form.
