by TChris

The Supreme Court will soon hear arguments in a case that asks whether reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in a public school violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment by defining the United States as a nation "under God." The Ninth Circuit said that it does.

To better understand the controversy, read Elisabeth Sifton's article exploring the history of the Pledge and of the Founders' beliefs about the role of God in government. She explores flaws in the arguments advanced by both sides of the debate, and asks whether the debate itself sidesteps the real question: Do we need the Pledge at all? She also argues that the religious right will use a probable victory for the words "under God" as an opportunity to further religious encroachment into other aspects of government.

An interesting side note: Justice Scalia, who sees no reason to recuse himself from a case involving hunting buddy Dick Cheney's energy task force records, has recused himself from the Pledge case because he had criticized the lower court's opinion in a speech.