THE INDEPUNDIT has psychically determined the next decision of the Ninth Circuit regarding establishments of religion.
I wish I could get excited about the Pledge thing, but I can’t. I thought the Pledge was better before “under God” was added — it did just fine throughout World War Two and much of the Cold War with no God references — but on the other hand, like a lot of these kind of challenges, it seems like much ado about nearly nothing to me. To quote an atheist reader who emailed that he thought the decision was dumb: “big whoop.”
UPDATE: Boy, reader Ed Totty didn’t like that, though I’m not entirely sure on what grounds: “Much ado about nothing? You reveal your true self. You are now deleted from my list of favorites. Get in touch with your audience while you still have one.”
Okay, is he mad because I was disrespectful to the Pledge, or to atheists? Beats me. As for the audience point, I guess that would bother me if I were, you know, paid for this or something. — LATER: Totty has emailed back to say that the fact that I have to ask proves my iniquity. Ooo. . . kay. I had a girlfriend once who said stuff like that, but she was at least good looking. Don’t let the monitor hit you on the way out, Ed.
ANOTHER UPDATE: Ben Domenech agrees that “under God” should go.
STILL ANOTHER UPDATE: Jason Skiles writes: “I’m an atheist. ‘Under God’ doesn’t bother me. I wish the 9th had left well enough alone. This’ll just rally the enemy troops. Feh.”