Federal court upholds ‘One state under God’ in Texas
Pastor Dale Morgan
Federal court upholds ‘One state under God’ in Texas*
statepoint media
DALLAS — Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott today prevailed in federal
court, where an Atheist North Texas couple tried to prevent
schoolchildren from reciting the Texas Pledge of Allegiance. A federal
district judge ruled against David Wallace Croft and his wife, Shannon,
who sought a preliminary injunction because the Texas Legislature
recently added the words “one state under God” to the state Pledge.
Solicitor General Ted Cruz argued on the state’s behalf.
“With today’s ruling, a federal judge denied the plaintiffs’ attempt to
prevent Texas schoolchildren from pledging their allegiance to ‘one
state under God’ - just as they pledge to ‘one nation under God,’”
Attorney General Abbott said. “The United States Supreme Court has
repeatedly held patriotic acknowledgments of the Almighty such as these
are completely consistent with the U.S. Constitution. Texans can rest
assured that we will continue vigorously defending their children’s
ability to recite the state Pledge of Allegiance each morning.”
The plaintiffs, both professed atheists, filed the lawsuit in the U.S.
District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Their children are
students in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District.
The voluntary, teacher-led recitation of the Texas Pledge typically
follows the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance in classrooms across the state.
According to the state’s brief, the Legislature added the words “one
state under God” to acknowledge the tradition and religious heritage
inherent in America’s founding.
The state contends the Texas Pledge is an acknowledgment of patriotism
and citizenship. It is a practice that mirrors the Declaration of
Independence’s self-evident truths that citizens are “endowed by their
creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” The Attorney General’s brief
argues that, instead of conflicting with the First Amendment, the Pledge
reflects the constitutionally protected freedom of religion.