Source: The State

Wire Service: AP

http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/analysis.aspx?id=12856

On March 11, 2004 the Associated Press reported, "Does it matter whether the Pledge of Allegiance proclaims that the indivisible American republic is 'under God'? In a political sense, the answer is certainly yes. The attorneys general of all 50 states, the Bush administration and many members of Congress joined briefs backing the current wording, an issue to be argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on March 24. But the religious answer to the 'under God' question is more complicated, as indicated by the unusual lineup of groups taking stands and what they're saying. Pledge proponents think general acknowledgment of religion is good for society, and dropping God would rewrite history or threaten religion's legitimate status. Opponents, some of them religious believers, argue the phrase violates church-state separation as well as the religious rights of some Americans - or that it's just a meaningless phrase and possibly demeaning to persons of faith."