In God We Trust Litigation

On June 12, 2006, Mike Newdow's litigation (see attached) to have "In God We Trust" removed from our currency was rejected by a Federal Judge who ruled that the phraseology was not religious, but rather a secular slogan (reference).  In all probability the ruling will be appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court.  Nevertheless, it should be troubling that any Federal judge would insult both our intelligence and the transparent import of the Constitution.  It is evident to anyone of reasonable honesty that "God" is a religious entity and therefore belief in God is a religious belief, not secular.  "In God We Trust" is a religious slogan by definition and consequently its presence on our currency is manifest government endorsement of a religious belief in violation of the First Amendment.  It is not a patriotic slogan.  Legitimate patriotism has to do with supporting and defending our Constitution, not subverting it in the service of religious ideology.  That simple truth about patriotism was lost in Washington somewhere back in the 1950's when the slogan in question became embedded in federal statute.  Before then, back to the days of America's founders,  the national slogan was E Pluribus Unum, not in God we trust.   The present ruling was hardly a shock.  It is rooted in a syndrome of judicial activism that that aims at contravening the rule of law regarding matters of government and religion.  This in turn has  emboldened both Congress and the presidency to violate the Constitution even more in the service of religious causes.