Opposing groups face off in God vs. Government debate
Story By: Ryan Wilson
Source: KOAA
Published Thu Apr 24, 2008, 12:00 AM MDT
Updated Thu Apr 24, 2008, 12:00 AM MDT
The argument over "separation of church and state," brought together two very different groups. The atheist supporting group Freethinkers of Colorado Springs and the faith-based group "Focus on the Family" held a debate called, "Are We One Nation Under God?"
The groups come from opposite ends of the spectrum to discuss an issue that's very important to both sides. The question of whether to remove the phrase "under God" from the pledge of allegiance, and the phrase, "in God we trust" from currency.
On the Freethinkers side, Reverend Dr. Michael Newdow spoke. In 2004, he brought the case to remove those phrases all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States. He argues it's unequal treatment, and a violation of the separation of church and state, as intended by the Founding Fathers.
For Focus on the Family, Dr. Chris Leland argued that the phrases don't necessarily force people into prayer.
"The assumption is when you take god out of the public square and you expel his presence from the moral foundation of this country, that the ideology of nothing will fill that void. and nothing could be further from the truth," Dr. Leland said.
"Unless you want the government to make you stand up and say we are a nation that thinks God doesn't exist, I hope you understand how atheists don't want our children standing up and saying we're a nation that thinks God does exist," Dr. Newdow said.
Much of the debate centered around what the Founding Fathers intended when they created the Constitution. And a little history, a flyer for the event says the Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892 and that the phrase "under God" was added 1954. And in 1955, Congress mandated that " in God we trust " be printed on all money.
