Taking the First Amendment seriously

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is suing to not have "In God We Trust" engraved on a new governmental building, the Capitol Visitor Center in Washington.

From the Associated Press:

The Madison-based Freedom From Religion Foundation's lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in western Wisconsin, claims the taxpayer-funded engravings would be an unconstitutional endorsement of religion.

Whatever else people are saying, I find it really hard to see it any other way than this.

The lawsuit says both the motto and the words "under God" in the pledge were adopted during the Cold War as anti-communism measures. Engraving them at the entrance to the U.S. Capitol would discriminate against those who do not practice religion and unfairly promote a Judeo-Christian perspective, it says.

Ditto.

Of course republican representatives would object:

"This lawsuit is another attempt by liberal activists to rewrite history and deny that America's Judeo-Christian heritage is an essential foundation stone of our great nation," said Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa.

Essential? Liberal activists? Rewrite history? Can you say republican hyperbole?

"In God We Trust" has been the national motto since 1956 and has appeared on U.S. currency since 1957. Those words did not appear on money at the time of the founding fathers, so evidently they did not think it belonged there - which I'm also saying because they did write the First Amendment.