Court sidesteps 'In God We Trust' dispute

Court sidesteps 'In God We Trust' dispute

GINA HOLLAND

Associated Press

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court on Monday sidestepped a dispute over the
constitutionality of putting "In God We Trust" on government buildings.

The court did not comment in rejecting an appeal over an "In God We
Trust" inscription on the Davidson County Government Center in
Lexington, N.C.

The inscription, in 18-inch block letters, was paid for with donations
from individuals and churches in 2002. It is more prominent than the
name of the building, according to opponents.

Charles F. Lambeth Jr. and Michael D. Lea, two lawyers who regularly
practice in the North Carolina center, filed the lawsuit.

N.C. county will fight 'In God We Trust' lawsuit

By The Associated Press
08.15.03

LEXINGTON, N.C. — Davidson County has hired a law firm to fight a lawsuit seeking to remove the U.S. motto, "In God We Trust," from the front of the county government building.

The county commissioners said on Aug. 12 they had decided in a closed-door meeting last month to battle the case in court. Hundreds of people had attended the commission's regular meeting to support the motto. The announcement was welcomed with applause and shouts of "Amen."

"I do not think you'll be ashamed of the decision you made to fight this lawsuit," Jason Grubb, a local resident, told the commission.

The motto was installed on the Governmental Center in December after it was approved by commissioners on a 4-2 vote.

The U.S. Motto Action Committee, a group organized to support the motto on government buildings, said it had collected 15,000 signatures of support on petitions since the lawsuit was filed.

http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/news.aspx?id=11828

N.C. judge requests religion-neutral oaths, courtrooms

By The Associated Press
03.15.04

LEXINGTON, N.C. — A district court judge has asked local officials to remove religious references, including oaths that end "so help me God" and a traditional blessing for the state and court, in courtrooms when he presides.

Judge James M. Honeycutt said in a letter that the court system is seeing an increasing number of people who are not necessarily Christian.

***

"It’s totally in opposition to the very basis of our constitution, the very basis for our laws," said Rick Lanier, a former member of the Davidson County Board of Commissioners and a member of a group that paid to install the sign.

"He’s a judge. He should be subject to complying with the bylaws that we established and founded for our nation," Lanier said."Because we are a Christian nation and we’ve been a Christian nation for 300 years, the thing that bothers me is, are we conforming to a minority?"

http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/news.aspx?id=12871

So if a bunch of people raised enough money to put "In Flying Spaghetti Monster We Trust" on the building, that would also be all right with the idiots?