Nedow, atheist groups, suing over inauguration

Michael Nedow and a number of other atheist groups, including Seattle Atheists, is suing the government over the use of religion in the inauguration to remove “so help me God” to the presidential oath of office, and the government-sponsored use of clergy during the inauguration, which violate the First Amendment’s Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses.

The plaintiffs:

MICHAEL NEWDOW; MEL LIPMAN; DAN BARKER AND ANNIE-LAURIE GAYLOR; AUGUST BERKSHIRE; MARIE CASTLE; STUART BECHMAN; HERB SILVERMAN; HARRY GREENBERGER; KIRK HORNBECK; JIM CORBETT; CATHARINE LAMM; RICHARD WINGROVE; CHRISTOPHER ARNTZEN; JOHN STOLTENBERG; KATHERINE LACLAIR; LOUIS ALTMAN; PAUL CASE; “UNNAMED CHILDREN;” THE AMERICAN HUMANIST ASSOCIATION (“AHA”); THE FREEDOM FROM RELIGION FOUNDATION (“FFRF”); MINNESOTA ATHEISTS (“MNA”); ATHEISTS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS (“AFHR”); ATHEIST ALLIANCE INTERNATIONAL (“AAI”); ATHEISTS UNITED (“AU”); NEW ORLEANS SECULAR HUMANIST ASSOCIATION (“NOSHA”) UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON SECULAR STUDENT UNION (“UWSSU”); SEATTLE ATHEISTS (“SA”); ATHEISTS OF FLORIDA (“AOF”);

The defendants:

HON. JOHN ROBERTS, JR., CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE U.S. SUPREME COURT; PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURAL COMMITTEE (“PIC”); EMMETT BELIVEAU, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PIC; JOINT CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE ON INAUGURAL CEREMONIES (“JCCIC”); SENATOR DIANNE FEINSTEIN, CHAIRPERSON, JCCIC; ARMED FORCES INAUGURAL COMMITTEE (“AFIC”); MAJOR GENERAL RICHARD J. ROWE JR., CHAIRPERSON, AFIC; REV. RICK WARREN; REV. JOE LOWERY

I support this lawsuit. In fact, here’s a little something on the pledge and “in god we trust” that I wrote in November.