Judge Strikes Reference to God in Ky. Law

[sabra]

Source: CBS New/AP

Decision: Homeland Security's Dependence on "Almighty God" Akin to Establishing a Religion

(AP) It is one thing to trust in God, but quite another to be ordered to rely on protection from above during national emergencies, a judge has ruled.

Franklin Circuit Judge Thomas Wingate said in Wednesday's decision that references to a dependence on "Almighty God" in the law that created the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security is akin to establishing a religion, which the government is prohibited from doing in the U.S. and Kentucky constitutions. Ten Kentucky residents and a national atheist group sued to have the reference stricken.

"It is breathtakingly unconstitutional," said Edwin Kagin, national legal director for American Atheists Inc. in Union, "and Judge Wingate goes to great detail as to why it is."

The judge wrote in the 18-page ruling: "The statute pronounces very plainly that current citizens of the Commonwealth cannot be safe, neither now, nor in the future, without the aid of Almighty God. Even assuming that most of this nation's citizens have historically depended upon God, by choice, for their protection, this does not give the General Assembly the right to force citizens to do so now."

The language in the 2006 legislation had been inserted by state Rep. Tom Riner, D-Louisville, a pastor of Christ is King Baptist Church in Louisville.

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/08/27/national/main5268350.shtml

[Kerrytravelers]

1. Excellent. Nice to see sanity.

[fascisthunter]

2. Good.... Americans shouldn't be subject to someone's religious views

this country is made up of more than just religious people.

[sasquatch]

3. Sorry Dumbasses, you can't start a theocracy right below me

[DebbieCDC]

4. Oh my, a sane jurist?

:wow:

[Odin2005]

5. GOOD!

[TrogL]

6. Link to the ruling itself?

An 18 page rant on separation of church and state ought to be interesting.

[JeanGrey]

7. I wonder when we'll reprint all of our money, or stop Congress

from having prayer?

[sweetladybug]

8. Our country must have reprinted all our money back in the 50's since

"In God we trust" was not put on our money until that time. Also "One nation under God was not put into the Pledge of Allegiant until the 1950's. So many uninformed people do not know this.

[JeanGrey]

9. No kidding.