Jun 28, 2002 By The 5 min read

As part of their daily routine, the senior citizens who gather at the Uniontown Senior Center begin the day with the Pledge of Allegiance and the Lord’s Prayer. On Thursday, volunteer dining room chairperson Dolores Elliott stressed “one nation under God” while leading the group during the pledge, in response to a California appeals court’s decision that the pledge is unconstitutional because it contains the phrase.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 decision Wednesday, said the phrase amounts to a government endorsement of religion, in violation of the separation of church and state. Michael Newdow, a Sacramento atheist, brought the case to court because his second-grade daughter was required to recite the pledge at school.

“We all have a right to our opinions,” Elliott said, adding that not everyone has to participate in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Elliott said she was met with applause after her declaration, and others at the senior center said Thursday that the Pledge of Allegiance should be left just the way it is.

“This country was founded on religious freedom. Why do they want to take our freedom away?” asked Kathleen McLaughlin. “Once they’ve taken our freedom away, we are doomed.”

James Quarzo, 85, also disagreed with the ruling.

“I’m 85 years old and I never thought I’d see this,” he said. “I love our red, white and blue. Everybody should voice their opinion and they don’t.”

However, one man, Les Taft, broke ranks with his colleagues at the center and said he doesn’t believe the phrase should be in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Taft pointed out that the pledge initially did not contain the phrase in question. President Dwight Eisenhower signed the legislation inserting “under God” into the pledge in 1954, at the height of the Cold War.

Taft said people who have a religious affiliation should have a prayer at the breakfast table before they leave the house.

“That way there is no discrimination against kids who don’t want to participate,” he said. “There’s 5,000 different nationalities and religions.”

But most interviewed throughout the area Thursday disagreed with the court ruling, some questioning how the pledge could be declared unconstitutional when the word “God” is used in other areas of American government.

At California University of Pennsylvania, some students noted that witnesses sworn in for a court proceeding must put their hands on a Bible and “swear to tell the whole truth, so help me God.” Others said references to God are part of American history, are included in many patriotic songs and are on U.S. currency.

“I think it’s crap,” said graduate student Mike Koval. “If a person believes in God, that’s fine. If not, don’t criticize those who do. It’s not like (the pledge) is poking fun at those who don’t believe.

“It’s like watching TV: If something is on that you don’t like, you turn the channel,” Koval added. “If you disagree with the Pledge of Allegiance, don’t say it.”

Fellow graduate student Josh Fosbrink echoed Koval’s sentiments.

“It think it’s ridiculous, because God created everything, and whether you believe in it or not is your choice. The government is not forcing it upon you. The government ruled that you don’t have to stand for the pledge. So, if you don’t believe in God, don’t say the pledge,” he said.

In Connellsville, longtime city resident Catherine Kennedy Amos said reciting the Lord’s Prayer and Pledge of Allegiance in an old country school made her a better person.

“Lordy yes,” said Amos. “Children should continue to say the Pledge of Allegiance. …They should have never taken prayer out of the schools, and now they don’t want the little children to say the Pledge of Allegiance. What’s next?”

The Rev. Mark Van Bibber of the Solid Rock Church in Connellsville said the court ruling is another step in “removing all the absolutes” in American society and keeping people off track.

“Isn’t it funny how just a couple of months ago everyone was talking about God and country. At that time, no one would have dared to push an issue like this. What this tells me is we are back to where we were before Sept. 11,” he said.

Rev. Van Bibber said that, following the reasoning behind the court ruling, God would have to be removed from U.S. currency and courts across the country.

“So, the next logical question is ‘What do we pledge our allegiance to?’ When you take an oath in court, you swear to tell the truth and you swear that oath to God,” he said. “There are starving people and hurting people and some real important issues that I think we should give our attention to. We shouldn’t be focused on some knucklehead who’s offended by God in our Pledge of Allegiance.”

Connellsville Mayor Judy Reed said it’s important for school children to know about American freedoms and what the flag represents, and the Pledge of Allegiance is a way for them to do so.

“There is so much symbolism in our flag, and our children need to know that men and women have given their lives for our freedom,” she said. “It’s not what it looks or sounds like, it’s what it stands for.

Reed said city council has and will continue to recite the pledge before each meeting, and those who don’t want to say “under God” don’t have to.

“I believe that our society is respectful of all people and of their rights,” said Reed. “This is the only country that I know of where these kinds of freedoms are afforded. I think this is an awful error in judgment and especially since we are at war.”

Editor’s note: Herald-Standard staff writers Jackie Beranek, Amy Karpinsky and April Straughters contributed to this report.