The US Supreme Court has decided to preserve the phrase 'under God' in a patriotic oath known as the Pledge of Allegiance, with which millions of American children start their school day, report agencies.
The court dismissed a challenge to the oath from Michael Newdow, the father of a 10-year-old girl. Arguing that the phrase contradicted the first amendment of the US constitution, which guarantees that government will not "establish" religion, Newdow had sued Congress, President George W Bush and others seeking removal of the words from the pledge.
"I am an atheist. I don't believe in God," Newdow said. "Every day my daughter is required to stand up and say her dad is wrong."
The court, however sidestepped the contentious issue of separation of church and state, dismissing the case on the grounds that Newdow -- who is in the midst of a custody case with the girl's mother, Sandra Banning---had not established the legal right to speak for the child. Banning has said she does not object to the wording of the pledge.
The case follows an appeals court ruling two years ago which said that the wording was unconstitutional. But the US solicitor general Theodore Olson argued that the wording had more to do with history, ceremony and patriotism than the direct promotion of religion.
