Michael Newdow

Michael A. Newdow (* June 24, 1953 in New York City ) is an American lawyer and physician who lives in Sacramento, California.

Life

Newdow was born in the Bronx. In 1997, Newdow a naturalistic organization, which he called the First Amendment Church of True Science Mist (FACTS ). With it, he advocates a strict separation of church and state and a naturalistic worldview.

He is also a staunch atheist and was especially known for his failed attempt, the passage to remove one nation under God from the American Pledge of Allegiance. In a court case at the Ninth Court of Appeals, which is responsible for the western U.S., the phrase under God was declared unconstitutional in that they make of monotheism would be preferred in 2002. A propagation of a particular faith, in turn, is not for the state. As Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow the case came before the Supreme Court of the United States, which in 2004 reversed the decision of the Court of Appeals on procedural grounds again. Since Michael Newdow no longer had custody of his daughter, the court awarded him from the right to sue on their behalf against the Pledge of Allegiance in school.

George W. Bush said shortly after the verdict of the judges on the Court of Appeals said in a statement that he would ensure that this " ridiculous judgment " was withdrawn again.

Awards

In November 2002, Newdow the Freethinker of the Year award from the Freedom From Religion Foundation has been awarded in recognition of his services to the Pledge of Allegiance case. In 2004 he was awarded the Special Recognition Freethought Hero Award for his contributions to the controversy over "In God We Trust" on U.S. currency. In May 2004, he received the Humanist Pioneer Award from the American Humanist Association.

Academic Career

• B. S., Biology, Brown University (1974 )
• MD, University of California at Los Angeles ( 1978)
• J. D., University of Michigan (1988 )