Michael Newdow
Michael A. Newdow (born June 24, 1953 in New York City ) is an American lawyer and doctor who lives in Sacramento , California .
Life
Newdow was born in the Bronx , New York . In 1997 , Newdow founded a naturalistic organization he called the First Amendmist Church of True Science (FACTS). With her he advocates a strict separation of church and state and a naturalistic worldview.
He is also a staunch atheist and is best known for his failed attempt to remove the passage one nation under God from the American oath of allegiance . In a court case at the Ninth Court of Appeal , which is responsible for the western United States, the phrase under God was declared unconstitutional in 2002 because it would favor monotheism. Propagating a certain belief is not a matter 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 overturned the decision of the Court of Appeals for formal reasons. Since Michael Newdow no longer had custody of his daughter, the court denied him the right to sue on her behalf against the oath of allegiance at the school.
George W. Bush said in a statement shortly after the judgment of the judges at the appellate court that he would ensure that this "ridiculous judgment" was withdrawn.
Awards
In November 2002, Newdow received the Freethinker of the Year award from the Freedom From Religion Foundation in recognition of his services to the Pledge of Allegiance case. In 2004 he received the Special Recognition Freethought Hero Award for his services to the dispute over "In God We Trust" on the US currency. In May 2004 he received the Humanist Pioneer Award from the American Humanist Association .
academic career
- BS, Biology , Brown University (1974)
- MD, University of California in Los Angeles (1978)
- JD, University of Michigan (1988)
Web links
- Court documents of the case in 2002 (Engl.)
- Campaign Newdow to Elimierung the phrase under god from the Pledge of Allegiance (Engl.)
- Interview with Newdow 2002 Time magazine (Engl.)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Pledging Allegiance to Constitution ( Memento of the original from December 4, 2004 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , excerpt of acceptance speech for "Freethinker of the Year", Freedom From Religion Foundation November 22, 2002
- ↑ Freethought Hero Award 2004 - Mike Newdow ( Memento of the original from July 29, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Freedom From Religion Foundation October 30, 2004
- ↑ [American Humanist Association]
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Newdow, Michael |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Newdow, Michael A. |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American doctor and lawyer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 24, 1953 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | New York City |