Two Texas atheists have lost the first round in their court battle to remove "under God" from the state pledge, a phrase that was added in June.
The Texas pledge reads, "Honor the Texas flag; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God, one and indivisible."
David and Shannon Croft demanded that students be forced to stop reciting the pledge while their case is being considered, but a federal district judge refused that request.
Kelly Shackelford with the Liberty Legal Institute commended the lawmakers' decision to affirm God.
“The Texas Legislature not only put ‘under God’ in the pledge, they also put ‘In God We Trust’ in big letters at the head of the House and Senate," he told Family News in Focus. "We’re going to see people in a lot of states say, 'You know what, let’s take a stand.' ”
