On the 50th anniversary of the addition of the words “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance, the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed today a constitutional challenge to the words “under God” in the pledge. The Supreme Court decided to dismiss the case without deciding the key church-state issue, which is, “Can the State Acknowledge God?” In his arguments on behalf of the United States government before the Court, Solicitor General Theodore Olson stated: “The reference [under God] is an ‘official acknowledgment of our nation’s religious heritage,’ similar to the “In God We Trust” stamped on coins and bills.” The justices ruled that California atheist Michael Newdow lacked the legal right to bring the challenge in the first place. “We conclude that Newdow lacks standing,” Justice John Paul Stevens declared in the opinion. The Supreme Court refused to deal with the real issue in this case and subsequently this issue can be brought back before the court when another plaintiff decides to bring a challenge to the words, “under God.”