Lawsuit seeks removal of 'In God We Trust' from US currency

CHICAGO: An unusual lawsuit filed on behalf of several Atheists in a US court has sought removal of the term 'In God We Trust' from American currency on grounds that it is unconstitutional.

The 112-page lawsuit, filed by Sacramento doctor and lawyer Michael Newdow in a federal court in Akron, Ohio, contends that having the phrase on paper money and coins violates the constitutional rights of those who do not believe in an almighty being and violates separation of church and state.

The California atheist best known for challenging the government's sanctioned use of the word "God" has filed the suit on behalf of 41 plaintiffs, including many unnamed parents and children who either are atheists or are being raised as atheists, Cleveland.com reported.

Some of the plaintiffs are from Ohio, while others are from Michigan. The Northern Ohio Freethought Society of Cleveland is part of the lawsuit.

Defendants in the case include the Congress, Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew and various federal agencies.

The lawsuit filed on Monday states having "In God We Trust" violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993.

The word "God" is used hundreds of times in the lawsuit, but each reference, save for those in the titles for publications, is styled as "G-d."

"The 'In G-d We Trust' phrase has continued to be a tool used to perpetuate favouritism for (Christian) Monotheism," the suit states. "It has also continued to perpetuate anti-Atheistic bias."

Newdow has made a name for himself in the past as an outspoken atheist. He has sued the government at least twice before about the use of "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance, with courts ruling against him both times.

He also previously filed suit in California over US currency. A federal appeals court ruled against him in 2010.