(Image source from: Prog40.ru)

The United States Supreme Court has rejected an atheist's plea to remove 'In God We Trust', the national motto from all coins and currency from the Department of Treasury.

Michael Newdow, the same activist attorney who tried to remove 'under God' from the Pledge of Allegiance, lost his recent case on Monday. He argued that it was government endorsement of religion and a violation of the First Amendment

His petition read, "Petitioners are atheists. As such, they fervidly disagree with the religious idea that people should trust in God. On the contrary, their sincere religious belief is that trusting in any God is misguided."

In 2016, Newdow had filed a case to remove the motto from the money at federal court in Ohio. The lawsuit contained 41 plaintiffs including unnamed parents and children who are atheists or being raised as atheists. The petition claims that letting the phrase on U.S. currency is a violation of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993.

The suit everywhere referred to God as 'G-d' and mentions that phrase has been used as a tool to perpetuate favoritism for (Christian) Monotheism. It states, "It has also continued to perpetuate anti-Atheistic bias."

In his petition to the Supreme Court, Newdow said that his clients are all atheist individuals or belong to atheist groups, the government violated their "sincere religious belief" that there is no God and turned them into political outsiders" by placing the phrase 'In God We Trust' on their money.

Newdow has held many atheist campaigns in the past at various big events. He had tried to silence prayer and religious references at the inaugurations of former President George W Bush and President Barack Obama.

The phrase 'In God We Trust' was first put on an American coin in 1864, due to "increased religious sentiment." In 1955, it was added on both coins and paper bills. His petition was rejected by the justices without any comment. However, most of his efforts have filed until now.

By Sowmya Sangam