Appeals court declines to hear petition of Satanist seeking removal of 'In God We Trust' from US currency

The Seventh Circuit Court of U.S. Appeals has upheld a lower court decision to dismiss a case filed by a self-described Satanist seeking the removal of the motto "In God We Trust" from the U.S. currency.

According to The Chicago Tribune, the federal lawsuit was filed in May last year by Kenneth Mayle, who claims to be a practitioner of "non-theistic Satanism." The 36-year-old plaintiff argued that having currency in his possession forces him to propagate a religious view that contradicts with his own beliefs.

The appeal was filed after the case was dismissed by a lower court. The Seventh Circuit upheld the ruling, saying "a reasonable observer would not perceive the motto on currency as a religious endorsement."

"The inclusion of the motto on currency is similar to other ways in which secular symbols give a nod to the nation's religious heritage," the Seventh Circuit argued in the ruling, according to The Chicago Tribune.

Mayle said that he decided to challenge the placement of the phrase on the U.S. currency in court a couple of years ago because he thought that no elected leader would make an effort to have the motto removed.

"Right now, you have a lot of politicians that are reflecting their religious views and laws and pushing toward the Trump mentality, nationalism," he said, according to The Chicago Tribune.

"Someone has to present the other side. You just can't protest in the streets. You have to put things in front of judges," he added.

The Seventh Circuit ruling was handed down just days after a three-judge panel of the Sixth Circuit Court of U.S. Appeals ruled that the motto on U.S currency was not a violation of the U.S. Constitution.

In the 2-1 ruling on May 29, the Sixth Circuit contended that the motto was not compelled speech and noted that the complainants could use alternatives to cash if they were offended by the motto.

Christian News Network reported that the Sixth Circuit case stems from a complaint filed by an atheist named Michael Newdow in the Southern District of New York in March 2013.

That same year, a district judge dismissed Newdow's arguments that the motto violates the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution, prompting the atheist to file an appeal.

After the Second Circuit Court of U.S. Appeals upheld the lower court ruling, Newdow sought other complainants to challenge the placement of the motto on U.S. currency.

The new lawsuit, which involves 43 plaintiffs, argued that the phrase violates the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act because it places a burden on atheists.

The case was dismissed by a judge in December 2016, arguing that the government does not require citizens to display money and that "[n]o reasonable viewer would think a person handling money does so to spread its religious message."