Two controversial words in our Pledge of Allegiance are safe–at least for now.

In a decision announced on Flag Day, the U. S. Supreme Court reversed a lower court decision which said the inclusion of "under God" during students’ recitation of the Pledge was unconstitutional. Their action preserves the words added by Congress 50 years ago.

The Court, however, did not address the larger question of whether the act of leading students in the Pledge amounts to "religious indoctrination," a violation of the constitutional principle requiring separation of church and state.

Instead, they based their ruling on the lack of "legal standing" possessed by the man who originally brought the case to court. According to five justices, Michael Newdow (who sued the Elk Grove, California Unified School District on behalf of his 10-year-old daughter) doesn’t legally have the right to oppose the practice because " ... he does not have custody of her ..."

The girl’s mother, Sandra Banning, has exclusive legal guardianship of her daughter under a state court order. Ms. Banning has told the court " ... her daughter is a Christian and has no objection ... to reciting or hearing the Pledge."

The majority opinion described the Pledge as a " ... patriotic exercise designed to foster national unity ..." In a separate opinion, three judges said a student who pledges allegiance to the flag promises " ... fidelity to our flag, not to any particular God, faith, or church ..."

It might be said that the Court’s ruling was based on a "technicality." Most certainly, we haven’t heard the last of this issue.