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SAN FRANCISCO - A federal appeals court in San Francisco has ruled that the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance is constitutional.

In a 2-1 ruling, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel rejected arguments by Sacramento atheist Michael Newdow that the phrase violates the separation between church and state.

Newdow's previous lawsuit against the pledge in public schools reached the U.S. Supreme Court in 2004. But the high court said he didn't have the legal standing to make the challenge on behalf of his daughter.

So Newdow, who is a doctor and lawyer, filed a similar challenge on behalf of other parents who objected to their children being required to recite "under God."

In a separate ruling Thursday, the appeals court also upheld the use of the phrase "In God We Trust" on coins and currency.