A New Jersey court heard arguments on Wednesday on a motion to dismiss a lawsuit by anti-Christianists to have “under God” removed from the Pledge of Allegiance.

The motion to dismiss was filed by the Beckett Fund for Religious Liberty on behalf of a New Jersey high school student who is standing up to the anti-Christianists and their attempts to remove any reference to God from public schools.

“I’ve been reciting the pledge since preschool, and to me the phrase ‘one nation under God’ sums up the history and values that have made our country great,” Samantha Jones said. “I think it’s empowering to know that, no matter what happens, I have some rights the government can never take away. No student should be silenced just because some people disagree with timeless American values.”

The legal counsel from the Beckett Fund praised the judge for being ready for the case and said it would be hard to tell which way he would be ruling on the motion.

“The judge seemed focused on the case, he had prepared well, and he was familiar with the arguments of each of the parties,” Diana Verm, legal counsel with the Becket Fund, told The Christian Post.  “He asked tough questions of each side, and it is difficult to predict the outcome, but we are optimistic that he will agree with every other court to decide this issue and uphold the pledge.”