WASHINGTON –The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday set the stage for a major First Amendment battle over the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Three years ago, Sacramento atheist Michael Newdow’s pro se campaign to strike the words from the Pledge seemed merely quixotic. Now, the case is on the agenda for the nation’s highest court, likely to be argued early next year amid an intense debate over issues of religion and patriotism in a time of war.