Godless Business

“In God We Trust”?

There seems to be a massive misunderstanding in America.  There are many Christians who erroneously believe the phrase “In God We Trust” has always been on their currency, and it’s those evil atheists who wish to remove God from their precious Christian nation.  This is far from the truth.

The American Constitution is in no way founded on any set of values that might be considered Christian.  You can easily find a copy of the constitution online and do a quick search for the terms “God”, “Jesus”, “Christian”, or “Faith” and will come up empty handed.

The public records are clear – the phrase “In God We trust” was added as an Act of Congress in 1956.  This is in clear violation of the Constitution, which explictly prohibits the promotion or discrimination of any religion by the government – that is what it means to be secular.

What the crazy Christians fail to realise is that the separation of church and state applies to everyone.  What would the reaction be if a Muslim group managed to get “In Allah We Trust” onto the currency?  What if a Jewish organisation managed to convince the Health Department that non-kosher food was to be banned?

The freedoms that are meant to be upheld by the American Consitution have been trampled by the addition of “In God We Trust” to the currency.  It should be removed immediately.

  • PATROCK

    Word up yo! If you dont like it then dont use the currancy!

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/askegg askegg

      I don't – I am Australian.

    • Ron

      Learn how to spell idiot!!!!!!!!!!! Dumbass

    • http://thingsfindothinks.com AndrewFinden

      "currancy" – is that a system of currency that uses currants?

  • meugene

    From the Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Creator…Created. Language clearly originating in God's Word, the Bible, book of Genesis: "In the beginning, God created…." If this were not the case, then you would have no "right" to be an atheist–a choice you are freely given by God, and which is protected by the Constitution.

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/askegg askegg

      What does the Declaration of Independence have to do with the Constitution?

      In any case – there are hundreds of creation myths to choose from. Just because a document uses the word "creator" in no way shows they were referring to Yahweh.

  • http://www.aaronakins.net Aaron Akins

    “As the Government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Musselmen; and as the said States never have entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mehomitan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.” – the Treaty of Tripoli, signed by President and Founding Father John Adams on November 4, 1796.

    “I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of… Each of those churches accuse the other of unbelief; and for my own part, I disbelieve them all.” – Founding Father Thomas Paine, from his work The Age of Reason (pub. 1794-1795).

    "When a Religion is good, I conceive it will support itself; and when it does not support itself, and God does not take care to support it so that its Professors are obliged to call for help of the Civil Power, it is a sign, I apprehend, of its being a bad one." – Founding Father Benjamin Franklin, from a letter to Richard Price, October 9, 1780.

    The words of men founding a "Christian Nation"? I think not.

  • Harrison

    Christianity is not a religion, it's a matter of faith in Christ. So yea the founding fathers were Christians and had Christian morals, but also in that time frame the only "church" fighting against them was the Church of England. Because they believed their "religion" was right and how God wanted it. The founding fathers were believers in God, followers of Christ. And the quote from Thomas Paine above me clearly states he did not believe in religion, which means he didn't have one, he BELIEVED in God and had FAITH in him and TRUSTED him. Believing in Christ is a relationship, not something you have to follow by what a SINFUL MAN says.

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/askegg askegg

      Believing in Christ make you a CHRISTian. If you add a holy book to the mix, say the Bible, then your not much different to any group who gets together and worships in similar ways – say a denomination.

      Ask yourself why you want to distance yourself from the word "religion". Is it because of all the bullshit it contains and all the harm it's caused? Guess what, the Bible contains the instructions that lead Christian religions to commit those atrocities. Own up to it.

  • http://twitter.com/TimCub @TimCub

    Hey, Harrison, what religion are you?

  • McLain

    Currently, our money in the United States is printed with the phrase 'In God We Trust.' Since FDR removed us from the gold standard in 1933, during the Great Depression, our faith in the value of these slips of cotton paper has been truly 'In God.' To those who wish to replace or remove 'God' from our currency, what would take its place?

    I do not pose this question as simply "What words should be printed on the dollar?", but "What should we as Americans put our faith into to support the collectively perceived value of the dollar?"

    On its surface it would almost seem as a contradiction that the thing we exchange (and by extension, its electronic counterpart) for goods and services everyday would be valued on the trust we, as a nation, put into a deity. However, it is something that we, as free people, seem to be exactly certain of what it is worth. Not only do we trade it, but we sometimes kill, steal and lie for, and even give away freely for things we assign more importance than ourselves.

    Christians (the true kind) 'render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's.' They also render unto God that which is God's. A clever minister has even said that God will reward the man who puts trust in Him; and, the man who earns a dollar, ultimately puts his trust in God for the successful ability to work for it.

    Ministers and community organizers alike should pay close attention. In my opinion, the functions you serve to society are mirrors of each other. 'In God We Trust' will remain on the dollar until a replacement is decided upon; one that can be determined by a majority of Americans.

    For those that are offended by the phrase, I dare you to stop using cash. If you are so offended, it shouldn't be that hard with debit cards being as common as they are. The E-Dollar has nothing printed on it, and your debit card contains no mention of any deity. The only things you can't buy without 'In God We Trust' are illegal, anyway.

    I for one believe that God is less interested in receiving our dollars, and more interested in what we do for, and with them. As long as there are people who place this kind of trust in God, and similarly in our currency, I will support keeping the phrase 'In God We Trust' on the dollar.

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/askegg askegg

      The gold standard is a misdirection. Gold itself (while a limited resource) has no inherent value. The exchange rate between gold and any other object is arbitrary and illusionary, just as it is with "these slips of cotton paper". So it's a moot point.

      Also, why does everything need to be measured against, or derive from, a mythical being? Does it add value to the dollar if "in Zeus we trust" or any one of the thousands of gods before Yahweh was printed on the dollar? No.

      The issue is not "what should you put on the dollar", but "what should certainly not be on the dollar"? The US Constitution explicitly provides freedom of religion. By backing "god" the US Government is making a statement about religious beliefs and disenfranchising those who believe in multiple gods, or no god at all.

      A replacement is not required. If you need to be reminded of what you put your faith in, then I would say it's a pretty weak faith.

      Lastly, Jesus said multiple times to give up everything you own and give it away (Mark 19:17-21, Luke 18:22, Luke 12:33, Luke 9:23, Luke 12:33). It was clear that he held charity in the highest regard. So stop calling yourself a Christian while you still own possessions, the poor go hungry, and millions live daily without fresh water or a roof over their head.

      • Jamie Michelle

        Hi! "So stop calling yourself a Christian while you still own possessions" – So does that mean Job, King Solomon, King David and others who had "given" glory & wealth were not in fact God's presious people/servants/good stewards?? There is nothing wrong with prosperity as long as you are helping others with it or if money and possessions are an idol before God in a persons life. A Christian in a strong financial position can have a great impact benefiting society and the Kingdom of God. The book of Mark only has 16 chapters…not being smart just pointing that out ok xx

  • John

    Might want to check your facts…

    "IN GOD WE TRUST" first appeared on the 1864 two-cent coin. It has been used on coins uninterrupted ever since, and on paper currency since the change of currency design in 1957.

    As for separation of church and state, that phrase is not in the constitution. We have freedom of religion, and the government will not have a state religion.

    I do not see how the phrase violates the issue of no state imposed religion.

    And I'm a person that does not even believe in god.

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/askegg askegg

      I concede your point regrading coins.

      However, the only way to obtain freedom of religion is to enforce freedom from religion. "In God we trust" may be vague enough for monotheistic religions (after all, they can just claim it;s their God they have trust in), but moves against polytheistic religions (such as Hinduism), deism (to some extent), and those who do not wish to have trust in any mythical sky pixies (atheists).

      "In God we trust" promotes one particular family of religious beliefs to the fore. In a country that is meant to be entirely secular (meaning it should make no comment on religious affairs) this is a blatant violation and disregard of the rule of law.

  • gregarina

    wat happened to the days of speaking english, yeh talking to you guys up there, oh and ron is tha a direct link to the harry potter series, cos you appear to be reeling as many girls as that guy!!, p. to the s, australia is the best country its been proven

  • Efrom

    Hey don't bag ron. I happen to think he makes a very good point and im sure he is sexy. Oh btw im not defending that guy who left comments, im talking about the actually harry potter guy. The one who left those comments, i dunno what he was thinking. i mean seriously. JESUS CHRIST RON! This is totally from efrom, the retarded rabbit.

  • wayne king

    oh, of course we knew efrom no one can bag P.D.R (pimp daddy ron) he is in the same boat as such legends as chuck norris, oh ron was walking down the street and had an erection, sad to say there were no survivors, yeh i agree about the lame ron, i mean come on wat do you like date your sister or wat, (i hear thats wat they do in america) "let this be a listen to the rest of ya'll dont pretend to be something your not, i house sit for my sister all the time i dont claim that i own her house"

  • Joe

    This guy is an Idiot and Ignorant …. Separation of Church an State .. It's a joke …. I bet you cannot find that document … you idiot.

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/askegg askegg

      Are you talking to me? I am sure article 3 of the United States Bill of Rights (which was added in the first amendment) is rather easy to find. Perhaps you should do at least the minimum level of research before posting such idiotic statements.

      • Passerby

        The government, of all people, should with hold all reference to religion unless rights are being infringed upon.
        Would removing the words "In god we trust" bring the down fall of Christianity in America? I don't think so. We know the founding fathers were Christian. Did they intend America to be a Christian Nation? I think 99.9% of all U.S. History Researchers would say yes. Does that make it right? No. Remember that many of our founding fathers held slaves. They are not without faults, and were not endowed with unerring wisdom.

        Religion is a personal sphere of influnece, whereas government is a public sphere of influence. The decision made with in a church affect those who voluntarily go for spiritual enrichment, but the decisions of the government affect all who live in the nation (including Christian and non-Christian people). Jesus did not seek the government to make his word known, he did it by his personal actions and teachings. Don't rely on the government to keep Christianity alive. Don't be a lazy Christian. Go out and meet the people and spread the word. This is what Jesus asked us to do.

  • uj

    tj

  • satch

    Religion is a belief system. Do you do something religiously? Not believing in Christ is a belief system dating to the days of Christ. They were the Romans & the Roman Empire. Ceasar who was on the money of the day. Another member of this religion was King Herod. Today we Christians call their belief system passed down through the years from generation to generation as the world or secular society. If you want to go back farther then that you can go to Sodom & Gomorrah they represented this same belief system, farther back to Babylon to Egypt to the serpant in the Christian story of creation! If you don't believe in the creation theory, that is your belief & your religion! Christians just value themselves & life more so they uphold the highest moral standards for themselves. In God we trust, is a lot better then having no set standards to run your life by, as the way the world is today is the result of not having a set of standards to go by! Anything goes, well quit complaining about your religion if it works so well! Christians aren't complaining, they are living a life with an attitude of gratitude! Secular society or the world you are a religion & you have been around since day one even if you won't admit that you believe in anything, you are anything & your system will end the world someday! With nobody to blame but yourselves & your attitudes & outlooks on life!

  • Daimon

    @satch
    Let me get this straight… you hold the belief that a LACK of belief is in itself a belief ???
    And not only that, but that lack of belief somehow makes us instantly evil ?

    Surely you jest, dear sir.

    As for your thoughts on "without god there are no standards" surely societal mores are much more valid a concept than the flawed logic of "christianity will save the world" … the same christianity that started SEVERAL "holy" crusades that killed FAR more people than the muslim belief ever has, and probably ever WILL

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