I received a mass mailer from a co-worker today alerting me to the fact that a movement to remove the phrase "In God We Trust" from the US money is gaining the momentum and urging me, along with others on her mailing list, to protest this on some website. This made me think how I feel about the issue. And I realized that I simply do not care one way or the other. I feel a lot stronger about keeping a prayer in schools - at least, I think it could potentially lead to something good, and I personally saw no downside to it as long as the participation was voluntary. Having this phrase on our currency is - well - odd. I have concluded some time ago that many of my fellow Americans pray to God at a Sunday church service, but worship the green buck in the time in between. If godly principles come in contradiction with the green buck principles, the green buck rules (unless we are talking about the Sunday service). So why do we even want to keep this saying "In God We Trust" on our money? It is hypocritical at best. Or cynical at worst. Or even blasphemous.
On the other hand, I seriously don't read and don't care what or who is on our money. I still don't know whose face is on a $1, $5, $10, or a $50 bill. To me it is just paper which I can exchange for goods and services. For all I care, those bills could have Harry Potter's face on them, and I wouldn't notice. So I remain perplexed why anybody who is a true believer would care that such a mundane object as money, which may be the source of all evil, by the way, should have the saying "In God We Trust." What next? The fight for the right and sacred obligation to keep the phrasse "In God We Trust" prominently displayed in every public restroom?
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So, the email you received was concerned about removing "In God We Trust" only from the money or was it from other places as well? That was not clear. I agree with you about the money issue. Way too much attention is paid to how the money looks or what it says. I am sure millions of taxpayer dollars for example, went into the new state quarters. And how is the spending of that money relevant to core reasons for having the government, e.g. maintenance of law and order?
ReplyDeleteOne of the more famous episodes of "The Simpsons" includes Homer's attempt to bribe a friend with the promise of a $10,000 bill. When asked which president is on the bill, Homer answers thus:
ReplyDelete"Uh, all of them. They're having a party. Jimmy Carter's passed out on the couch."