One Nation Under God???

September 23, 2007 by Mark Pogue

The First Amendment reads as such:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

We are Americans. This is not a Christian nation that we are led to believe. We are a “melting pot” of races, nationalities, and origins, with a wide variety of religions, denominations, sects, and even godless groups are also in the mix. It seems that no matter what the event is, someone is offended due to diversity.

The “In God We Trust” motto on our currency, arrogantly assumes ALL are believers in one god or any god. The Pledge of Allegiance contains the phrase “under God”, which is another assumption that ALL are believers. (Note that the United States and Lebanon are the only two countries with a “pledge of allegiance”) By using the word “God” in a singular sense, there is total disregard for Americans whom are polytheistic, such as Hindus and Pagans. Also, let’s not forget the atheists or secularists. Remember, we are ALL American taxpayers and all have sacrificed our lives for these freedoms that we say we treasure.

Do we want religious authoritarianism in this country? Most do not, but there are a few that desire to rule from their untaxed mansions. Must religion always be intertwined with morality? I find it strange that in a country where religion reigns… unjust murders, school shootings, abortion clinic bombings, and many other immoral crimes against humanity abound. Even torturing a prisoner is considered to be a legitimate act of interrogation. The cries for God become louder and louder, but yet their hypocritical actions speak of the non existence of a higher power. Why is this?

I propose that we can have a moral code of ethics without religious ties. After all, we are capable of thought and invention. Why not let progress “ring” along with freedom?

Filed Under: Atheism, Beliefs, Blog, Christianity, Church/State, Evolution, God, Morality
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Comments

9 Responses to “One Nation Under God???”

MissPDX on September 23rd, 2007 12:16 pm

Well, what bugs me is that “One Nation under God” wasn’t even added until the 1950s. But many don’t seem to know that. So they just assume that the founding fathers had a Christian Nation in mind… which they didn’t.

[Reply]
TJM Admin on September 23rd, 2007 1:33 pm

The motto IN GOD WE TRUST was placed on United States coins largely because of the increased religious sentiment existing during the Civil War. Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase received many appeals from devout persons throughout the country, urging that the United States recognize the Deity on United States coins. From Treasury Department records, it appears that the first such appeal came in a letter dated November 13, 1861. It was written to Secretary Chase by Rev. M. R. Watkinson, Minister of the Gospel from Ridleyville, Pennsylvania, and read:

Dear Sir: You are about to submit your annual report to the Congress respecting the affairs of the national finances.

One fact touching our currency has hitherto been seriously overlooked. I mean the recognition of the Almighty God in some form on our coins.

You are probably a Christian. What if our Republic were not shattered beyond reconstruction? Would not the antiquaries of succeeding centuries rightly reason from our past that we were a heathen nation? What I propose is that instead of the goddess of liberty we shall have next inside the 13 stars a ring inscribed with the words PERPETUAL UNION; within the ring the allseeing eye, crowned with a halo; beneath this eye the American flag, bearing in its field stars equal to the number of the States united; in the folds of the bars the words GOD, LIBERTY, LAW.

This would make a beautiful coin, to which no possible citizen could object. This would relieve us from the ignominy of heathenism. This would place us openly under the Divine protection we have personally claimed. From my hearth I have felt our national shame in disowning God as not the least of our present national disasters.

To you first I address a subject that must be agitated.

As a result, Secretary Chase instructed James Pollock, Director of the Mint at Philadelphia, to prepare a motto, in a letter dated November 20, 1861:

Dear Sir: No nation can be strong except in the strength of God, or safe except in His defense. The trust of our people in God should be declared on our national coins.

You will cause a device to be prepared without unnecessary delay with a motto expressing in the fewest and tersest words possible this national recognition.

It was found that the Act of Congress dated January 18, 1837, prescribed the mottoes and devices that should be placed upon the coins of the United States. This meant that the mint could make no changes without the enactment of additional legislation by the Congress. In December 1863, the Director of the Mint submitted designs for new one-cent coin, two-cent coin, and three-cent coin to Secretary Chase for approval. He proposed that upon the designs either OUR COUNTRY; OUR GOD or GOD, OUR TRUST should appear as a motto on the coins. In a letter to the Mint Director on December 9, 1863, Secretary Chase stated:

I approve your mottoes, only suggesting that on that with the Washington obverse the motto should begin with the word OUR, so as to read OUR GOD AND OUR COUNTRY. And on that with the shield, it should be changed so as to read: IN GOD WE TRUST.

The Congress passed the Act of April 22, 1864. This legislation changed the composition of the one-cent coin and authorized the minting of the two-cent coin. The Mint Director was directed to develop the designs for these coins for final approval of the Secretary. IN GOD WE TRUST first appeared on the 1864 two-cent coin.

Another Act of Congress passed on March 3, 1865. It allowed the Mint Director, with the Secretary’s approval, to place the motto on all gold and silver coins that “shall admit the inscription thereon.” Under the Act, the motto was placed on the gold double-eagle coin, the gold eagle coin, and the gold half-eagle coin. It was also placed on the silver dollar coin, the half-dollar coin and the quarter-dollar coin, and on the nickel three-cent coin beginning in 1866. Later, Congress passed the Coinage Act of February 12, 1873. It also said that the Secretary “may cause the motto IN GOD WE TRUST to be inscribed on such coins as shall admit of such motto.”

The use of IN GOD WE TRUST has not been uninterrupted. The motto disappeared from the five-cent coin in 1883, and did not reappear until production of the Jefferson nickel began in 1938. Since 1938, all United States coins bear the inscription. Later, the motto was found missing from the new design of the double-eagle gold coin and the eagle gold coin shortly after they appeared in 1907. In response to a general demand, Congress ordered it restored, and the Act of May 18, 1908, made it mandatory on all coins upon which it had previously appeared. IN GOD WE TRUST was not mandatory on the one-cent coin and five-cent coin. It could be placed on them by the Secretary or the Mint Director with the Secretary’s approval.

The motto has been in continuous use on the one-cent coin since 1909, and on the ten-cent coin since 1916. It also has appeared on all gold coins and silver dollar coins, half-dollar coins, and quarter-dollar coins struck since July 1, 1908.

From the U.S. Treasury site.

[Reply]
Mark Pogue on September 23rd, 2007 3:00 pm

Thanks for the detailed lesson on the background of “In God We Trust”!
However, it is money that most Americans trust.

[Reply]
MissPDX on September 23rd, 2007 3:21 pm

So true.

[Reply]
geoffrey on September 23rd, 2007 3:23 pm

You write:
“I propose that we can have a moral code of ethics without religious ties. After all, we are capable of thought and invention. Why not let progress “ring” along with freedom?”

While I am a Christian, this is one thing I find galling - the way people insist that morality is only possible within a religious, theistic, specifically Christian framework. This is both historically ignorant, and nonsensical. I also like your rundown on the current problems our so-called Christian leaders continue to either support, or ignore.

I found your site through blogrush, by the way. I may stop again, and even link, if you don’t have a problem with a left-wing, theologically liberal Christian linking to you

[Reply]
Neugen on September 23rd, 2007 3:34 pm

Civilization is dying! And you think it’s it’s all about christianity? Wake up!

[Reply]
Mark Pogue on September 23rd, 2007 4:27 pm

Neugen…
I did wake up… to what has been happening in the US.
Civilization is dying? The population statistics say different.

[Reply]
claire on September 26th, 2007 12:31 pm

Nice article, Mark. I much prefer the morals and ethics of the scientific/medical community who practice what they believe over the radical christians and politicians who preach & then prove over and over that they are hypocrites.

[Reply]
Mark Pogue on September 26th, 2007 8:47 pm

Thank you, claire!!

[Reply]