On November 17th, I received again an e-mail this time dealing with an NBC poll and ending with: "Therefore, I have a very hard time understanding why there is such a mess about having 'In God We Trust' on our money and having God in the Pledge of Allegiance." The poll mentioned in the current e-mail apparently harks back to 2006.*
Amazing! I've been seeing this sort of e-mail for years. It doesn't bother me at all having "In God We Trust" on our money and having God in the Pledge, but it was only added to paper money beginning in 1956 and replaced E pluribus unum. It has been on our coins longer, since the end of the Civil War I do not get a warm fuzzy feeling, however, knowing God is on our money and in the pledge, and it wouldn't bother me to have God taken out. So far as I know, there is no strong movement to remove it, but apparently there are people who love to worry about it. I've sure got bigger worries than that. The question should be, "Does God trust us?"
Incidentally, the pledge has had "under God" in it only since 1942 so it is pretty new also. I don't recall saying the pledge for years, maybe decades, but any rate, it also doesn't bother me.
Incidentally, the pledge has had "under God" in it only since 1942 so it is pretty new also. I don't recall saying the pledge for years, maybe decades, but any rate, it also doesn't bother me.
Muslims use a little different phrase. In the Quran it is "Trust In Your Lord" which predates "In God We Trust" by several centuries so modern Muslims actually love the phrase "In God We Trust" which I suspect probably would bother those who fear God will be taken off our money if they only knew that Muslims like it.
President Teddy Roosevelt thought to put the word "God" on money was sacrilegious. For Christians, Roosevelt had a point and having God on our money is questionable at best. Remember Jesus and the money changers and the phrases from Matthew (6:24 and 6:21 ) and Luke (16:13 and 12:34): "You cannot serve both God and Money." and "For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be." The Supreme Court has ruled a couple of times that to use the phrase on money does not constitute establishment of any religion so it is all right and it is a closed issue.
* http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/godpoll.asp
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