[net.religion] In God We Trust?

david@terak.UUCP (David Jayakaran) (03/08/85)

[]

Ever noticed the "In God We Trust" in bold letters on the other side of
every currency bill that comes from the treasury?  I think it is ridiculous
that in this day and age we have such a motto.  I propose removing that
statement from all future currency for the following reasons.

1.  We, as a nation, do not believe in (or need) God anymore. 

2.  For those of us who have gods these gods are either ourselves (the
    I-doll), our careers, our first million bucks, our....etc., etc., etc.  
    In this case "In gods we trust" would be more appropriate.

3.  For those of us who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, we don't
    trust His willingness or ability to heal our bodies and souls but 
    run to the medical deities who are fallible human beings like us.  
    Few trust in God's material blessings to heed His command "Owe no man 
    anything..." but run to the bank and hock themselves to the hilt for 
    car, house, and other perishables.

As a nation we lie when we say "In God We Trust".  What do you think?

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose ye this day whom
ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the
other side of the flood, or the Gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye
dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.  (Joshua 24:15)

Yours for the truth.
-- 
David

Ex atheist
Ex evolutionist
Ex secular humanist

Servant of the Father; unworthy brother of the Son.

gam@amdahl.UUCP (G A Moffett) (03/10/85)

They (Congress) made this our National Motto in 1955.  It
used to be "E pluribus unum" ("out of many, one"), which
I really like.  The latter was Old Ben's idea, I think.

Just a year before, in 1954, the Congress, in another fit
of "we're all of the same religion, now, aren't we?" added
"..under God.." to the Pledge of Allegence.  Another stupid idea.
-- 
Gordon A. Moffett		...!{ihnp4,hplabs,sun}!amdahl!gam

colonel@gloria.UUCP (Col. G. L. Sicherman) (03/12/85)

Another good reason to drop it is that Satan used it in effect
on the pinnacle with Jesus.  If Jesus didn't buy it, why should
the U.S.A.?

Father of the servant, brother of the unworthy son,
-- 
Col. G. L. Sicherman
...{rocksvax|decvax}!sunybcs!colonel

rlr@pyuxd.UUCP (Professor Wagstaff) (03/12/85)

> Ever noticed the "In God We Trust" in bold letters on the other side of
> every currency bill that comes from the treasury?  I think it is ridiculous
> that in this day and age we have such a motto.

Me too.  (As long as David Jayakaran is invoking inflammatory rhetoric, I'll
use a high power fire extinguisher:  reason.)  Not the least because it
violates principles of separation of church and state.

> I propose removing that
> statement from all future currency for the following reasons.
> 
> 1.  We, as a nation, do not believe in (or need) God anymore. 

Agreed.

> 2.  For those of us who have gods these gods are either ourselves (the
>     I-doll), our careers, our first million bucks, our....etc., etc., etc.  
>     In this case "In gods we trust" would be more appropriate.

If there IS to be freedom of religion, and if, as David claims, these people
to whom he refers do worship these things as "gods", then they have every
right to do so, despite any compunctions David might have about that.  I may
not like selfish materialism either, but I'm not seeking to claim that it's
outlawed by divine fiat.

> 3.  For those of us who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, we don't
>     trust His willingness or ability to heal our bodies and souls but 
>     run to the medical deities who are fallible human beings like us.  

Are you saying that you believe in the discoveries and benefits of scientific
knowledge?  That there may just be something to the scientific method that
begot us such knowledge?  Or are you not among the "we"?  (I take it you are,
because you're using a result of scientific endeavor to communicate with us.)
-- 
"Which three books would *you* have taken?"
				Rich Rosen	ihnp4!pyuxd!rlr

ron@brl-tgr.ARPA (Ron Natalie <ron>) (03/12/85)

> Ever noticed the "In God We Trust" in bold letters on the other side of
> every currency bill that comes from the treasury?  I think it is ridiculous
> that in this day and age we have such a motto.  I propose removing that
> statement from all future currency for the following reasons.
> 
No, no.  The "In God We Trust" is sort of like the idiom "When Hell Freezes
Over."  For example, "In God we trust, all others pay cash."

Then there is always the NSA version: "In God we trust, all others we
monitor."

-Ron

If NSA is monitoring our phone calls, why can't they take messages?

tlh@akgua.UUCP (T.L. Harris [Tom]) (03/13/85)

...
	       In God We Trust

	       All others pay cash!!!
-- 
...
                From the Pond of the Phrog
                akgua!tlh  ...  AT^3

jcjeff@ihlpg.UUCP (jeffreys) (03/13/85)

 > Ever noticed the "In God We Trust" in bold letters on the other side of
 > every currency bill that comes from the treasury?  

A dollar bill came into my posession. The words "In God We Trust" had been
overstamped over by someone with a rubber stamp. The words then read....

"In Godess We Trust"

Anybody else found anything similar ??

-- 
          [ You called all the way from America - Joan Armatrading ]          
 [ You're never alone with a rubber duck - Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy ]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
||      From the keys of Richard Jeffreys ( British Citizen Overseas )      ||
||              employed by North American Philips Corporation              ||
||              @ AT&T Bell Laboratories, Naperville, Illinois              ||
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
||  General disclaimer about anything and everything that I may have typed  ||
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

cjh@petsd.UUCP (Chris Henrich) (03/14/85)

[]

> Another good reason to drop it is that Satan used it in effect
> on the pinnacle with Jesus.  If Jesus didn't buy it, why should
> the U.S.A.?
> 
> Father of the servant, brother of the unworthy son,
> -- 
> Col. G. L. Sicherman
> ...{rocksvax|decvax}!sunybcs!colonel

	Jesus trusted in God whenever He had something
dangerous to do *for*a*good*reason* - e.g. walking on water,
confronting angry crowds, getting Himself crucified.
He rejected Satan's suggestion that He do something dangerous
for a bad reason - namely just a stunt, or to put His Father
"on the spot."

Regards,
Chris

--
Full-Name:  Christopher J. Henrich
UUCP:       ..!(cornell | ariel | ukc | houxz)!vax135!petsd!cjh
US Mail:    MS 313; Perkin-Elmer; 106 Apple St; Tinton Falls, NJ 07724
Phone:      (201) 870-5853

jtm@syteka.UUCP (Jim McCrae) (03/15/85)

There are many of us out here in the USA who are monotheists and 
feel we have a right to claim we place trust and faith in the one
true God. The fact that the God we trust is not the God you trust,
and indeed we may not trust your god, does not diminish that claim.
No religion has a trademark on the concept of God. Were you to 
have access to a window on the inner thoughts of your fellow humans,
I believe you would find the overwhelming majority have their own
personal relationship to God and are in some stage of reconciling
their life to that relationship. If you have found a body of text
or teachings which embodies your own relationship to God to your
satisfaction, then by all means embrace it. Just remember that the
relationship of another who does not embrace those teachings is
not diminished by your choice.
Jim McCrae / Sytek / Mtn. View CA / {decvax,hplabs}!sytek!jtm