After the second email from Christian family/acquaintances about some atheist contesting the "In God We Trust" inscription on American currency and MSNBC conducting an online poll asking people if they are in favor of removing the inscription, I thought I might throw out a blog post with a couple thoughts:
1) It was refreshing to find that this story was real, and not a hoax like other things passed around via email.
2) It seems fitting to have that particular inscription on money, as in "we trust in GOD, rather than MONEY."
3) I don't think the inscription constitutes an unconstitutional governmental endorsement of religion, and I don't particularly think it needs to be removed for that reason. The whole separation of church and state thing is so that the government can't endorse one particular religion, and it was created in the environment of different areas of the colonies being dominated by different sects who were trying to discriminate against each other. Just the word "God" doesn't really single out any particular religion and could be accepted by just about any religious view (except for atheism I guess, which is the view of the person bringing the complaint).
4) Since I think you'd be hard pressed to argue that America is trusting God, especially with its finances, I guess the inscription is basically meaningless. In fact, it's sickly ironic the more you think about it. Is this a national-scale example of misusing the Lord's name (Exodus 20:7), and of a people who honor God with their lips but their hearts are far from him (Matthew 15:8, Mark 7:6)? I think it is an interesting question of how Christians should feel about the secular state talking about God on its money. I'd like to put some more thought into that. Perhaps Christians should be sending around emails advocating the removal of this inscription instead of its protection! I'm not sure I see why America should have this inscription on its money, and I don't think I would be that concerned if it was removed. America/Americans trusting in God will come about by the work of the Holy Spirit and by the church bringing the kingdom of God to the world (i.e., each of us bringing it to our neighbors), not by any laws or slogans from the government. The evidence will be not what is written on the money, but what we do with that money.
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5 comments:
Ed, you are a fine thinker and I endorse the idea that we ought to send that exact message to those who desire Christians to squirm under their tyranny. Liberalism has far too long hidden under the deception of fairness doctrines while overtly plotting to restrict any expression of viewpoints which represent any form of absolutes.
Amen to all of the above. I couldn't agree more!
I like your thought process, Ed, especially the way you make connections with twists at the end, and the way you aren't threatened by ideas.
right on, edward!
mum
Wow, well done.
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