‘In --- We Trust’
I recently acquired several of the new $1 coins. I was dismayed to notice that “In God We Trust” had been quietly omitted from the face of the coin. Instead, it appears on the edge where it goes little noticed and will likely wear off more easily.
Is this intended to be a subtle way of easing our country into an undesirable change?
They who are dedicated to removing God’s name from public sight are indeed afraid to look upon his name and those who deny him have good reason to fear him!
Patricia Ulbrich, Arvada
I'm more disappointed that the mint selected the ugliest possible portrait of George Washington. Also, putting the year and the mint mark on the edge of the coin is terrible for coin collectors who keep their collection in traditional cardboard coin folders that have slots for each coin in a series. You cant see the edge of a coin kept in one of those folders, and so you wont be able to see the dates and mintmarks of coins in your collection. How dumb is that?
Posted by karenm on May 4, 2007 12:29 AMSo what, it all spends the same...too damn fast.
Posted by QBT on May 4, 2007 01:39 AMWhat's God got to do with money?
Posted by Kristen Ottoson on May 4, 2007 05:16 AMThey left it off because it offended the muslims. and we cant do that
Posted by on May 4, 2007 05:34 AMWhy would muslims be offended by having in God We Trust on the coin? It makes no sense.
That was a poor excuses to attack muslims and since you couldn't put a name to your post means you're a coward.
Posted by D on May 4, 2007 05:45 AMPatricia,
"Is this intended to be a subtle way of easing our country into an undesirable change?"
It will be a happy day when we finally get the oath to ghosts and magic off our coinage and indeed out of our governmental lexicon, but I do admire what appears to be an unintentional pun in the preceding sentence. Do you see it now?
Posted by Charles B on May 4, 2007 07:01 AM"In God we trust" was added to money in the 1950s - lets hope they just quietly take it off again
Posted by Drew on May 4, 2007 07:34 AMWhat's god got to do with money?!? Really? People have been using god to take other people's money for thousands of years! They still do! Every Sunday. Right here in Denver. Just down the street from your house. Also, yeah, that was a funny pun.
Posted by shaupeen on May 4, 2007 07:37 AMYou know, Patricia, in many countries in Europe as well as Australia...the politicians don't flout their religious affiliations and the religious groups don't have the political power that they do here in America and the people in those countries are more united and focused on issues that really matter...like health care and it's costs, crime, the environment, etc.
In our country, religion is a litmus test for almost every candidate and there are religous leaders and lobbying groups who are nothing more than bullies and thugs...and the result? We are divided over issues of personal choices and lifestyle differences...abortion, gay marriage, etc. and we have millions of people who have no health care insurance which drives up the costs for the rest of us who do, crime is rampant because the God Crowd is also oddly enough the Gun Crowd..defending their place in our society despite the obvious destruction they cause it, and we have many of the most polluted cities on the planet.
And you're worried about some words about God on a coin? That "God" was ever on a coin to begin with was a complete blasphemy. Isn't money supposed to be the root of all evil? Putting "In God we Trust" on the money didn't stop people from stealing it or killing for it...
Posted by Thomas on May 4, 2007 07:55 AMThe 2020 dollar coin will say "TO ALLAH WE BOW"
Posted by on May 4, 2007 08:06 AM"since you couldn't put a name to your post means you're a coward."
This coming from a guy who posts as D. Ha
Posted by on May 4, 2007 08:06 AMPutting "In God we Trust" on the money didn't stop people from stealing it or killing for it...
Absolutely brilliant. This is one of the most intelligent things I've ever heard you say Thomas.
Posted by on May 4, 2007 08:07 AMAs Drew stated, the phrase "In God We Trust" was coined (no pun intended) by Congress as our national motto in a joint resolution in 1956 and first appeared on money in 1957. It would take another act of Congress to remove "In God We Trust," and was actually a direct result of the "Godless Soviet Union, and their denial of their people to practice the religion of their choice."
However, the phrase "In God We Trust" has been on coins since 1864 on the one and two cent coins, and on all coins starting in 1866.
Just some interesting history on the coin's of the United States and the History of "In God We Trust."
Posted by Dan2 on May 4, 2007 08:45 AM"In Flying Spaghetti Monster We Trust!"
Posted by Dave II on May 4, 2007 08:57 AMLemme get this straight - the phrase is STILL on the coin, just not where you deem it should be...and you see a conspiracy?
Reeeelax, Francis. You'll give yourself an ulcer.
Posted by Tim on May 4, 2007 08:57 AMI have not seen the new coins yet,but I think I read that "In God WE Trust "is written on the outside edge of the coin.
Posted by Keith on May 4, 2007 09:01 AMI have not seen the new coins yet,but I think I read that "In God WE Trust "is written on the outside edge of the coin.
Posted by Keith on May 4, 2007 09:01 AMWow keith, you are actually able to read one of the posts? Way to go!
Posted by on May 4, 2007 09:09 AMIt is beginning to dawn on "them" that if the motto: From Many Come One is to be changed it should read: In God Some Of Us Trust.
Posted by Richard Grimes r22037@yahoo.com on May 4, 2007 09:29 AMKeith - you here? I thought you were dealing with your 12,000 employees?
Posted by Drew on May 4, 2007 09:34 AMFinally got the pun. Last nickle I saw looked like a mint mistake till someone said it was supposed to look that way. The one with Jeffersons head cut off at the back.
One little reference down, so many more to go.
Posted by Sharon B. on May 4, 2007 09:34 AMThe real issue here is a constitutional one. Sadly few americans (including Patricia apparently.) understand the U.S. Constitution. Perhaps this is in part becasue of efforts by members of the Evangelical community who constantly and mistakingly assert our nation was founded as a "ChristianNation." It was not.
Our Constitution refers to religion once - asserting there shall be no religious test to quailfy persons to hold public office; and then again in the Bill of Rights when it says Congress shall make no law resopecting the establishment of religion, nor prohibiting the free exercise thereof. The establshment of religion is the official endorsement of a particular religious beleif system like "christianity, or Buddhism or Catholicism, or Protestism. Some colonies actually practiced establshing an official religion and collected taxes to support one particular denomiation or religious belief. Everybody had to pay the tax whether or not it was their religion or not. Themoney was used to build churches and pay miisters of that particular religion. The framers wisely saw th potentuial abuses of establishing official religion, recognizig the threat establishment posed to freedom of religion which is an issue of personal conscience, and individual freedom.
Recent mves such as tax support of so called "faith based initiatives" are clearly a violation of the establishment clause. placing In God we trust on currency has been challenged and in th etwo cases where it made it to the supreme court - the court refused to rule - evidently fearing a proper rulig which would prevent placing an endorsement of a particular religion on our official currency would cause an uproar.
We are far better off when religion is maintained as a private and personal experience with no governmet involvement.
If you wish to live in a country where religion is officially endorsed and part of the goernment forced on its citizens, you may want to move to a country which practices such policy. Iran is one example.
I personally prefer the system set up by our framers which guarentees individual liberty and freedom from government interference in the personal decisions of its citizens, especially in issues of conscience.
Mark,
Very well written post. But what ONE religion would "In God We Trust" respect? Christianity? Judaism? Islam (as Allah is the same as God)? You see the problem there? Same with faith based tax credits. It's more of a "if you allow it for one, you must allow it for all" type situation, and that is what makes it constitutional.
The framers, having experienced both the Catholic hold on England and then the Church of England (still the religious church of Great Brittan), decided that they did not want to have the power structure such that ONE religion dominated the political theater, and prevented the practice of any other religious beliefs (in England heresy was punishable by death in English courts of law).
The fact that our country is one of faith (as it was so important to be the very first right guaranteed by the Constitution, before all else), it is ok to demonstrate that as our national motto. Just as it is silly for the Christian right to say that their way is the best way, it is silly for those that do not believe in religion to ask that not be displayed, as is the guaranteed constitutional right of all citizens of the US.
You say for those that wish to live in a country where religion is part of politics, maybe you should also reference France (Catholicism), England (Protestant / Church of England), Italy (Catholicism), Greece (Greek Orthodox), Denmark/Finland/Norway (Lutheran)... I could go on and on. The United States is a very unique country in that there is no established national religion.
Posted by Dan2 on May 4, 2007 10:17 AMWow! Such Passion! It's a shame all this effort isn't directed at feeding hungry children in America. I don't have a problem with God being referenced on coinage. It's also ok to have coinage without God being referenced. How about we focus on bringing our young people in uniform back alive from overseas, then feeding and housing children here in the good old USA? It will still be ok if the Hollywood elite only adopts foreign born children after all, there is enough of the rest of us to help the kids born here.
Posted by Harry on May 4, 2007 10:24 AMHarry, can`t we have a break from the heavy stuff once in awhile?
Why can`t some of the coins say "In the Goddess we trust"?
Posted by Sharon B. on May 4, 2007 10:50 AMSharon, I can go for that.
Particularly if it is Diana with her six breasts and hunting bow. ;)
A specific goal of the Presidential Dollar Program was to create larger artwork on the coin face. Since the coin itself cannot get any bigger (or it won't work in vending machines), the only way to make room is to put the words and dates on the coin edge.
The Mint would have put the motto and dates on the edge of the quarters as well, to free up more space on the coin (for the state quarter designs), but quarters need the bumpy edges so that the machines can "read" them.
There's no conspiracy- just an attempt to "think outside the coin," so to speak.
Posted by On the Other Hand on May 4, 2007 12:12 PMI've heard a lot of people say that even the gold dollar coin won't work in vending machines or laundry machines, or even in the parking structures downtown (where they give you gold dollar coins as change). Has anyone else heard this?
Posted by on May 4, 2007 12:22 PMSo the motto has gone from the front to the less visible side. Well it is not yet removed, but it is getting there. You know Iran likes to put God on their currency, flag, invoke Him in their speeches, laws, punishments, and foreign policy. And look what a great country that place is where a diplomat is offended by the dress a violinist at a State dinner is wearing. Is that the type of country you fundies want?
Posted by Sean on May 4, 2007 01:56 PMIran isn't a radical and uncooperative country because of what they have on their currency. This has absolutely nothing to do with Iran and it's policies.
Posted by M on May 4, 2007 02:20 PMNo Iran is radical because a certain interpretation of Islam has been thrust into all aspects of Iranian life by the religious elite. Much like Focus on the Family and their ilk are trying to do. The God on the currency is just a symptom of this.
Posted by Sean on May 4, 2007 02:28 PMSo now we are all worried about where on the coin "In God We Tust" appears?
Man, I sure wish that was the biggest thing I had to worry about (oh no, did I remember to feed the cat this morning...)
Posted by on May 4, 2007 02:38 PMSharon,
Goddess is female. We don't need to uplift ourselves. We're already on top.
And 2:38
You're right. If you forgot you are in a whole bunch of trouble. God and Goddess forgive. Cats don't!
Sean once again you show your religious paranoia and complete lunacy with the comparison of Focus On The Family to the Mullahs running Iran. I know about your wretched past that drives your irrational fear of Christians. You need to deal with your issues,not deny them by substituting religion as your punching bag.Be a man and face it-don't misdirect it.
That goes for you, Charles B,Drew,Thomas,and especially Richard Grimes,who are all on their way straight to Hell.
I'll be watching...
Posted by J.C. on May 4, 2007 05:35 PMCan anyone in the "faith" community offer a reason why it's important--important enough to write letters to the editor about it--to print, indent, or otherwise replicate a reference to the Almighty on money? It seems to me that placing "God" on coins and dollar bills cheapens "God," reducing "God" to the level of crass commerce. Money, after all, is meant to be traded for goods and services, not worshiped (the Bible tells us so!); the only pertinent item in terms of appearance is the cash amount that the bill or coin represents.
Laura Schlessinger and other zealots--to use the kindest word I can think of at the moment--make it a practice to write "G-d" because, presumably, we puny, sinful humans are unfit to replicate the holy name in any manner. So why the fuss over whether "God" appears on money or not?
Posted by Hans Christian Brando on May 4, 2007 05:52 PMYou too Hans.
Posted by J.C. on May 4, 2007 05:54 PMBrando, it is all about power and control. Remember the remark "follow the money" because you can find the players that way?
Well, the power and control issue is at the heart of many subjects.
If God goes off money, the Pledge, public places, then we have won. If God stays, they have won.
It is not enough that they can put their symbols on their homes, churches, schools, businesses, cars, persons, camps and other properties, they still want more.
The kid who dies with the most, wins.
Posted by Sharon B. on May 4, 2007 08:53 PMDitto for Sharon.
Posted by J.C. on May 4, 2007 10:09 PMI don't trust "God". I do, however, trust my friends. Can I have them listed on my money?
Posted by Sheila on May 5, 2007 04:17 AMGimme that ol' Je$u$ Bu$ine$$;
It'll make a pot o' money for me!
(Ypu know the tune.)
Sharon B. You are right. It's time to ligten up. How about "In Hot Babes we trust"? Better yet, "In Sweaty Hot Babes we trust"? Oh! Oh! I've got it! "In Sweaty Hot Babes In Prison, Scantilly clad in Skin Tight Mini Skirts, Push up Bras, sans undies with Sugar Sugar Lip Sprinkles We Trust"!! Yeah Baby! Woo Hoo! Oh Yeah! That's the ticket! Oh Oh! Yeah! WooHoo!
Posted by Harry on May 5, 2007 07:42 AMHoly cow!!!
Posted by A on May 5, 2007 07:43 AMOh crap. Now I guess I'm going to hell with the rest of you. :)
Posted by Harry on May 5, 2007 07:45 AMOh crap. Now I guess I'm going to hades with the rest of you. :)
Posted by Harry on May 5, 2007 07:46 AM"In God We Trust". Yeah, sure we do. Name one instance in which we trusted God rather than ourselves, our bombs, our military, our might. Perhaps what we put on coinage should be fact rather than fiction. I'm not sure that hypocrisy is helpful. What about "By God, We Are The Strongest"?
Posted by Truth on May 5, 2007 08:31 AMHarriet, and you thought ,we thought you were a man.
Posted by Sharon B. on May 5, 2007 09:28 AMI know "the" reason why "God" has to be stamped all over everything short of toilet paper: it reaffirms their belief system.
What I was hoping for--perhaps it was too much to hope for--was at least an attempt by a believer to offer a halfway rational explanation as to why it's so important to have a reference to the Supreme Being on something as crass and mudane as money. (Of course, perhaps I should be careful what I hope for: it's an opening for 18 paragraphs of pomposity and semantics from James Jones or Whoever II.)
I also tried to phrase my request as politely as possible to avoid the charge of being "hostile to Christianity" (which frankly is getting pretty old--talk about religious paranoia!). But, as J.C. (Johnny Cash? Joan Crawford? June Cleaver? Jack Carter?) shows, that really was too much to hope for.
Posted by Hans Christian Brando on May 5, 2007 09:30 AMFor those who volunteer for hell and those who achieve it under compulsion fear not: The pope abolished the lake of fire concept replacing it with "hell is simply an absence from god." If we can endure a no god in our existence, we will be okay. I can use the pronoun "we" because the Christians and Muslims have condemned billions of people.
I see In God We Trust on money and I see my god, Mother Nature. Sharon sees "She God" while Christians see JC, Jews see Jehovah, and Muslims see Allah with nine million gods seen by others.
The first god created by cave men when the first knave met the first fool never evolves; it is simply recycled. Paraphrasing: I believe in the risen ape not the risen Christ, a transmogrified Jew. I'd be happier with, "Ape First, God Second" as our motto. I now await your sanctimonious final madness: Your Surge.
Posted by Richard Grimes r22037@yahoo.com on May 5, 2007 09:35 AMSharon B. Maybe I'm a lesbian with a harry chest and big arms. No wait, that might make me just like all the other lesbians. Hmmmm, well I do have a ah, you know, er, a thingie. So I guess I'm not a lesbian after all but I do share a few of their inclinations. I would like to meet you and maybe you could hit me with your brick laden purse. Hmmm, maybe I'm a... well never mind. I do grow roses in my garden if that helps. And I still have pictures of when I was in the Marines. So I guess I'm a sensitive manly man after all. Have your best day today!
Posted by Harry on May 5, 2007 10:02 AMHarry, my brick laden purse, oh dear you quoted me, blush, sigh...well now Harry!
Posted by Sharon B. on May 5, 2007 07:58 PMLOL! You are funny! I hope life is going your way Sharon B! Thanks for the chuckle ;)
Posted by Harry on May 5, 2007 09:49 PMMr. Brando,
They would stamp it on toilet paper too. IF ONLY they could be assured that the rolls would be sold exclusively to those of us whom they deem "sinners"; and they could then add to the "weight" of their arguments about our "going to hell" with some charge of "shameful blaphmey".
Posted by Old Grouch on May 6, 2007 10:25 AMThank you Harry, it is pretty much going good.
OG, you nailed it, they put their God wherever they can to rub our poor sinners noses in it, To Make us Think About God. To show us they are powerful.
Posted by Sharon B. on May 7, 2007 12:52 PMgwuei oafqvt safbux atloce isfutao uslhn ufhx
Posted by skxqec rmygd on July 12, 2007 01:16 PMgwuei oafqvt safbux atloce isfutao uslhn ufhx
Posted by skxqec rmygd on July 12, 2007 01:17 PMagwxr zxinyjaer giwndjac lvfoi ewytrzj anqktgzr xztdf http://www.knhiaomu.hqslfoz.com
Posted by gpyjla kjifh on July 12, 2007 01:18 PM