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Morons in the News: 'In God We Trust' is Not Religious

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A 4-3 vote by an Arizona House Committee moves forward a bill that would require all Arizona schools to post motto...
Posted by Kirk on Mar. 27, 2002 16:00 UTC
34 comments from readers. Join the discussion!

On March 22nd, the Committee on Retirement and Government, in the House of the Arizona State Legislature, passed Bill HB2493. In short, this Bill would require that Arizona public schools post... well, here, I'll let them tell it:

B. THE WORDS "IN GOD WE TRUST" SHALL BE DISPLAYED IN EACH CLASSROOM, SCHOOL AUDITORIUM AND SCHOOL CAFETERIA ON AN APPROPRIATELY FRAMED BACKGROUND WITH MINIMUM DIMENSIONS OF AT LEAST ELEVEN INCHES BY FOURTEEN INCHES.

(Their large type, not mine.)

According to Rep. Eddie Farnsworth, "There's nothing religious about it." Also, from the article, is this note:

The mandatory-posting bill's sponsor said posting "In God We Trust" is intended to promote patriotism, not religion, by informing students about the often-overlooked motto.

Interestingly -- a similar bill ( HB2311) failed to get out of the Arizona House Education Committee back in February. As you can see, that bill did not require schools to post the motto.

In any event, let's see how many things we can find that are wrong with this whole mess:

1. National Motto or not, "IN GOD WE TRUST" is indeed religious.

2. uh.... umm...

Well, hell. I really don't need to go any further. Point number 1 pretty much ends this discussion.

--Kirk

Resources:

Arizona Daily Sun - Read it here. (Thanks to a reader for the link)
Contact Rep. Farnsworth - 602-542-5735 / efarnswo@azleg.state.az.us

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Posted by George_W_Bush_Shot_My_Cat from Blackpool England on Mar. 28, 2002 13:30

and this shit is on american money. www.godoffmoney.com for more (the site sucks, but saomeone might be able to make something of it.

I'm sure that falwell and his fuckbuddy, robertson would be extremely pissed off if someone tried to pass a bill, to get "In satan we trust" put onto cash. In fact, they'd throw and extrremely huge fit, and the whole religious right would seek to get the death penalty for the prankster who filed the bill.

If anyone is up for it, try to get a bill pushed forward to get "In [insert non-christian deity here] we trust" put onto cash/the walls where our innocent kids learn. If you aren't going to do it for fun, do it for the children, or do it because if you don't, the terrorists will have already won!!

Brute: 'In Allah we Trust' maybe? That would kick up quite a stir... ;)

Neville Longbottomz: I hear Dremel Engraving tools are good for effacing the "In God We Trust" motto...

Posted by Yoozer from the netherlands on Mar. 28, 2002 14:16

hey, you have the right to use a marker and get rid of that message. just stamp your own version on it. if i recall correctly, the greenback won't lose it's worth, and it's quite an amusing sight.

Pellucidity: I am gonna try to pass a "In Buddha We Trust" note ASAP. I know he's not a...

Posted by Agnostic atheist on Mar. 28, 2002 15:32

The status of this motto as religious has been challenged many times, and it has lost. The US Treasury has a page on this.

Nadi: That SUCKS. Great green donkey dicks, it sucks.

JodanX: That page doesn't say anything about what argument could POSSIBLY be put...

Titan: How about this one? War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength. ;)

JodanX: Well, firstly that's less an argument than a bold assertion, and secondly it...

Nadi: Farenheit 451. Does no one read the classics anymore?

Legion303: Farenheit 451 is indeed a classic, and Bradbury is probably the greatest story...

Nadi: I realized the confusion after I posted. There are similiar statements in 451,...

Posted by Geddysciple from TN on Mar. 28, 2002 15:54

If only these fuck-nuts would listen to George Carlin's commandments..."Thou shalt keep thy religion to thyself!"

anthacker5: Thou shalt always be honest and faithful to the provider of thy nookie

Posted by Sophist from USA on Mar. 28, 2002 16:09

>'In God We Trust' is Not Religious

In related news, black is now white, down is now up, and microsoft does not suck. Film at 11.

Posted by t f e on Mar. 28, 2002 18:02

>The mandatory-posting bill's sponsor said posting "In God We Trust" is intended to promote patriotism, not religion, by informing students about the often-overlooked motto.

In many ways, patriotism is every bit as sick and illogical as religion. It makes me want to vomit the way that the USA is turning its children into flag-saluting cannon-polishing blind cheerleaders to the war effort.

What's worse is Bush turning himself into some angel of justice, working against the "evil" side. Am I the only one who is no-sided in this senseless violence that the USA excuses as "holy war?"

Random Guest: I just wish they'd stop referring to it as the "War on Terror." This is quite...

Pellucidity: I agree...but if you make the consequences of terrorist acts greater, it will...

JodanX: I dunno... Personaly I find George Bush far more terrifying than any of them....

El Juno: Hey, I'm all for the execution of, at least, Steven King. Anne Rice may die,...

Posted by Klep on Mar. 28, 2002 23:35

There's really nothing to say on this. I seem to recall a similar article a while back where some moron had claimed that 'God' was not a religious concept. If I made any comments there, they apply equally well here.

-David 'Klep' Kleppinger, Raving Lunatic

Posted by Joshie blah on Mar. 29, 2002 05:24

I don't get it. Why do they insist on looking at it as some sort of patriotic symbol? It was *created* in the first place to mean exactly what it says, it was *used* to mean exactly what it says; at what point did the meaning change? It means exactly what it says, literally, in every way possible: In God we trust. I can't think of any other way to paraphrase that.

What irks me about that bill is that they seem to want the motto displayed on a plaque the size of a small poster (minimum) in every single room of all those schools. The friggen Declaration doesn't even get that much wallspace. Nothing does. My college doesn't even have that honor code plaque on that many walls.

Oh well, let them pass it. I'll leave it to the teens of those schools to deface the plaques. You know SOMEBODY is gonna take a permanent ink marker and draw genitalia. :]

Posted by soxepke on Mar. 29, 2002 05:44

Just what is the legal status of this "motto"? Is it enshrined by some statute?

Given the change in the country since 1977, this "motto" might not survive another legal challenge. But I wouldn't bother with a challenge until the Attorney General is someone other than the present officeholder. (You remember him. Couldn't be elected against a dead man, then the whole nation got stuck with him.)

Posted by kakophoni on Mar. 29, 2002 10:37

well, it seems that our country would rather raise the children under the patriot act to prevent any deviates from their scheme...little suggestions like "in god we trust" seen everyday, along with the pledge of allegiance, and our dirty media make that as easy as could be. just try walking up to a random person on the street and telling them you are not a patriot. rather, you are disgusted by the acts that american forces use each day...outside the war on terrorism, and in it. their reaction is not so pleasant.

Posted by Sarcastatron 2020 on Mar. 30, 2002 05:33

You're all a bunch of damn dirty communists, and if McCarthy were still around, he'd expose you for the red heathens you are.

splorp: I'm a blue heathen, thank you very much. splorp! Evil Bastard

Posted by Mr Kitty on Apr. 01, 2002 20:25

Today I say this:

I am going to get "In Allah we trust" added to our school buildings, and watch the religion freaks rush in saying it's evil. I'd love to hear what they would have to say about "In God we trust".

HeadHunter: Allah? Bad choice, given the current political undertones. You might have some...

Posted by shickbrithouse from New York NY on Apr. 02, 2002 07:32

Just goes to show ya. In times of trouble the most effective way to be ineffective is to turn to superstition. After all, nothing fails like prayer.

By the way, according to recent statistics, the religious fervor that followed the 9/11 atrocities by religious ass-wipes has returned to it's usual hypocritical level. It would seem that "God" is a fine thing when applied to others.

Posted by JudgeMeNot from VAfrom eugene OR on Apr. 03, 2002 19:13

They should just put "in (your deity) we trust" or something ... i mean i thought we had freedom of religion. I hate how everyone is trying to raise their kids as uniform people, before we know it we will all wear the same clothes talk the same way listin to the same music eat the same food and so on, your style is who you are, its not fair to take it away and if part of your "style" is not believing in "god" then people should accept it and live with, if they dont like it they can just ignore it. I hate it when people try to shove their religions down other peoples throats, i dont go up to priests and tell them not to believe in "god". so many things in our society are oriented towards christianity, i wouldnt mind this if they would allow other religions in as well but the fact that they think christianity is not only the "right" way but the "only" way pisses me off.

Posted by Seraph from Austin on Apr. 03, 2002 22:36

I don't think this is really a point worth arguing. It may be offensive to refer to "God" on the dollar bill and in courthouses, but consider all the problems facing the civil liberties movement right now, problems that affect the country on a grand scale. Three oft-overlooked words on our legal tender don't compare, in the scheme of things, to issues like the Bill of Rights or the hypocrisies in the controlled substances laws.

Posted by coldraught from arizona on Apr. 05, 2002 07:52

just to let any late readers of this know, it failed 22 26 with 12 non voters on the third of april... there is some good in this state after all!

Posted by Terry Part on Apr. 05, 2002 11:43

Money IS the god of this country. In money we trust.