First appearing on U.S. coins in 1864, “In God We Trust” has been inscribed on our currency ever since. This was due to a large number of people who believed that the instability of that era was brought about by a lack of religious faith. They thought that having a daily reminder of God would put Christian values at the forefront of people’s minds.
Fast-forward about 100 years and the U.S. was in the depths of the Cold War. The Soviet Union was considered to be immoral due to lack of religious basing. This caused President Dwight D. Eisenhower, to make “In God We Trust” the motto of the United States. This replaced, “E Pluribus Unum,” (from many, one) as our official motto.
The cold war has ended, there is no longer a political or symbolic reason to have “In God We Trust” as our motto, but does that really merit the changing of it?
The religion of the United States is Christianity and the language of the U.S. is English. No government institution will admit that but it’s true. Christians founded the U.S. so there will always be some of those values, thoughts, and ideas that influence our national culture.
According to a Gallup poll done in 2003, over 90 percent of Americans do not object to having, “In God We Trust” written on currency. Given that only 77 percent of Americans identify themselves as Christian according to a 2001 Achievement Reporting and Innovation System poll, it is easy to see that most people view the slogan with a positive light or general disinterest. Similarly, in a 2002 Newsweek poll, 87 percent of people disagreed with a 2002 court ruling that made reciting the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional.
As a non-believer I do not find the motto offensive or infringing upon my beliefs. I accept that this is a Christian nation and that we cannot expect all religious references or icons to be purged from the governmental system.
Arguments have been made that “In God we trust,” or saying, “under God” indicates to people, especially children, that the government favors the Judeo-Christian deity over others. Some say that this creates a hostile environment for those of other religions, however, this is speculation and there is little evidence to show that this is an overwhelming trend.
The motto can, however, be applied militantly for no reason other than to advocate God and blind patriotism. In 2001 a piece of Virginia legislation was blocked which would force all school children to recite the pledge of allegiance, under penalty of suspension. Using harsh punishments to force children to do something that they most likely do not understand the meaning of is inappropriate. Forcing someone to recite a motto that contains, “under God,” removes the freedom of religion and explicitly states that our government favors some religions over others.
The Christian religion is part of our national heritage. Religious phrases will probably always be featured in our sayings and culture. This does not mean that religion is being forced down people’s throats. I think that Eurocentric based curriculum in school is a larger issue that alienates more people than a tiny phrase on a coin or in the pledge.