In God We Trust?

According to Bakersfield Councilwoman Jacquie Sullivan, “A strong belief in God is important because it’s intended to give hope. It’s the only thing that can give hope to the citizens of this country. And American patriotism is founded upon love of God and country.”

And per Westminster Mayor Margie Rice, “Our country was founded on religion.”

Both quotes come from an OC Register article on assorted efforts statewide to have the words “in God We Trust” emblazoned on city halls, including the Orange County cities of Westminster and Cypress.

To its credit the OC Register, one of the more conservative papers in California, gives a little history:

The nation’s official motto, adopted by Congress in 1782, was “E Pluribus Unum” (”Out of many, one”) until 1956, when President Dwight Eisenhower and Congress changed it to “In God We Trust.”

The change came two years after Congress also amended the Pledge of Allegiance to include the words “one nation under God.”

Unfortunately, the rest of the article pits atheists against Christian politicians in an argument over the First Amendment’s arguably inferred seperation of church and state. Its an interesting read, but it fails to address the possibility that some devout Catholics may be against bringing the name of God into government, or that some atheists and agnostics fail to see any harm in doing so.

Heck, how about quoting from the Founding Father’s?

It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods, or no God.
Thomas Jefferson

. . . the path of true piety is so plain as to require but little political direction.
George Washington, 1789, responding to clergy complaints that the Constitution lacked mention of Jesus Christ

Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.
John Adams

The debate continues!