God Bless America
I was recently told that removing god from the national motto, the coin, and from public speeches made by the representative of the nation would simply be appeasing 14% of the population at the expense of the other 86%. I disagree. Basically what this is saying is "our country can only represent you as long as you believe in some sort of god...i'll back off and won't force you to believe in the christian god but you better believe in some kind of god!"
The original motto was "E Pluribus Unum." This means "From Many, One." This was the driving force behind the self-improvement of our great nation until the McCarthy era when it was changed from a uniting phrase to a specifically divisive one: "In God We Trust." No, We, as in the whole of America, don't. Now, don't bother arguing that "In God We Trust" is not divisive. It was specifically designed to divide or separate ourselves from the goldess commy bastards.
However, such a phrase goes against everything the founding fathers would have wanted. Instead of a phrase talking about no matter what our petty differences may be, we are still one country and that makes us strong, our motto is now a phrase that says you're only a real american if you believe in some sort of invisible man that lives in the sky (or earth or fire...we're real tolerant these days as to where this guy lives).
As long as we have the current motto, we are America Divided. BRING BACK E PLURIBUS UNUM AND ONCE AGAIN WE CAN BE AN AMERICA UNITED.
The original motto was "E Pluribus Unum." This means "From Many, One." This was the driving force behind the self-improvement of our great nation until the McCarthy era when it was changed from a uniting phrase to a specifically divisive one: "In God We Trust." No, We, as in the whole of America, don't. Now, don't bother arguing that "In God We Trust" is not divisive. It was specifically designed to divide or separate ourselves from the goldess commy bastards.
However, such a phrase goes against everything the founding fathers would have wanted. Instead of a phrase talking about no matter what our petty differences may be, we are still one country and that makes us strong, our motto is now a phrase that says you're only a real american if you believe in some sort of invisible man that lives in the sky (or earth or fire...we're real tolerant these days as to where this guy lives).
As long as we have the current motto, we are America Divided. BRING BACK E PLURIBUS UNUM AND ONCE AGAIN WE CAN BE AN AMERICA UNITED.
Comments
write to your representative.
<strong>BR, are you happy?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Yes, quite. I'm tired of these stupid stereotypes insisting that I can't disagree with a certain policies that relate to religion unless I'm somehow unhappy.
<strong>I personally think that each time we elect a new president, their 3 initials should replace the GOD on all our currency. 'In GWB We Trust'. That's much more unifying, don't you think?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Well, technically the country does have to put its trust in the president...however...it probably would be even more divisive than the current motto. Just keep E Pluribus Unum on the coins and reinstate it as our National Motto. Ditch the trust crap.
Or some arbitrary other soul. The opposite maybe. 'In groverat we trust'.
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Well, technically the country does have to put its trust in the president...however...it probably would be even more divisive than the current motto.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Good George, BR, I was kidding. Never underestimate the power of a smiley I guess.
I completely agree with you on this. Get a petition going and I'll be the first to sign.
<strong>How about 'In der Kopf we trust' ?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Hmm...that's actually quite intriguing
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Yes, quite. I'm tired of these stupid stereotypes insisting that I can't disagree with a certain policies that relate to religion unless I'm somehow unhappy.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Just curious. In fact, I was asking in order to clear up said stereo-type. (For me that is, not as some kind of proof for all)
[ 02-03-2003: Message edited by: Guartho ]</p>
BR, the Founding Fathers firmly believed that the nation they created was a vehicle of a higher power. They were enamoured with the idea of the US as the New Jerusalem, the City on a Hill. They started every session of the Constitutional Convention with a prayer for guidance. In fact, religion was such a pervasive part of thought and life then that it would only be truly remarkable if they didn't see things through God-colored glasses. What is true, of course, is that they didn't necessarily subscribe to the traditional Protestant-nee-Baptist view of things. Many of them were more Diests (God-as-watchmaker) than Christians. I think it's better to think of the God in "In God We Trust" as the Higher Power of AA, rather than the God of the New Testament. But to deny that our nation was founded in such spirituality is to deny an essential part of our heritage.
Yes, I seem to remember that the main precept of separation of church and state is simply that no organized church should have direct influence on the government, and that the government should not hold one faith above others. Certainly a far cry from "God and anything having to do with him should be cut out of government and anything having to do with it."
(I do not mean to attribute the previous quote to BR, or to say that he even agrees with it, Just summing up the prevailing attitude today)
The country was founded during a time when the only religions of note to the Fathers were all various sects of Christianity. Things are a little more complex now.
Would you feel as cozy if the motto were "In Allah we Trust"? I mean, really, if 'God' just means *any* 'higher power', then Allah should work as well, right? After all, the translation is exactly the same...
I'd sign the 'E Pluribus, Unum' petition in a *heartbeat*. It indicates that *we*, humanity, acting in concert as one, are strong. I don't think anyone can argue against that...
gee wasn't he a founding father?
g
sorry, my god complex is showing again...back to therapy i go....
<strong>Would you feel as cozy if the motto were "In Allah we Trust"? I mean, really, if 'God' just means *any* 'higher power', then Allah should work as well, right? After all, the translation is exactly the same...</strong><hr></blockquote>
No it is not the same. I will persue this argument no further though.
For that matter, I like America the Beautiful a lot more than God Bless America or The Star Spangled Banner. I wish it were our national anthem.
I liked our older paper bills even if they were neo-classical. They sure do beat the current neither-modren-nor-classical-nor-much-of-anything paper moeny we have now.
And finally, I like Richard Bulfinch's Capitol dome a lot more than the over-scaled, overly-opulent St. Peter's rip-off we have now.
i disagree, but i'm tolerant of folks who want to believe in virgin births, prophets flying through the air, imaginary friends etc.