“In God We Trust” on money has stood for a long time, but an In God We Trust lawsuit by atheists attempted to change all this.
As previously reported by The Inquisitr , an atheist monument in Florida became the center of national attention because it made claims on United States history and attacked other religions.
In 2011 the House of Representatives reaffirmed In God We Trust on money as the official motto of the United States . The In God We Trust motto on money was created in 1956 and In God We Trust has been emblazoned on many public buildings, public schools and other government institutions. But President Obama cited “E pluribus unum,” which means “one out of many,” as the nation’s motto in a speech in Indonesia.
But then Michael Newdow and the Freedom From Religion Foundation attacked all instances of In God We Trust on money with a lawsuit , claiming the statement written on American currency was unconstitutional and was offensive to atheists. They argued the In God We Trust motto “conveys a religious message that violates separation of church and state and puts them in a position of spreading a religious message when they engage in commerce.”
The American Center for Law and Justice defended against the Federal lawsuit by atheists. The ACLJ argued the In God We Trust motto reflects the historical beginnings of the United States, which at one point had official state religions which the Federal government was not allowed to override with an “establishment of religion.” The ACLJ claims belief in God was integral in the founding of the nation, so to remove all references to God to please atheists would not be supported by the First Amendment. They say the Establishment Clause was not intended by the Founding Fathers to guarantee the American public will never be exposed to religion or religious symbols.
U.S. District Judge Harold Baer, Jr. agreed with the ACLJ, writing that In God We Trust on Money does not amount to a “constitutional violation in the motto’s inclusion on currency.” Baer says “the Supreme Court has repeatedly assumed the motto’s secular purpose and effect” and that atheists have suffered no “substantial burden” from having In God We Trust on money.
Do you think In God We Trust belongs on money?
