As an atheist I get confronted by Christians about the "In god we trust" on money. Some make the claim that i shouldn't be allowed to use money because of that (always a belly laugh) while others simply ask what are my opinions on it etc. I seriously don't care at all, and I usually take a stance on every topic. For me that phrase bears the same significance as the "great seal" or the portrait of the president. It has lost all religious meaning at all. Does anyone on MGCBTSOOYG care about it?

I'm not religious but why should I care? It's lost all meaning just like the pledge of allegiance or anything else. Most Americans are just going through the motions.

I go over "In God We Trust" with a sharpie on my bills. I don't really care if noone notices, or if people just "go through the motions", it still doesn't belong on federal notes.

I care about it. I think it's silly, unnecessary, and I feel like it goes against a whole lot of principles of mine, so naturally I wish it weren't stamped on federal notes and coins.

But I suppose people will call that a rather frivolous thing for me to stew over, even though those same people would probably not much enjoy having "Praise Allah" or "Go Buddha" plastered all over items they have to use every day.

It's impolite and a bit indecent to force your ideas of God onto other people who have a different idea of God than you - but if you belong to that other group of people whose preference is to have no religion at all, suddenly the rights of individuals seem to not matter much at all.

It's funny how that works out, isn't it?

http://www.totse.com/bbs/confused.gif (http://www.totse.com/bbs/confused.gif)

Imagine the uproar if you wanted to replace it with "In science we trust"

Suddenly we'd be stamping all over peoples faiths.

Sort of ironic that the hindrance that religion has placed on scientific progress over the course of human history makes THEM more responsible for stamping on MY beliefs.

I live in the UK and thankfully our bills and notes are religion free. I approve of this.

If Christians were treated with the same irreverence that Atheists and Agnostics were treated with, they'd probably riot.

I am getting sick and tired of being a passive Atheist, just going along with the flow and accepting my country's majority opinion of the belief in a supernatural God.

It's high time those who hold a naturalistic worldview stand up and call foul play every time their belief systems are discriminated against.

It's money...

Just spend it and only bitch about incorrect change.

quote:Originally posted by Elephantitis Man:

I go over "In God We Trust" with a sharpie on my bills. I don't really care if noone notices, or if people just "go through the motions", it still doesn't belong on federal notes.

Good idea I'm actually going to start doing that.

quote:Originally posted by kurdt318:

Good idea I'm actually going to start doing that.

Me too!

If it had always been on our money that would be one thing, but the fact that they put it on there for the sole purpose of making a religious statement is annoying. The government should not endorse any particular religious beliefs. The government should be neutral.

[This message has been edited by Real.PUA (edited 03-14-2007).]

quote:Originally posted by dr.aids808:

It's money...

Just spend it and only bitch about incorrect change.

On the one hand, as a matter of principle I don't think anything religious should be on our money.

On the other hand, even though I disagree with it, it's not really on my list of priorities.

quote:Originally posted by Elephantitis Man:

I go over "In God We Trust" with a sharpie on my bills. I don't really care if noone notices, or if people just "go through the motions", it still doesn't belong on federal notes.

OMG U R A R3B3L!!!

Most of you don't seem to know why that "In God We Trust" is on our currency.

No worries, wikipedia is the quick cure for ignorance.

quote:Originally posted on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_God_We_Trust):

In 1956, the Cold War was in full swing, and the anti-Communist suspicion of the McCarthy era was at its height. Partly in reaction to Communism (which was commonly associated with atheism despite being merely devoid of an official religion), the 84th Congress passed a joint resolution to replace the existing motto with "In God we Trust." According to United States Code, Title 36, Section 302, the new motto officially displaced the original 180 year-old national motto "E Pluribus Unum" (Out of Many, One) when President Eisenhower signed the resolution into law on 30 July 1956. [1]



[This message has been edited by Cooking with Zyklon B (edited 03-14-2007).]

don't care...

quote:Originally posted by Cooking with Zyklon B:

Most of you don't seem to know why that "In God We Trust" is on our currency.

Why do you assume that people in this thread are ignorant of that fact? That's pretty common knowledge.

Common knowledge just like common sense isn't common any more. A lot of atheists complain about those four rather harmless words, thinking that christianity is being pushed upon them and such. I posted that excerpt from wikipedia to show that those words had a purpose. Even though now it really serves no purpose than to comfort those with 'faith.'

I'm an atheist, I don't cross out In God We Trust, don't rip up dollar bills in protest or any of that nonsense. I don't see how it does any real good.

Look at it this way, everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, you can not change that, because in the end, you yourself decide what you believe. I can't change that, I can only discuss my differing views with you and hope you will see it the way I perceive to be right.

quote:Originally posted by Cooking with Zyklon B:

Common knowledge just like common sense isn't common any more. A lot of atheists complain about those four rather harmless words, thinking that christianity is being pushed upon them and such. I posted that excerpt from wikipedia to show that those words had a purpose. Even though now it really serves no purpose than to comfort those with 'faith.'

I'm an atheist, I don't cross out In God We Trust, don't rip up dollar bills in protest or any of that nonsense. I don't see how it does any real good.

Look at it this way, everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, you can not change that, because in the end, you yourself decide what you believe. I can't change that, I can only discuss my differing views with you and hope you will see it the way I perceive to be right.

I knew "In God We Trust" is a remnant of McCarthyism. So is "God" in the pledge of allegiance. Know why I'm against both? Because it violates the seperation of church and state by declaring state-sponsored theism. That's exactly what it is: state-sponsored theism. Still not against it? How about the fact that whenever non-religious people try to argue against fundy lobbyists trying to make their religious dogmas into federal law, and we try to protect our rights and the secularity of our constitution, those fuckheads can hold up their dollar bills and say "Duuuhhh...look it says 'in GAWD we trust'! We are 'one nation under GAWD'! It's on the monies and in the pledge! There's no seperation of church and state!"? That's what you fucking support with your pacificstic bullshit, whether you acknowledge it or not. If you've got any kind of spine and courage to stand up for reason, you should be ashamed of yourself. http://www.totse.com/bbs/mad.gif (http://www.totse.com/bbs/mad.gif)





[This message has been edited by Elephantitis Man (edited 03-14-2007).]

quote:Originally posted by Elephantitis Man:

I knew "In God We Trust" is a remnant of McCarthyism. So is "God" in the pledge of allegiance. Know why I'm against both? Because it violates the seperation of church and state by declaring state-sponsored theism. That's exactly what it is: state-sponsored theism. Still not against it? How about the fact that whenever non-religious people try to argue against fundy lobbyists trying to make their religious dogmas into federal law, we and try to protect our rights and the secularity of our constitution, those fuckheads can hold up their dollar bills and say "Duuuhhh...look it says 'in GAWD we trust'! We are 'one nation under GAWD'! It's on the monies and in the pledge! There's no seperation of church and state!"? That's what you fucking support with your pacificstic bullshit, whether you acknowledge it or not. If you've got any kind of spine and courage to stand up for reason, you should be ashamed of yourself. http://www.totse.com/bbs/mad.gif (http://www.totse.com/bbs/mad.gif)

Damn straight, man.

I think that it should stay as a reminder that the U.S. is a country founded and perpetuated on contradictions and extremes.

quote:Originally posted by Cooking with Zyklon B:

Common knowledge just like common sense isn't common any more. A lot of atheists complain about those four rather harmless words, thinking that christianity is being pushed upon them and such. I posted that excerpt from wikipedia to show that those words had a purpose. Even though now it really serves no purpose than to comfort those with 'faith.'



You really didnt form a coherent argument at all. The reason behind putting 'In god we trust' on our currency supports the idea that religion is being pushed on americans. It is religious people that tend to be ignorant of the history making statements like "america was always a religious state" or "founded on religious values." The fact that this motto wa sonly put on our currency a mere 50 years ago directly refutes that argument in the context of the motto itself.

(read as if i were yelling thanks)

IT IS A CHRISTIAN COUNTRY!!! FOUNDED BY CHRISTIANS FOR CHRISTIANS, AND IT IS BECAUSE OF OUR BELIEFS THAT WE LET OTHER PEOPLE LIVE HERE AND HAVE THE SAME RIGHTS AS US, AND WE VIEW YOU AS EQUALS. NO OTHER RELIGION WOULD DO THAT! SO YOU ATHIEST LIBERAL FUCKS CAN GET THE FUCK OVER IT AND NOT BE THE GREEDY GUESTS IN OUR HOUSE!!!!

quote:Originally posted by Cheesus_Crust:

I think that it should stay as a reminder that the U.S. is a country founded and perpetuated on contradictions and extremes.

Ha!

quote:Originally posted by Masta Thief:

(read as if i were yelling thanks)

IT IS A CHRISTIAN COUNTRY!!! FOUNDED BY CHRISTIANS FOR CHRISTIANS, AND IT IS BECAUSE OF OUR BELIEFS THAT WE LET OTHER PEOPLE LIVE HERE AND HAVE THE SAME RIGHTS AS US, AND WE VIEW YOU AS EQUALS. NO OTHER RELIGION WOULD DO THAT! SO YOU ATHIEST LIBERAL FUCKS CAN GET THE FUCK OVER IT AND NOT BE THE GREEDY GUESTS IN OUR HOUSE!!!!

Your *stupid* is showing.

quote:Originally posted by truckfixr:

Your *stupid* is showing.



hahahahahahha! nice way to own me again truckfixer! haahhahahahah. im sorry but your wrong again! this is a christian country!

quote:Originally posted by Masta Thief:

hahahahahahha! nice way to own me again truckfixer! haahhahahahah. im sorry but your wrong again! this is a christian country!

Please study a little bit of American History before you further embarass yourself. The founding fathers of this country were, by and large, Deists or atheists. Very few of them were Christians. They went to great pains to create a country where people were free to believe (or to not believe) as they choose.

The establishment clause in the First Ammendment was designed with the express intention of preventing the government from becoming a Theocracy.

Simply because the majority of Americans are Christian, does not mean that this Nation is a Christian nation.

truckfxr, you are Patience Personified.