This Week in God

December 22, 2007

First up from the God Machine this week is a rather silly effort by some religio-political activists, who threw a fit when the new $1 coins featured the phrase “In God We Trust” on the edge of the currency, instead of the front. The uproar worked, and the phrase will be moved.

According to the U.S. Mint, the motto was moved to the edge of the coin to draw attention to the inscription — and it did. Some coinage made it through without being stamped with the motto. And experts say it could rub off over time.

“It was a bad idea, followed by bad employment of that idea, and now finally they are correcting that mistake,” said Brian Rooney, spokesman for the Thomas More Law Center. “That’s good news.”

Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., sponsored legislation to move “In God We Trust” back to its proper home. It’s waiting for President Bush’s signature. “While it may not seem like much of a victory, I think it’s significant,” he said.

Of course he does. He’s Sam Brownback.

I’d just add that Dave Stotts, host of the conservative Drive Thru History series, told James Dobson’s Focus on the Family that moving “In God We Trust” to the edge of a coin might have been the first step in removing the phrase altogether.

“I certainly can’t imagine growing up in a country and under a government that is atheistic and denies the existence and dependence on God,” Stotts said.

One wonders if Stotts realizes that “In God We Trust” wasn’t added to all U.S. currency until the 1950s — meaning that 200 years worth of Americans, including the Greatest Generation, grew up in a country that had no religious messages on its money, and no reference to God in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Somehow, we managed to become the greatest, most prosperous, most powerful country on earth anyway.

Other items from the God Machine this week:

* The latest in the generally awkward intersection of fundamentalist faith and the U.S. military: “A foundation that has sued the military alleging widespread violations of religious freedom said Tuesday that it has evidence showing that soldiers are pressured to adopt fundamentalist Christian beliefs. The photos and videos of religious materials and activities are part of a lawsuit filed by the Military Religious Freedom Foundation and Army Spc. Jeremy Hall, an atheist, against Maj. Freddy J. Welborn and Defense Secretary Robert Gates. The material was gathered from Fort Riley, Kan., the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., and Fort Jackson, S.C.”

* Just in time for Christmas, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, dismissed the Christmas story of the Three Wise Men this week as nothing but “legend.” From one report: “There was scant evidence for the Magi, and none at all that there were three of them, or that they were kings, he said. All the evidence that existed was in Matthew’s Gospel…. Further, there was no evidence that there were any oxen or asses in the stable. The chances of any snow falling around the stable in Bethlehem were ‘very unlikely.’ And as for the star rising and then standing still: the Archbishop pointed out that stars just don’t behave like that.”

* My friend Blue Girl has an interesting report out of North Carolina’s Research Triangle, where state officials are intervening at a farm where local Muslims celebrate the state of Eid al-Adha. Apparently, because the ceremony includes the slaughter of a lamb or goat in the traditional, halal manner, North Carolina officials have decided that farm owners are operating an illegal slaughterhouse. No word from the more-religion-in-the-public-square crowd, rising to the local Muslims’ defense.

* And finally, Time magazine ranked the 10 biggest religion stories of 2007 this week. Coming in at #1: “Letters Mother Teresa wrote to her confessors describe the agony of not being able to sense her beloved God for half a century. ‘The silence and the emptiness is so great, that I look and do not see,’ she wrote. These revelations raise the question of whether her spiritual ‘dryness’ made her a greater saint or some kind of self-deceiver.” Alas, the popularity of “This Week in God” did not make the list.

After looking over Time’s list of the ten biggest religion stories of the year, it is obvious that “This Week in God” is much more interesting, week after week.

  • Would that it were removed, there are no gods.

    Animals, bow down to gods.
    Human Beings, do not.

    The Judean/Islamic/Christian cult is the worst thing to have ever happened to mankind.

  • i have heard this before: “In God We Trust” wasn’t added to all U.S. currency until the 1950s — ” and, maybe i’m wrong, but it’s misleading.

    the important word there seems to be ALL. true, the phrase wasn’t added to ALL u.s. currency until the 1950’s. but it WAS on certain u.s. coins as early as 1864. and on many by 1866. so, the statement about 200 years of americans with no religious message on their money is not true. right?

    listen, i’d be happy if the slogan were gone completely. but let’s get the facts right.
    (and please, if i’m wrong…correct me).

  • Actually, there is some actual scientific evidence that The Star might have been a supernova, which would be far enough away that it would appear to “stand still” and would be bright enough to be seen in daylight. There have been at least three of these in recorded history.

    My science-fiction-loving scientist father (when you drive on freeways over flying overpasses and connectors and never ever once ask youself if that pre-stressed concrete you’re driving over is actually solid, say “thank you, L. Thomas Cleaver,” for discovering how to be sure pre-stressed concrete is solid without breaking it open to look) used to love reading Arthur C. Clarke’s short story “The Star” to us on Christmas Eve: for the culturally-disadvantaged here, it’s the report of a Jesuit astronomer aboard an interstellar expedition to examine the remains of the largest supernova ever found, when they discover the farthest planet in the system, with the complete record of the civilization that was destroyed held on the far side – the civilization was wonderful, highly civilized in the best ways we could only ever hope to achieve. They knew the supernova was coming and made this record…

    And the scientist-Jesuit has just done all the calculations to demonstrate beyond a doubt that this was the supernova that created The Star of Bethlehem.

    My kind of Christmas story. Thank you Arthur, still going strong at 90 last week.

  • While I agree with you, Ten Bears, I fear we are fighting a losing battle, and we rationalists are terribly outnumbered by the magical thinkers.

    (As always Steve, thanks for the linkage!)

  • Well, that is one opinion. The December 2007 issue of “Sky and Telescope” magazine has a different theory: “The problems are overwhelming … all this has caused critical scholars for the last century and a half to consider the Star to lack historical merit…”

    and

    “More broadly, tales of a miraculous star appearing at an important character’s humble birth … were common themes in myths and stories of the time.” (Mentioned are the God Mithras, Alexander the Great, and the Patriarch Abraham in connection with stars. Perseus had a virgin mother. Shepherds are associated wit the infancy stories of Oedipus and Romulus).

    Try to imagine an actual star being discernably overhead associated with a particular building? Can you? I can’t.

  • I’d just as soon see “They have no God but Mammon” on the coinage…not because it would piss the theocrats off, but because it’s true.

  • If there is a god that is self aware, and all knowing, surely she’d care more about what’s in our hearts, not what is printed on our money.

  • … hey children, is it not scary that our ‘Washington elite’ represents the best that each state could offer … and ‘yous’ think that you can build a lasting civilization on ‘piles of dung’ … the very saddest part is that no one has seen yet that this is the beginning of the ‘downturn’ in US civilization/history … with the quickening pace of info dissemination it looks like the last empire is about ready to slip into its next phase: oblivion thru Alzheimer onset …. Of course for me being one of the last true americans -possibly the only one left- and one of the few americans born in Quebec who has not been naturalized yet and never will, I can not do anything else but cheer and point to the soon-to-be-realization of the one major reason/goal that the ancient ones created this country for and that is to make it THEEEEE place for al others to emulate … freedom means equality which means no empire .. who’d have thunk that conservatism would make such a comeback ….remember those conservative values of the freethinkers of yore … we are getting closer to them …. talk about eliminating the gubmint, that vile evil doer of an institution that cannot possibly work … and all the while we had a retard leading the way …

  • Tom @ #4:

    A supernova wouldn’t “stand still” in the sky. As the Earth rotated on its axis, the supernova would appear to move across the sky just like normal stars and other distant objects.

    The supernova would only “stand still” relative to the other stars in the sky. If it were visible during the day (and some of them have been), it would disappear below the horizon at night.

  • Tony #3 – That’s essentially correct. First year was 1864 for coins, and it was voluntary until 1908, when it became mandatory on some, but not all coins. Then in 1955 it became mandatory on all coins and currency. “In God We Trust” became the national motto in 1956. So we only got to 1864 without it on any of our money.

  • Tom @#4;

    I’d completely forgotten about that story; it must be 30 years since I read it. Thanks for that.

  • Re “In God we Trust”: I wonder if the Xtian fundies know that Christians, Jews and Muslims all pray to the same Abrahamic God. That might just blow their minds (should they choose to use them).

    #5 blue girl: people of faith (not magic) who are rational (and thinking, intelligent beings) are more plentiful than you might realize. I am but one example.

    #8 Nell said:
    “If there is a god that is self aware, and all knowing, surely she’d care more about what’s in our hearts, not what is printed on our money.”

    Right on. And care about what we choose to spend our earthly treasures on (war/weapons? gigantic bonuses for failed CEOs who rip people off? OR food, shelter and clothing for the poor? health care for all? education for all? living wages for all workers?)

    CB: “A foundation that has sued the military alleging widespread violations of religious freedom said Tuesday that it has evidence showing that soldiers are pressured to adopt fundamentalist Christian beliefs.”

    Good. I hope the foundation is successful with its suit. No one should be coerced (as if that could happen anyway) into any given set of beliefs.

  • Stars don’t ‘stand still’ ever, because the earth rotates. The only way something in the sky could appear to stand still is if it were traveling at a vector parallel to the earth’s rotation (like a comet or planet) but even then it would still rise and fall like the sun as the earth rotated.

    Even the ‘north star’ appears to move in a circle in the night sky, moreso the further south you are.

    Sheesh.

    And in defense of the Virginia case, they have pretty strict livestock laws for good reason. We’re considered to have strict laws out here in California, but not near as difficult to get in compliance with. On that note, though, many Halal butchers and mosques have no problems getting licensing and approval in our state.

    Why is it many officials find it more in their interest to find you in violation than to help you get into compliance?

  • As anyone who has read The Omnivore’s Dilemma knows, many of the corporate-scale producing states like Virginia have extremely strict laws to keep localists and “beyond organic” (i.e. not corporatized organic) producers from being able to economically compete – they are forced to use large industrial slaughter facilities that are not affordable on a per head basis unless you are producing thousands of animals. This is not so much an attack on Halal as a religious matter as a religious tradition being a collateral casualty in a bigger battle between industrial agriculture and non-industrial agriculture in this country.

    (And have I mentioned how much I loved The Omnivore’s Dilemma? It should be required reading for every Presidential Candidate.

    Indeed, Steve, there is a Sunday Discussion Group topic that would be not only interesting, but useful to the community – especially in a gift-giving season: “If You Could Force Presidential Candidates to Fill Out a Checklist of Books They Have or Have Not Read as Part of Your Choosing a Candidate, What Books Should be on the List?”)

  • …moving “In God We Trust” to the edge of a coin might have been the first step in removing the phrase altogether.

    Yes. I’m sure the Mint developed brand new technology for inscribing the edges of coins just so it could serve as a wedge toward eliminating “In God We Trust” entirely.

    “I certainly can’t imagine growing up in a country and under a government that is atheistic and denies the existence and dependence on God,” Stotts said.

    Because when a country’s currency doesn’t acknowledge a deity, that’s the same as denying God.

  • the archbishop of Canterberry has obviously not seen the movie documentary “Zeitgeist” which explains the Christmas nativity scene perfectly, including the wise men and the star “acting like that”. It would answer all his questions on the subject.

    Amazing how few of these religious zealots don’t know when or why “In God We Trust” or “Under God” came to be on our money or in our pledge of allegiance. How could we have made it for all those years without it? See how little difference it makes. They are just words and should not be used as hammers.

  • “people of faith (not magic) who are rational (and thinking, intelligent beings) are more plentiful than you might realize. I am but one example. ”

    Yeah, believing in something for which there is no evidence…
    That’s rational!

  • #18 Are you saying there is no evidence that Jesus lived, that the stories of his life aren’t true?

    You’re willing to discount documents and stories of all historical figures?

    A music professor I had years ago was telling us that most of Scott Joplin’s contemporaries couldn’t read or write music, yet they composed songs. But there is no evidence that these compositions ever existed other than stories about them. They were never recorded. Who to believe?

    Hmmm…

  • I think we need to put the motto “GREED IS GOOD” on all our coins, otherwise our children will have to grow up under a socialistic state.

  • If the religious wackos want to live in a theocracy, might I suggest they move to Iran or Saudi Arabia. We need to remove “in god we trust” from all our currency. Until that happens, I will continue to make all my bills “god-free” by crossing out the word “god” on the back of each bill I spend; unfortunately there’s not much I can do about the coins.

    I have no problem with people who are delusional enough to believe in religion, so long as they keep it in their church or home. When they try to dictate how I live based on their particular irrational belief system (i.e. blue laws, employment, housing, insurance, & marriage equality, etc) that’s where I draw the line.

  • #18 Are you saying there is no evidence that Jesus lived, that the stories of his life aren’t true?

    So there was a “Jesus” who had a mother who was ahead of her time, and a father willing to believe anything. So what?

  • If the Muslims get a food prep certified guy on site, are they good?

    Hairless@ 18
    Rationality is a continuum, not a toggle.
    Someone who believes but recognizes the lack of evidence is fairly rational.

    An atheist who goes to a chiropractor and buys annuities loses the battle.

    If the irrational choice to believe in a benevolent super power leads one to a more fulfilling life, it is not, on balance, all that nutty. This is not to say the choice to believe leads everyone to a better life. Some find only disillusionment and others make themselves insufferable pests.

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