McCarthy Era Redux: House To Vote On ‘In God We Trust’ Resolution - RawStory

[WillyT]

House to vote on ‘In God We Trust’ resolution
By Eric W. Dolan - RawStory
Sunday, March 20th, 2011 -- 12:45 pm

<snip>

The US House of Representatives will have a chance to vote on a resolution to affirm the phrase "In God We Trust" as the nation’s official motto after it was approved by the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday.

Congressman J. Randy Forbes (R-VA), the founder and chairman of the Congressional Prayer Caucus, sponsored the legislation. It would encourage the public display of the motto in all public buildings, public schools and government institutions. He said he introduced the bill in January because he was troubled by a pattern of omitting God from the nation's heritage.

"There is a small minority who believes America does not have the right to trust in God, who believes the United States should not affirm trust in God, and who actively seek to remove any recognition of that trust," Forbes said.

The phrase "In God We Trust" was made the official U.S. motto in 1956, one year after the phrase "under God" was incorporated into the Pledge of Allegiance.

Critics of the resolution said it violated the establishment clause of the Constitution, which states that "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion."

"The phrase ‘In God We Trust’ does not apply to the more than 16 percent of Americans who identify themselves as atheist, agnostic, nonreligious, or unaffiliated, and it does not apply to religious Americans who do not have Judeo-Christian beliefs," said Sean Faircloth, executive director of the Secular Coalition for America. "Branding our secular country with a religious motto only creates division among its citizens and erodes the wall of separation between church and state."

<snip>

Link: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/03/20/house-to-vote-on-in-god-we-trust-resolution/

:evilfrown:

[rzemanfl]

1. I trust God more than politicians, since he/she/it doesn't exist and

they do.

[xchrom]

2. We don't live in interesting times.

We live in ridiculous times.

[snappyturtle]

17. Yes! Amazing what trivial matters the repub House members can

conjer up to divert attention away from important matters: ending the wars, JOBS, etc. AND, they get paid to do it!

[OmahaBlueDog]

3. It is, or course, a trap

If you vote "no" you are against God, and every voter will be informed of that in the next election cycle.

..so everyone will vote "yes" (or have a really important committee meeting to attend). Then, when secularists argue against the wording, people like Tony Perkins will say "..but, but, but...an overwhelming, bi-partisan majority approved the wording."

[jwirr]

19. I agree. Even Keith Ellison can vote yes because they do not say

which God. This is ridiculous. As ridiculous as it was back in the 50s. Faith is a personal issue and my government has no right to determine it for me. Do they not realize that one of the reasons the founders were so adamant about freedom of religion was because of decades of induction into wars in Europe over religions that was superimposed by government on the people. Many of our relatives came to this country to get away from the government that told us what we had to believe.

[MH1]

4. they are sick fucks trying to manipulate the populace. But,

what else is new?

[kenny blankenship]

5. We are the United States of Woo

[L. Coyote]

6. Oh, for Christ's Sake

[WillyT]

8. LOL !!!

:rofl:

:evilgrin:

:hi:

[malaise]

13. Perfect response

I have no gods and trust no politicians.

[Lucian]

7. I like how this country is putting it's faith in a being that doesn't exist.

And not only that, they're wasting taxpayer money debating it.

[Initech]

9. What part of "separation of church and state" don't they understand?

[Jackpine Radical]

10. The part that involves

the separation of church and state, apparently.

[Initech]

14. I'm really beginning to wonder if these people really do live on another plane of existence.

[Jackpine Radical]

18. Plane of existence? I wouldn't give them that much credit.

More like a kite of existence, held aloft by the windbag religious demagogues of the right.

[Arugula Latte]

11. Mythical creatures: unicorns, leprechauns, god, a non-corrupt Congress...

[Angry Dragon]

12. forbes seems to not know the Constitution

perhaps it would be better to post the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence in schools so when one is elected to political office they would have a working knowledge of the thing they swore an oath too.................

[LAGC]

15. One step away from "God With Us" on our military belt-buckles.

It worked so well for Germany:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gott_mit_uns

[WillyT]

16. Ironic, No ???

:shrug:

:hi:

[Initech]

20. Bill Hicks was right - fundamentalism breeds no irony.

[WillyT]

21. Kick !!!

:kick:

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

22. As far as I'm concerned, the motto of the United States of America is "E Pluribus Unum".

Whenever anyone asks me about the subject, that's what I answer.