Should "In God We Trust" stay on currency?

[FM]

The phrase wasn't our official motto until the 1950s.  It was made so around the same time "under God" was shoved into the pledge of allegience.  Thank the theocratic Knights of Columbus for that.  Our government is supposed to be secular.

[Inkidu]

No in God We Trust is older than the 50's I'm sure. Still everyone needs someone to look after their money. Most people have Switzerland, but hey God.

Still your never going to have complete separation. The church isn't all sacred and the government isn't going to be all secular. The point behind separation of church and state is to avoid a theocracy. Politics. Having under God in the pledge and "In God We Trust" on the bills doesn't constitute theocracy.

[Valerian]

That motto actually wasn't added to (some) U.S. money until 1864, and it wasn't on every piece of money until the 1950's.

It was first suggested (probably) in 1861 and added to the then brand-new two cent coin in 1864.  After that it was used, off and on, on the various U.S. coins; and declared the official motto of the U.S. in 1956.  The following year it was added to paper money and has been on all U.S. currency since.

[Oniya]

It was first suggested (probably) in 1861 and added to the then brand-new two cent coin in 1864.  After that it was used, off and on, on the various U.S. coins; and declared the official motto of the U.S. in 1956.  The following year it was added to paper money and has been on all U.S. currency since.

Whatever happened to E Pluribus Unum?

[Inkidu]

Whatever happened to E Pluribus Unum?

Still there I believe.

[MHaji]

It shouldn't have been put there in the first place, but now that it's there, removing it would simply not be worth the trouble. Wait until we've reached a point where an atheist President is even a slim possibility, and there might be a chance.

[Raine]

Personally, as stated before, "In God We Trust," wasn't added the currency until later in U.S. history. I don't believe it should be printed on the money because of the whole Separation of church and state business. It was present on all money in the late 1950's as part of a brain washing technique in my opinion. It's similar to "One nation, under god" in the pledge. That wasn't added until much later to gain support for the wars. I don't believe it should be there. I don't see the need, and all it does now is give current Christian Extremists an Ego boost.

-Raine

[Inkidu]

It shouldn't have been put there in the first place, but now that it's there, removing it would simply not be worth the trouble. Wait until we've reached a point where an atheist President is even a slim possibility, and there might be a chance.

Well then the next statistically religious president will merely reinstate it. It's not worth any real trouble. It's neat to talk about but not worth doing anything over. Besides it ties the back of the bill together so nicely.

[Zakharra]

Personally, as stated before, "In God We Trust," wasn't added the currency until later in U.S. history. I don't believe it should be printed on the money because of the whole Separation of church and state business. It was present on all money in the late 1950's as part of a brain washing technique in my opinion. It's similar to "One nation, under god" in the pledge. That wasn't added until much later to gain support for the wars. I don't believe it should be there. I don't see the need, and all it does now is give current Christian Extremists an Ego boost.

-Raine

It was pointed out by Valerian that it has been on US money in one form or another since the late 1800's.

It was first suggested (probably) in 1861 and added to the then brand-new two cent coin in 1864.  After that it was used, off and on, on the various U.S. coins; and declared the official motto of the U.S. in 1956.  The following year it was added to paper money and has been on all U.S. currency since.

Over all, it does  -not- espouse a Church philosophy  and those saying it violates the Church/state separation are really reaching if they think this pushes a theocratic regime.  The phrase, 'In God we trust' acknowledges something mentioned in the Declaration of Independence, that our freedoms do not come from Human reasoning's or design, but from something greater than us. It might be a god or gods. Perhaps it is none of those, but the founding fathers knew that anything that humans give, we can take away. If the freedoms we enjoy in this country are Human given, then they can be taken away.

To keep them requires human diligence, against those that want to em-place their own religious philosophers and against those that want to help us 'for our own good'. Yet the freedoms are there and need to be maintained by constant vigilance from those that want to change them.

[Moondazed]

In the interest of factual documentation, here's the statement on the history of the phrase from the U.S. Treasury.

http://www.treas.gov/education/fact-sheets/currency/in-god-we-trust.shtml

Edit:  As you can see, it wasn't on paper money until 1964.

[Oniya]

In the interest of factual documentation, here's the statement on the history of the phrase from the U.S. Treasury.

http://www.treas.gov/education/fact-sheets/currency/in-god-we-trust.shtml

Edit:  As you can see, it wasn't on paper money until 1964.

It was, however, on the briefly minted 2 cent coin from 1864 to 1873.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-cent_piece_(United_States_coin)

It does not appear to have been included on any currency that I could find between 1873 and 1964, however.

[Moondazed]

It does not appear to have been included on any currency that I could find between 1873 and 1964, however.

Which kind of nullifies the 'but it's always been there!' argument ;)

[Valerian]

Okay, a little more clarification, from the aforelinked U.S. treasury page:

The use of IN GOD WE TRUST has not been uninterrupted. The motto disappeared from the five-cent coin in 1883, and did not reappear until production of the Jefferson nickel began in 1938. Since 1938, all United States coins bear the inscription.

The motto has been in continuous use on the one-cent coin since 1909, and on the ten-cent coin since 1916. It also has appeared on all gold coins and silver dollar coins, half-dollar coins, and quarter-dollar coins struck since July 1, 1908.

IN GOD WE TRUST was first used on paper money in 1957, when it appeared on the one-dollar silver certificate. The first paper currency bearing the motto entered circulation on October 1, 1957.

Due to costs, it was only gradually added to paper money.  I believe 1964 may be the year when it was finally included on all bills.  Otherwise I'm not sure where you're getting that date from.

[National Acrobat]

So it stands to reason that it was on coinage, at least the five cent coin, prior to 1883.

[Apple of Eris]

"IN GOD WE TRUST first appeared on the 1864 two-cent coin."
- http://www.treas.gov/education/fact-sheets/currency/in-god-we-trust.shtml

"Another Act of Congress passed on March 3, 1865. It allowed the Mint Director, with the Secretary's approval, to place the motto on all gold and silver coins that "shall admit the inscription thereon." Under the Act, the motto was placed on the gold double-eagle coin, the gold eagle coin, and the gold half-eagle coin. It was also placed on the silver dollar coin, the half-dollar coin and the quarter-dollar coin, and on the nickel three-cent coin beginning in 1866."
- http://www.treas.gov/education/fact-sheets/currency/in-god-we-trust.shtml


Side Note: BRING BACK THE THREE CENT COIN!

[Inkidu]

You know it's funny, there is a two dollar bill but unless you do a lot of time at the horsey tracks you're probably not going to see them.

I think Jefferson is on it./hijack

[Oniya]

My husband likes to get $2 bills and dollar coins from the bank with the express purpose of keeping them circulating.