# "In God We Trust" back in the news **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 15, 2000, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-god-we-trust-back-in-the-news/25650 "2000-07-15T06:43:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-god-we-trust-back-in-the-news/25650/101 "2000-07-28T22:14:42Z")
Uh, you mistake the means by which rulings are made. A court hears a **case** and renders a decision relative to it. From time to time, that decision relates to the constitutionality of the law relevant to the case. While this is pretty elementary stuff, I’m reciting it here because a decision need not be that such-and-such-a-law is absolutely, unequivocably unconstitutional. It might be that its application _in this particular case_ is unconstitutional. I don’t happen to have a case to cite right at the moment, but I know that New York courts regularly find things in violation of the NY constitution as they apply to the case at hand, but the laws are left on the books because the ruling does not relate to the law in all cases and circumstances but to the particular application it was held to. Members of the bar? Can you make this any clearer, or give any concrete examples? ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2000, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-god-we-trust-back-in-the-news/25650/102 "2000-07-29T03:03:41Z")
Mr. Multifish: I believe it’s also possible to sue the government directly on the basis of a law being Unconstitutional. (Not “sue” for money, sue to get the law off the books.) ---
**Author:** ![David\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@David\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_B)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2000, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-god-we-trust-back-in-the-news/25650/103 "2000-07-30T14:27:27Z")
Jodi said: > [@](#): > > I was immediately sorry I posted it, and I offer you a full apology. Accepted. Thanks. JDeMobray: Jodi is correct that only Moderators can delete or edit messages once they’ve been posted. In this case, deleting the message now would make a number of messages after it look a bit odd. And Jodi was also right that e-mailing a request to delete it would have taken a while, as this is the first time I’ve been on since I posted my last message (remodeling and repainting the basement a bit – which is where the computer is). ---
**Author:** ![7\_of\_7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/7/3bc359/32.png) [@7\_of\_7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/7_of_7)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2000, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-god-we-trust-back-in-the-news/25650/104 "2000-08-04T04:41:04Z")
The funny thing about Americans is that they think they own God. How many other Christian countries put God and money together? ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2000, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-god-we-trust-back-in-the-news/25650/105 "2000-08-04T04:54:05Z")
How many “other Christian countries”? That implies that the U.S. is a “Christian country,” which is a debatable issue in itself. (As is the issue of whether “In God We Trust” is a specifically Christian sentiment – this may shock and surprise you, but there are religions other than Christianity which have a concept of “God.” Horrifying, I know.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-god-we-trust-back-in-the-news/25650.md?page=5)