# Why should "In God We Trust" be on our currency? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 2, 2013, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633 "2013-04-02T16:07:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/221 "2013-04-19T20:34:03Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > Well, there isn’t a USSR around anymore and anti-communism was one of the justifications for including “Under God” in the pledge (written without that part by a socialist Baptist minister no less). > > It’s doubtful the phrase had much effect on the fall of the old Soviet bloc or on preventing communism from taking root in the US but there you go. That had nothing to do with the fall of Communism. It was trying to keep the USSR ahead of the USA in weapons etc. they could no longer afford it. and Communism has never worked, not enough people would want to share everything in common(even the first Christians were communistic to start with but that didn’t last either for very long) People in this country call themselves Christian but many do not follow their own 9said) beliefs. ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/222 "2013-04-19T20:36:17Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > Well, there isn’t a USSR around anymore and anti-communism was one of the justifications for including “Under God” in the pledge (written without that part by a socialist Baptist minister no less). > > It’s doubtful the phrase had much effect on the fall of the old Soviet bloc or on preventing communism from taking root in the US but there you go. That had nothing to do with the fall of Communism. It was trying to keep the USSR ahead of the USA in weapons etc. they could no longer afford it. and Communism has never worked, not enough people would want to share everything in common(even the first Christians were communistic to start with but that didn’t last either for very long) People in this country call themselves Christian but many do not follow their own (said) beliefs. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/223 "2013-04-19T23:52:36Z")
> [@dotchan](#): > > But doesn’t “this is how I want the world to look like” involve the belief that changing the world would be beneficial for everyone? And? That’s not much like religion. “Everyone” actually exists; souls, gods and the afterlife don’t. Faith is a defining feature of religion. > [@dotchan](#): > > On the other hand, I may be painting with too broad a brush and lumping the dictatorial cult of personalities that sprung up in many of those supposedly atheist communist countries\* with Secular Humanism. They aren’t close at all. I’ve often called Communism a religion or a very close relative, and been yelled at for doing so. Communism is faith based. And a personality cult is only “secular” because for cultural reasons we don’t like to admit the similarity between worshiping a ruler and worshiping a god. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/224 "2013-04-20T00:20:44Z")
> [@dotchan](#): > > Does Secular Humanism count as a religion? It’s really hard to have a religion without gods, supernatural morality systems, holy texts, received wisdom, clergy, liturgy, or sacraments. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/225 "2013-04-20T02:33:56Z")
Nah. A religion is a way of life. The rest of that may just be myth and superstition. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/226 "2013-04-20T02:35:07Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > They aren’t close at all. I’ve often called Communism a religion or a very close relative, and been yelled at for doing so. Heh. It’s been a while since I’ve brushed against an unreconstructed Communist, much less one that would get angry at claims that were after all rather ordinary during the Cold War. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/227 "2013-04-20T03:09:37Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > Heh. It’s been a while since I’ve brushed against an unreconstructed Communist, much less one that would get angry at claims that were after all rather ordinary during the Cold War. It’s the religious people not any Communists who get angry at the comparison. I don’t think I’ve ever actually (knowingly) talked to a Communist in fact. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/228 "2013-04-20T04:49:21Z")
Should the term in question be on the money? No. Why did it get there in the first place? Because the folks who wanted to prove how un-Godless America is wanted it there. Why is it still there? Because religious people freak out if anyone even suggests that it might be the right thing to remove it. Why do they freak out? Because it’s very important to them to have their religious faith supported in one way or another (or as many as possible) by the government. Do they admit that’s the reason? No, they lie about it not really being religious and hide behind the BS term “ceremonial deism,” of which there is, at least in America, no such critter. ---
**Author:** ![esmeralda2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ccd318/32.png) [@esmeralda2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/esmeralda2)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/229 "2013-04-20T09:54:23Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Is there any reason why the phrase “In God We Trust” should be kept on our currency? If you would object to it’s removal, please tell me why. I don’t care one way or another. I’m not at all religious, but it doesn’t bother me that it is there: it’s just money. Why get your knickers in a twist about something so essentially meaningless? There are so many important things to care about. ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/230 "2013-04-25T11:40:23Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > And? That’s not much like religion. “Everyone” actually exists; souls, gods and the afterlife don’t. Faith is a defining feature of religion. > > They aren’t close at all. I’ve often called Communism a religion or a very close relative, and been yelled at for doing so. Communism is faith based. And a personality cult is only “secular” because for cultural reasons we don’t like to admit the similarity between worshiping a ruler and worshiping a god. Communists don’t worship a ruler! They follow out of fear, modern communists are not truly Communist there are the haves and the have not’s. The first Christians were communistic, they shared all things in common. it doesn’t work for long, there is always the people who want more than their share. There can be godless communists and people who are communists that believe in a God. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/231 "2013-04-25T12:19:23Z")
> [@monavis](#): > > Communists don’t worship a ruler! Never heard the letters DPRK, have you? ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/232 "2013-04-26T12:01:49Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Never heard the letters DPRK, have you? I don’t know what are suggesting. ---
**Author:** ![Human\_Action](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@Human\_Action](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Human_Action)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/233 "2013-04-26T12:15:27Z")
[North Korea’s cult of personality](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Korea%27s_cult_of_personality). ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/234 "2013-04-26T21:20:00Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > . . . I don’t think I’ve ever actually (knowingly) talked to a Communist in fact. I had a lovely chat with one, in college, back in the Reagan/Thatcher era. He put forward the very argument which (I think) the “No True Scotsman” fallacy was originally coined to parody. Stalin? Not true communism. Mao? Pol Pot? Not true communism. At that point, his argument was so obviously circular, I bowed out (um…impolitely, I confess.) (Later, the college newspaper published a political cartoon, showing his face grafted on to a horse’s ass. So wasn’t the only one to scorn the chump.) ---
**Author:** ![CoastalMaineiac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@CoastalMaineiac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoastalMaineiac)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/235 "2013-04-27T05:06:09Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Is there any reason why the phrase “In God We Trust” should be kept on our currency? If you would object to it’s removal, please tell me why. I can think of one rational reason to object: It’s a trivial thing and not worth the time, money, and effort to retool the printing presses just because of someone taking offense. Now, if it’s as simple nowadays as removing it from a computer, then I go from slightly opposed to totally indifferent. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/236 "2013-04-27T07:46:31Z")
> [@CoastalMaineiac](#): > > I can think of one rational reason to object: It’s a trivial thing and not worth the time, money, and effort to retool the printing presses just because of someone taking offense. > > Now, if it’s as simple nowadays as removing it from a computer, then I go from slightly opposed to totally indifferent. The presses are being retooled now, anyway, aren’t they? I just saw something about a new design for the $100 bill. Seems to me, that’s the perfect time to remove the thing. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/237 "2013-04-27T07:53:22Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > The presses are being retooled now, anyway, aren’t they? I just saw something about a new design for the $100 bill. Seems to me, that’s the perfect time to remove the thing. That’s mentioned by **Human Action** just upthread, actually. > [@Human\_Action](#): > > That figure is obviously a wild guess, but I agree, the only actual new cost would be the design (which is minimal, removing a phrase), and new master plates from which printing plates are struck. > > The method we’re talking about here (start printing non-IGWT notes, replace worn IGWT notes with them as part of the normal process) is [how IGWT notes were introduced in the first place:](http://www.treasury.gov/about/education/Pages/in-god-we-trust.aspx) > > > [@](#): > > > > BEP prints United States paper currency by an intaglio process from engraved plates. It was necessary, therefore, to engrave the motto into the printing plates as a part of the basic engraved design to give it the prominence it deserved. > > … > > > > P.L. 84-140 recognized that an enormous expense would be associated with immediately replacing the costly printing plates. The law allowed BEP to gradually convert to the inclusion of IN GOD WE TRUST on the currency. Accordingly, the motto is not found on series 1935-E and 1935-F one-dollar notes. > [@Human\_Action](#): > > There’s actually an imminent rollout of the latest [currency redesign](http://www.newmoney.gov/newmoney/default.aspx), which would have been a great chance to drop IGWT at _no_ cost. > > Maybe next time. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/238 "2013-04-27T19:34:33Z")
Of course, there would still be the vast political cost of proposing or even allowing the removal of phrase. “Duurrr! Obama is making us atheists like his radical muslim daddy!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633.md?page=11)