# 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:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/21 "2013-04-02T16:41:52Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > They can keep in god we trust on the money if I can have universal health care and gay marriage. See, this makes me think that maybe we should make a big deal of it just so we can trade it for the more important stuff later. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/22 "2013-04-02T16:42:38Z")
[QUOTE=tim314] Also, I’m pretty sure “In God We Trust” and “One Nation, Under God” both arose as attempts to emphasize how we differed from the Godless communists. As such, they’re kind of anachronistic in this post-Cold War world. [/QUOTE] Both pre-date the Cold War by over a century. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/23 "2013-04-02T16:46:25Z")
> [@XT](#): > > .heck, I think Key said something about our motto being In God We trust in the Star Spangled Banner somewhere. From the thankfully rarely heard fourth verse: > [@](#): > > Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, > And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.” ---
**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 2, 2013, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/24 "2013-04-02T16:47:53Z")
> [@XT](#): > > Both pre-date the Cold War by over a century. They were [put in place](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_God_we_trust#History) as part of the fight against “godless Communism”, which was always as much a religious crusade as it was any other kind of conflict. > [@](#): > > In 1956, the nation was at a particularly tense time in the Cold War. As a result, the 84th Congress passed a joint resolution to replace the existing motto with “In God we trust”. The change was partly motivated by a desire to differentiate between communism, which promotes atheism, and Western capitalistic democracies, which were at least nominally Christian. The law was signed by President Eisenhower on July 30, 1956, and the motto was progressively added to paper money over a period from 1957 to 1966. (Public Law 84-851) The United States Code at 36 U.S.C. § 302, now states: “‘In God we trust’ is the national motto.” ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/25 "2013-04-02T16:48:04Z")
> [@XT](#): > > E Pluribus Unum was never the official motto…it was the defacto motto until '56 when the Congress officially adopted the In God We Trust thingy. But they didn’t just adopt that out of the blue, it’s on the Great Seal as well, and was on US currency as far back as (IIRC) the 1860’s. And people have been agitating for it for a long time…heck, I think Key said something about our motto being In God We trust in the Star Spangled Banner somewhere. I’m not sure if I’m reading you correctly, But if you’re saying “In God We Trust” is on the Great Seal, that’s not correct. “E pluribus unum” is on the ribbon in the eagle’s mouth on the obverse of the Great Seal. “Annuit cœptis” is on the reverse. It seems to have more than one possible translation, according to wiki, but “In God we trust” isn’t one of them. > **[Annuit cœptis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annuit_c%C5%93ptis)** > > Annuit cœptis (/ˈænuɪt ˈsɛptɪs/, .mw-parser-output .IPA-label-small{font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .references .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .infobox .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .navbox .IPA-label-small{font-size:100%}Classical Latin: \[ˈannʊ.ɪt ˈkoe̯ptiːs\]) is one of two mottos on the reverse side of the Great Seal of the United States. The literal translation is "\[He\] favors (or "has favored") \[our\] undertakings", from Latin annuo ("I approve, I favor"), and coeptum ("commencement... ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/26 "2013-04-02T16:49:07Z")
So, like the opening prayer in Congress and the phrase “One Nation Under God”, “In God We Trust” is just another of those silly little things atheists shouldn’t worry about because there are bigger fish to fry? So how _does_ one change our culture to one that more atheist-friendly of all of the aspects that reinforce a pro-religious viewpoint are off limits? Or am I just being an arrogant atheist? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/27 "2013-04-02T16:52:38Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > So, like the opening prayer in Congress and the phrase “One Nation Under God”, “In God We Trust” is just another of those silly little things atheists shouldn’t worry about because there are bigger fish to fry? So how _does_ one change our culture to one that more atheist-friendly of all of the aspects that reinforce a pro-religious viewpoint are off limits? > Or am I just being an arrogant atheist? I’d concentrate on making freedom of religion a real principle. When people appreciate that freedom, they won’t care so much if the ingenuous motto and prayers exist, and they could go away. It really is a pick your battles kind of thing. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/28 "2013-04-02T16:54:06Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > I’m not sure if I’m reading you correctly, > But if you’re saying “In God We Trust” is on the Great Seal, that’s not correct. > > “E pluribus unum” is on the ribbon in the eagle’s mouth on the obverse of the Great Seal. > > “Annuit cœptis” is on the reverse. It seems to have more than one possible translation, according to wiki, but “In God we trust” isn’t one of them. > > [Annuit cœptis - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annuit_c%C5%93ptis) You are right…I was thinking of the ‘He has favored our undertakings’ part in Latin and thought In God We Trust was in there as well. My bad. Still, the phrase has been around for a while, and I am pretty sure it was on our currency far before the 1950’s. ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/29 "2013-04-02T16:54:08Z")
> [@XT](#): > > Both pre-date the Cold War by over a century. You said up-thread that Congress officially adopted “In God We Trust” in 1956. “Under God” was officially added to the pledge in 1954. I guess I should have said “were officially added” instead of the more vague “arose”, but I don’t think it changes my basic point. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/30 "2013-04-02T16:55:14Z")
If you’re sufficiently passionate about it, you can always mark it out on your money w/ a sharpie, like Penn Jillette does. And if you’re really frickin’ hard core, you can efface it from your change. :eek: Legality can be debated, of course. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/31 "2013-04-02T16:58:21Z")
> [@tim314](#): > > You said up-thread that Congress officially adopted “In God We Trust” in 1956. “Under God” was officially added to the pledge in 1954. > > I guess I should have said “were officially added” instead of the more vague “arose”, but I don’t think it changes my basic point. If you meant ‘arose after being in use since the late 1700’s in the US’, then yes…they weren’t officially adopted until the 50’s. I doubt it was adopted solely because of godless communism, but I’m sure it was a factor. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/32 "2013-04-02T17:01:32Z")
The attitude of this Catholic is “Meh, take it off, see what I care”. But if we are gonna simply update it, I say instead of adding "“All Others Pay Cash” we make it; _ **In God We Trust - Everyone Else Keep Your Fuckin’ Hands Where I can See 'Em!** _ ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/33 "2013-04-02T17:03:24Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > So, like the opening prayer in Congress and the phrase “One Nation Under God”, “In God We Trust” is just another of those silly little things atheists shouldn’t worry about because there are bigger fish to fry? So how _does_ one change our culture to one that more atheist-friendly of all of the aspects that reinforce a pro-religious viewpoint are off limits? > Or am I just being an arrogant atheist? It’s another silly little thing that atheists shouldn’t fret about, yes. There are many, many more important issues, and trying to get this changed would be a silly waste, and ultimately futile. Until you change society to the point where enough people even care about what’s on the money there is just no impetus to change something that really hurts no one and is pretty meaningless. It’s like the argument that we SHOULD get rid of the embargo against Cuba. Sure we should. And as soon as enough people care about it or it’s even on their radar we probably will…for now, not really worth the trouble of trying. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/34 "2013-04-02T17:04:58Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I’d concentrate on making freedom of religion a real principle. When people appreciate that freedom, they won’t care so much if the ingenuous motto and prayers exist, and they could go away. It really is a pick your battles kind of thing. But those things I’ve mentioned, and a few others, are used by many to show that the United States of America _is_ a Christian(or at least a religious) Nation. What have atheists got to counteract examples like that which people see almost every day? A phrase from the 1797 Treaty of Tripoly-“As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion…”? It’s like going into combat armed with stale marshmellows. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/35 "2013-04-02T17:06:10Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > But those things I’ve mentioned, and a few others, are used by many to show that the United States of America _is_ a Christian(or at least a religious) Nation. What have atheists got to counteract examples like that which people see almost every day? A phrase from the 1797 Treaty of Tripoly-“As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion…”? It’s like going into combat armed with stale marshmellows. Why do atheists need counter examples? ---
**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 2, 2013, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/36 "2013-04-02T17:06:48Z")
> [@XT](#): > > It’s another silly little thing that atheists shouldn’t fret about, yes. There are many, many more important issues, and trying to get this changed would be a silly waste, and ultimately futile. Until you change society to the point where enough people even care about what’s on the money there is just no impetus to change something that really hurts no one and is pretty meaningless. Of course people care about it, that’s why it’s there. I’m quite certain that if the money said “There is no God but Allah” or “There are no gods” or “Hail Satan” then it would be a huge national issue that the money be changed immediately. It’s easy to say that it’s nothing to care about when it isn’t aimed at _you_. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/37 "2013-04-02T17:07:37Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > But those things I’ve mentioned, and a few others, are used by many to show that the United States of America _is_ a Christian(or at least a religious) Nation. What have atheists got to counteract examples like that which people see almost every day? A phrase from the 1797 Treaty of Tripoly-“As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion…”? It’s like going into combat armed with stale marshmellows. Wouldn’t you rather get rid of religious intolerance in practice more than the meaningless motto imprinted on money? ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/38 "2013-04-02T17:11:17Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Of course people care about it, that’s why it’s there. I’m quite certain that if the money said “There is no God but Allah” or “There are no gods” or “Hail Satan” then it would be a huge national issue that the money be changed immediately. > > It’s easy to say that it’s nothing to care about when it isn’t aimed at _you_. And it’s easy to over react, especially when you have a huge chip on your shoulder about religion and constantly think you are being persecuted by the evil Christians…right? 😛 And, FTR, it’s NOT aimed at me…I could care less, one way or the other. If this was a majority Muslim nation, and we had ‘There is no God but Allah’ on the currency I’d feel exactly the same way (as long as the religious types left me alone)…same with if this was a majority Satan worshiping country and we had ‘Hail Satan’ on the currency. I do find it amusing that you automatically assume that ‘God’ equals the Christian God and precludes any other, but your strawman examples have specific names that DO preclude any others, so in those instances it would be crystal clear that ‘There is no God but Allah’ in a majority Muslim nation would categorically preclude any other God or gods. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/39 "2013-04-02T17:11:19Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Wouldn’t you rather get rid of religious intolerance in practice more than the meaningless motto imprinted on money? Having such intolerance as an official motto that is viewed almost every day makes it harder to convince people that it is intolerance in the first place. edited to add: If the motto is meaningless, why would you care if it was removed? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633/40 "2013-04-02T17:12:09Z")
It’s there because of tradition. [Goes back to 1864.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_God_we_trust) And, has been the official motto of the United States since 1956. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-in-god-we-trust-be-on-our-currency/654633.md?page=3)