In God We Trust
The debate over "In God We Trust" and "Under God"
Brad Marendt
Western International University
Com 112
Cyndy Woods, Ph.D.
March 19, 2006
There has been a great deal of debate since the United States of America became a nation over whether America 's current motto, "In God We Trust", and the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance are considered a violation of the first amendment. The first amendment says that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion " (U.S. Constitution, Retrieved from Cornell Law School) Over the years the phrase "separation of church and state" has been used as the interpretation of the first amendment, although none of the words from the phrase are used in the first amendment. What the first amendment means to the public is that the government may not pass a law which establishes an official religion or a law which would prefer one religion over another. The debate over America 's motto has been longstanding. There have been many appeals to have "under God" and "In God We Trust" removed. Although a recent hearing at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals stated it is unconstitutional to force children to recite the pledge of allegiance in school, it is unlikely that the word God will be removed from anything.
HISTORY
One theory on the reason "In God We Trust" was adopted as America 's motto was due to the increased religious sentiment during the Civil War. From the U.S. Treasury website a letter written to the Secretary of the Treasury, Salmon P. Chase, from reverend M.R. Watkinson on November 13, 1861 states:
You are probably a Christian. What if our Republic were not shattered beyond reconstruction? Would not the antiquaries of succeeding centuries rightly reason from our past that we were a heathen nation? What I propose is that instead of the goddess of liberty we shall have next inside the 13 stars a ring inscribed with the words PERPETUAL UNION; within the ring the allseeing [sic] eye, crowned
Brad Marendt
Western International University
Com 112
Cyndy Woods, Ph.D.
March 19, 2006
There has been a great deal of debate since the United States of America became a nation over whether America 's current motto, "In God We Trust", and the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance are considered a violation of the first amendment. The first amendment says that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion " (U.S. Constitution, Retrieved from Cornell Law School) Over the years the phrase "separation of church and state" has been used as the interpretation of the first amendment, although none of the words from the phrase are used in the first amendment. What the first amendment means to the public is that the government may not pass a law which establishes an official religion or a law which would prefer one religion over another. The debate over America 's motto has been longstanding. There have been many appeals to have "under God" and "In God We Trust" removed. Although a recent hearing at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals stated it is unconstitutional to force children to recite the pledge of allegiance in school, it is unlikely that the word God will be removed from anything.
HISTORY
One theory on the reason "In God We Trust" was adopted as America 's motto was due to the increased religious sentiment during the Civil War. From the U.S. Treasury website a letter written to the Secretary of the Treasury, Salmon P. Chase, from reverend M.R. Watkinson on November 13, 1861 states:
You are probably a Christian. What if our Republic were not shattered beyond reconstruction? Would not the antiquaries of succeeding centuries rightly reason from our past that we were a heathen nation? What I propose is that instead of the goddess of liberty we shall have next inside the 13 stars a ring inscribed with the words PERPETUAL UNION; within the ring the allseeing [sic] eye, crowned