"In God We Trust" on the currency is unconstitutional and should be removed.

The fact that the founding fathers are largely nominally Christian is certainly a point, you are arguing that the "In God We Trust" on coinage is ceremonial deism and thus not "real religion" and thus acceptable by the first amendment. I hold that: 1) The founding fathers were not largely deist, the largest represented faith was Episcopalian. 2) According to the established explanation by the Treasury department it was placed on coins as a forward looking remark to portray America circa 1860s as not a heathen nation. 3) Even if it were ceremonial deism it is still unconstitutional. It is still saying that my religious beliefs are false. That is not acceptable by the establishment clause of the US constitution. Deism is a religious establishment, it is the idea of the first mover God, nature's God. The God who created the universe and then ignored the universe. My religious belief, does not allow for even that: It is belief that there is no God. You cannot use the mechanism of the state to actively deny my religious position. Just as you cannot endorse this position in spite of the Christians who hold that God DOES interact with the universe. You argue that: 1) Deism is not a religion (rather a philosophy). 2) "In God We Trust" is a Deist statement. 3) It harks back to the founding fathers. Therefore: "In God We Trust" is not a religious statement and thus constitutional. This argument suffers from four problems. 1) Deism may not be a religion, but it is a religious statement. 2) "In God We Trust" is not a Deist statement it is a Christian statement. 3) It does not hark back to past deism but looks forward. 4) Constitutionality is decided not simply religion's statements but religious statements. == Deism need not even be a religion to be in contradiction to religious opinion. That is the state of the first amendment. The state cannot endorse a religion or use the mechanism of the state to speak on a religious matter, so the Everson decision established. Saying there is a deist God, is saying that religious beliefs in contradiction with that statement are wrong. This would be mine as well as swaths of Christians who believe that God still interacts with the universe. == The Treasury website specifically cites the events which gave rise to the inclusion of "In God We Trust". ----- The motto IN GOD WE TRUST was placed on United States coins largely because of the increased religious sentiment existing during the Civil War. Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase received many appeals from devout persons throughout the country, urging that the United States recognize the Deity on United States coins. From Treasury Department records, it appears that the first such appeal came in a letter dated November 13, 1861. It was written to Secretary Chase by Rev. M. R. Watkinson, Minister of the Gospel from Ridleyville, Pennsylvania, and read: Dear Sir: You are about to submit your annual report to the Congress respecting the affairs of the national finances. One fact touching our currency has hitherto been seriously overlooked. I mean the recognition of the Almighty God in some form on our coins. 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 eye, crowned with a halo; beneath this eye the American flag, bearing in its field stars equal to the number of the States united; in the folds of the bars the words GOD, LIBERTY, LAW. This would make a beautiful coin, to which no possible citizen could object. This would relieve us from the ignominy of heathenism. This would place us openly under the Divine protection we have personally claimed. From my hearth I have felt our national shame in disowning God as not the least of our present national disasters. To you first I address a subject that must be agitated. As a result, Secretary Chase instructed James Pollock, Director of the Mint at Philadelphia, to prepare a motto, in a letter dated November 20, 1861: Dear Sir: No nation can be strong except in the strength of God, or safe except in His defense. The trust of our people in God should be declared on our national coins. You will cause a device to be prepared without unnecessary delay with a motto expressing in the fewest and tersest words possible this national recognition. It was found that the Act of Congress dated January 18, 1837, prescribed the mottoes and devices that should be placed upon the coins of the United States. This meant that the mint could make no changes without the enactment of additional legislation by the Congress. In December 1863, the Director of the Mint submitted designs for new one-cent coin, two-cent coin, and three-cent coin to Secretary Chase for approval. He proposed that upon the designs either OUR COUNTRY; OUR GOD or GOD, OUR TRUST should appear as a motto on the coins. In a letter to the Mint Director on December 9, 1863, Secretary Chase stated: I approve your mottoes, only suggesting that on that with the Washington obverse the motto should begin with the word OUR, so as to read OUR GOD AND OUR COUNTRY. And on that with the shield, it should be changed so as to read: IN GOD WE TRUST. ----- http://www.treas.gov... We see clearly from the history that "In God We Trust" was added after a letter by a Minister on the grounds that the Sec. of Treasury was also a "Christian" to distinguish this from a "heathen nation". == The phrase does not hark back. The previous ideas religious or philosophical did not play a role. "Would not the antiquaries of succeeding centuries rightly reason from our past that we were a heathen nation?" - Would not people of the future think us heathens? Clearly they were looking forward not backwards as the argument claims. == Religious statements such as "In God We Trust" cannot be constitutionally allowed by the state. It need not be a religion, only religious. I do not trust in God, why should my money? -- You are wrong on both counts as to the understanding of the founding fathers. It need not be organized religion, just religious statements violate. "There is no God" is not statement of a specific religion, but it certainly is a religious statement and unconstitutional for the state to make. Regardless of the Declaration of Independence, our rights do not need to derive from a "higher force" or "Nature's God." You cannot violate the constitution to give it a "basis". It is unneeded, as well as false. The reasons behind the first amendment are to protect the people from the government. So that the government cannot press upon the people things they do not endorse, for example, "YOU TRUST IN GOD!" -- I don't, and the government has no right to contradict my religious position on the matter. The origin is roughly: 'You're a Christian, so you must understand we need to honor God. Add God to a coin. In the future then, people won't look back and think we are atheists.' -- Sorry, those intentions demolish your argument. They can't be specifically Christian AND be specifically deist. The word "God" need not respect a specific religion. It need be a religious statement, made by the government. I cannot, for religious reasons, support it. Saying "In God We Trust" on our coins, is just as unconstitutional as writing "There is No God" on coins. Christians understand it to be their God. That alone entangles state with religion. If you tried to take it off, you'd get strong objections... strong CHRISTIAN objections, on RELIGIOUS grounds. That violates the third prong of the Lemon test proving unconstitutionality. Thank you for the debate.