Date: 2011-11-01
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 13. rise today "Reaffirming In God We Trust as the official motto of the United States" which would support and encourage the public display of the national motto in all public buildings. public schools. and other government institutions. This motto reflects our nations rich history of religious freedom and tolerance. More than three hundred years ago. bound by their common faith and desire for tolerance and liberty. a small group of pilgrims journeyed to America. They sought a place where they could safely and freely worship according to their own beliefs. The tradition of religious freedom is one of the fundamental liberties upon which our nation was founded. The founding document of our nation. The Declaration of Independence. states that men are "endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life. liberty. and the pursuit of happiness." Reaffirming In God We Trust as the national motto does not violate these rights. instead. this is an acknowledgement of our nations unwavering commitment to religious freedom. The English word God does not exclusively refer to a Christian God or God from any one religion. There are names of God in a variety of religious traditions throughout the world. including Hinduism. Sikhism. Christianity. Islam. Judaism. indigenous African religions. and Native American religions. In all of these diverse faiths. names of God are invoked to address the Supreme Being or deity in liturgy and prayer. In fact. the word God is defined as referring to the Supreme Being. the creator and ruler of the universe. This definition does not imply that God is tied to a specific religion. but rather unique to individual faith traditions. We are a diverse nation. filled with people from around the world. people of varying backgrounds. races and religions. In Houston. where I represent the 18th Congressional District. 44 percent of the population is Hispanic. and 25 percent are African Americans. Houston is also home to the third largest Vietnamese community in the country. as well as the 5th largest Indonesian population. and a sizeable community of individuals from Nigeria. India. Bangladesh. Sri Lanka and Norway. Within these diverse cultural backgrounds. there are many different religions. faiths and customs. The 18th Congressional District recently made great progress in celebrating all of Houstons religions. On October 18. 2011. Houstons Institute of Interfaith Dialog broke ground for the Houston Interfaith Peace Garden. a multi religious center. The goal of the organization and the Peace Garden is the promotion of understanding among different faiths through shared experiences. As my constituents in the 18th Congressional District have shown. promoting understanding between religions strengthens communities. and unites Americans. For centuries. religion has been a comfort to people in tragedy. and way to celebrate in triumph. Reaffirming In God We Trust as the national motto is a reaffirmation of faith. a reaffirmation of a creator and Supreme Being. and uniting all religions under the comfort this brings. However. in no way should this legislation or my vote for H. Con. Res. 13 deny the superior constitutional standing of the 1st Amendment of the Bill of Rights in the Constitution guaranteeing freedom of religion in the United States of America.