English Final
Honestly,
This is for Daniel Morgan
because i read all your stuff
and you should read my english essay
because i spent time on it
and it is controversial
and it'll give us something to talk about!
...oh yes, and you all are also welcome to read too. just know i'm being totally selfish and vain by posting it. So thanks in advance for anyone who indulges me in this.
ily
-tori
Defining the Gray Line
For Christians, a particular phrase located in Chapter1 of the Gospel of John holds special meaning. Reading, “In the beginning there was the word…” the phrase introduces the concept of the power of language as defined by the inherent power of one’s words. Writer William Zinsser, when talking about writers, addresses this issue by stating, “The writer may think “sanguine” and “sanguinary” mean the same thing, but the difference is a bloody big one.” (Zinsser 100) What Zinsser and the gospel writer have in common is the appreciation and understanding of the true power behind language; specifically, the process of selecting words to adhere to a particular agenda. If logically, one can agree on the power of word choice, they may also agree that this concept transcends to the power of word choice in American government, in particularly American currency. According to Ted Schwartz, American coins are, “works of art…slogans chosen to…express some of the cherished beliefs of the nation’s people.” (Schwartz 87) When it comes to the American currency, the phrase ‘In God We Trust’ has remained the center of a heated debate regarding weather or not the phrase is constitutionally sound or a representation of the “cherished beliefs” of the American people. With the hot topic of ‘separation of church and state’ so prevalent in today’s political debates, one must wonder if this piece of spiritual faith adheres to foundational American values and if it should or should not be federally supported. Study and discernment of the nation’s constitution, origins of minting and current religious trends suggest that the answer to the controversy regarding the inclusion of the phrase ‘In God We Trust’ on the nations currency is complex, but conclusive: that the phrase should be removed.
One initial idea to end the controversy is to go back to the most fundamental form of the American government system: it’s original constitution. In an essay released by Summit Ministries, a activist group for the Religious Right movement, state that, “many people now espouse the belief that American government was designed to include an “impenetrable wall” separating church and state. If this is true, than the Christian is violating the founding principles of our country when he or she calls for Christianity to be voiced in the public square.” (21) Therefore, one may infer that if America was founded as a Christian nation than the inclusion of the phrase, ‘In God We Trust’, is in fact constitutional and American; however, if America was not founded as a Christian nation, the reverse is true. So, the question to be addressed is, ‘Was America founded as a Christian nation?’
Proponents of the principal begin their argument by asserting that nowhere in the Constitution appears the new-age phrase, ‘separation of church and state’. The only actual piece of language that makes a reference to the church verses state issue is found in the First Amendment of the American Constitution which reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Summit Ministries agrees upon three points that this phrase was trying to make. The first is the most obvious; to prevent the establishment of a state church by giving federally supported preference to one sectarian ideology. The second intention is that the writing was crafted to protect an individual’s personal belief system from being infringed upon by the government. Lastly, they argue that the sentence allows States to work uninhibited with religious groups as seen fit by the State congress. Nowhere in these three points is the concept of disallowing a Christian God to be present in the federally supported projects mentioned. The ministry group contends that if this three tier interpretation be the case then, “America’s founding fathers expected our nation to be (on the whole) Christian, and our government to reflect that bias.” (22)
Scholars supporting the addition to the currency also are quick to point out that the early actions and decisions of the founding fathers support this interpretation. History tells us that one of the first actions approved by Congress was to press 20,000 bibles to give to the Indians and also that George Washington, a founding father and the first president, declared Thanksgiving Day a national public day of prayer and of course, thanksgiving. Clearly, it would seem that the founders of the America society were not so worried about separation of church and state in their day and age. This discovery (or rather study of American history) would prove that because America was founded as a Christian nation that the phrase “In God We Trust” is constitutional and should be allowed to remain on the back of all American currency.
While arguments supporting the Christian intentions of the Founding Fathers are strong and arguably well supported, the same reality exists for those who support the opposing philosophy. Mark Whitten, in his essay America Was Not Founded on Christian Principals, states that, “the Constitution is a ‘Godless document,’ a fact that was immediately evident to evangelical Christians of the constitutional era.” (25) He supports his claim by presenting the argument that the Constitutional Convention of 1787 included, “no evidences of prayers for divine guidance or approval” (26) and that in the famous Federalist Papers, a document written to persuade citizens to support the new federation, made “no appeal to religious authorities, rationales, or purposes.” (27) Writer Gary DeMars points out that seven of the founding fathers were practicing deists, a theology that claims that “God exists but is not involved in the world.” (1) With such a theology, one could imagine that American president and practicing deist, George Washington, would state in the Tripoli Treaty that “…the government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion.” (Miller 365) With such conflicting viewpoints, each which are substantially supported, it may appear as if the argument could not be settled merely by sifting through evidences latterly stated; however, further study into the history of the coin provides a more complete platform from which to draw a conclusion to the argument.
While The controversy regarding the Christian nature of America’s foundation can infinitely continue, a fact that is not ambiguous is the historical origins of American currency. The origins of recorded American currency took place in 1791 when the first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, issued a report to congress regarding the establishment of a national minting system. The dollar, quarter, dime and cent piece were all included in this original request. Congress passed his bill the following year with the Coinage Act of 1792. As a result, mints were established and the first American coins were created. These first coins contained images of Liberty, the Eagle and the Latin motto, “E Plurbus unum’, but nowhere to be found was the phrase, “In God We Trust.” The earliest evidence scholars have which makes an attempt to recognize the inclusion of a god on the currency is from a letter written by Rev. Mark Watkinson at the very start of the Civil War in which he told minter James Pollok to add the phrase to the currency because this act, “…would relieve us from the ignominy of heathenism. This would place us openly under the Divine protection we have personally claimed.” (Hall) Pollok and other minters met this request by minting coins with the motto. This tradition continued but was not officially approved by Congress until April of 1864, seventy-two years after the first American coins were minted. In 1907, current president Theodore Roosevelt began work to design new coins that would remove the word ‘God’ from the currency because he believed that the inclusion was sac-religious. Public outrage to this was so intense that in 1908 Congress passed an Act making it mandatory to place the phrase “In God We Trust” on all coins that had previously worn it. The one-cent piece and the dime were added through the years, leaving the nickel as the only coin without the inclusion of the motto. In an effort to unify all American coins, Congress passed an act in 1955 to include the nickel in the list of American coins containing the phrase ‘In God We Trust’.
After the passage of the 1955 act, all American coins were unified in their recognition of a creator; however, not a single piece of paper money shared in this. Due to built-up, anti-soviet tension during the height of the red scare, Congress passed a joint resolution in 1957 declaring “In God We Trust” as the official motto for all US currency. This resolution continues today as all printed currency display this motto “In God We Trust”.
When it comes to picking sides in the battle of the coins, the typical person must choose between the ‘Religious Right’ or the ‘Anti-Religious Right’. These two groups are the most actively vocal regarding their opinions on how the state should handle the issue of the currency problem.
The Religious Right represents the platform to keep ‘In God We Trust’ on the back of all American currency. The group has a long list of positive changes that they have fought for in America through the years. Working for the end of human slavery, proponents of the civil rights movement and advocates of women’s suffrage, the Religious Right is clearly an active force in American politics. The fundamentalist group vehemently believes in the necessary integration of religion and politics, believing that, “…the real problems of the world can only be solved with reference to Biblical Christian principles.” (Summit Ministries 21) At one time, pigeon holed as, “a carnival of backward buffoons jealous of modernity’s privileges.” (Sharlet 34) the Religious Right movement now accounts for the beliefs of over 40 million Americans , more than ten percent of the nation’s population. In other words, the Religious Right is a strong and mobile force working within America today.
Fighting on the other line are the supporters for foundational Americanism, the Anti-Religious Right. Suspicious of the Religious Right movement, they encourage the removal of the controversial phrase and join the ranks of supporters of Roe vs. Wade, the John Scopes Trial and the allowance of gay marriage. Vocal atheist, Sam Harris, writes, “More than half of the American population believes that the entire cosmos was created 6,000 years ago…incidentally, about a thousand years after the Sumerians invented glue...this is embarrassing.” (Harris 42) A common fear shared amongst these members is that the Religious Right will use its political and social influence to negatively infringe upon basic American freedoms. Also, members often find it difficult to be able to disagree with the Religious Right without appearing anti-Christian. “It is, of course, taboo to criticize a person’s religious beliefs…” comments Harris, “…the problem, however, is that much of what people believe in the name of religion is intrinsically divisive, unreasonable, and incompatible with genuine morality.” (Harris 42) Firm supporters of Thomas Jefferson’s ‘Wall of Separation’, members of the Anti-Religious Right only desire is to protect their rights and liberties for themselves now, and all future American citizens.
Historically, religion and faith has played a major role in the development of nations and empires, but not in America’s history. Founded by radical revolutionaries, the United States is a country that not only prides itself on its concepts of freedom and democracy but, demands that they be upheld. To include a religiously biased statement on any federally supported work contradicts the principles and ideals that the nation’s founding fathers risked their lives for. “In God We Trust” displays a clear bias of our nation as it recognizes and submits to the will of a Judaeo-Christian God. What must be understood is that this issue is not an issue of faith, but an issue of democratic principle. To continue to mint currency with the slogan, “In God We Trust” is to continue to send a message to all foreigners and domestics alike that the United States of America embraces a vulnerability to a God, who’s faith in is not shared by all Americans. For the sake of the reputation of a nation whose most cherished mission was to create a country free from religious oppression, we must recognize that we stand here today as hypocrites. As we continue to allow the dollars to be pressed, we are quietly distancing ourselves from real American principles and we are allowing room for a new national idealology: separatism. Therefore, it is beyond any shadow of a doubt that, it is in the best interest of the nation if the country were to negate the slogan from its currency and attempt to focus once again on remaining true to real American values.
Bibliography
Adams, Kathleen, Jeremy Caplan, Kristina Dell, and Coco Masters. "America By
the Numbers." TIME October 30, 2006: 50-51.
Boston, Robert. Why the Religious Right is Wrong About Separation of
Church and State. New York: Prometheus Books, 1993.
DeMar, Gary. "Deism and the Founding Fathers of America." Biblical Worldview. June 2005 1-8. December 1, 2006 .
Hall, Randy. "'In God We Trust:' Our Money's Message for 141 Years." Politics.
November 16, 2005. CNS News.com. 6 Dec 2006 .
Harris, Sam. "The Case Against Faith." NewsWeek November 13, 2006: 42-43.
Massey, J. Earl. America’s Money, The Story of Our Coins and Currency. New
York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1968
Opposing Viewpoints. Religion in America. San Diego: Greenhaven Press,
Inc., 2002
Schwarz, Ted. A History of the United States Coinage. San Diego: A.S.
Barnes&Company, Inc., 1980
Sharlet, Jeff. "Through a Glass, Darkly: How the Christian right is reimagning US
history." Harper's Magazine December 2006: 33-43.
Zinsser, William. “Simplicity.” Language Awareness. Eds. Eschholz, Paul,
Alfred Rosa, Virginia Clark. New York: Bedford/St. Martins, 2005. 100
420 Treaties and Other International Acts of the United States, ed. Hunter Miller, Vol. 2, U. S. Government Printing Office, 1931, p. 365
This is for Daniel Morgan
because i read all your stuff
and you should read my english essay
because i spent time on it
and it is controversial
and it'll give us something to talk about!
...oh yes, and you all are also welcome to read too. just know i'm being totally selfish and vain by posting it. So thanks in advance for anyone who indulges me in this.
ily
-tori
Defining the Gray Line
For Christians, a particular phrase located in Chapter1 of the Gospel of John holds special meaning. Reading, “In the beginning there was the word…” the phrase introduces the concept of the power of language as defined by the inherent power of one’s words. Writer William Zinsser, when talking about writers, addresses this issue by stating, “The writer may think “sanguine” and “sanguinary” mean the same thing, but the difference is a bloody big one.” (Zinsser 100) What Zinsser and the gospel writer have in common is the appreciation and understanding of the true power behind language; specifically, the process of selecting words to adhere to a particular agenda. If logically, one can agree on the power of word choice, they may also agree that this concept transcends to the power of word choice in American government, in particularly American currency. According to Ted Schwartz, American coins are, “works of art…slogans chosen to…express some of the cherished beliefs of the nation’s people.” (Schwartz 87) When it comes to the American currency, the phrase ‘In God We Trust’ has remained the center of a heated debate regarding weather or not the phrase is constitutionally sound or a representation of the “cherished beliefs” of the American people. With the hot topic of ‘separation of church and state’ so prevalent in today’s political debates, one must wonder if this piece of spiritual faith adheres to foundational American values and if it should or should not be federally supported. Study and discernment of the nation’s constitution, origins of minting and current religious trends suggest that the answer to the controversy regarding the inclusion of the phrase ‘In God We Trust’ on the nations currency is complex, but conclusive: that the phrase should be removed.
One initial idea to end the controversy is to go back to the most fundamental form of the American government system: it’s original constitution. In an essay released by Summit Ministries, a activist group for the Religious Right movement, state that, “many people now espouse the belief that American government was designed to include an “impenetrable wall” separating church and state. If this is true, than the Christian is violating the founding principles of our country when he or she calls for Christianity to be voiced in the public square.” (21) Therefore, one may infer that if America was founded as a Christian nation than the inclusion of the phrase, ‘In God We Trust’, is in fact constitutional and American; however, if America was not founded as a Christian nation, the reverse is true. So, the question to be addressed is, ‘Was America founded as a Christian nation?’
Proponents of the principal begin their argument by asserting that nowhere in the Constitution appears the new-age phrase, ‘separation of church and state’. The only actual piece of language that makes a reference to the church verses state issue is found in the First Amendment of the American Constitution which reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Summit Ministries agrees upon three points that this phrase was trying to make. The first is the most obvious; to prevent the establishment of a state church by giving federally supported preference to one sectarian ideology. The second intention is that the writing was crafted to protect an individual’s personal belief system from being infringed upon by the government. Lastly, they argue that the sentence allows States to work uninhibited with religious groups as seen fit by the State congress. Nowhere in these three points is the concept of disallowing a Christian God to be present in the federally supported projects mentioned. The ministry group contends that if this three tier interpretation be the case then, “America’s founding fathers expected our nation to be (on the whole) Christian, and our government to reflect that bias.” (22)
Scholars supporting the addition to the currency also are quick to point out that the early actions and decisions of the founding fathers support this interpretation. History tells us that one of the first actions approved by Congress was to press 20,000 bibles to give to the Indians and also that George Washington, a founding father and the first president, declared Thanksgiving Day a national public day of prayer and of course, thanksgiving. Clearly, it would seem that the founders of the America society were not so worried about separation of church and state in their day and age. This discovery (or rather study of American history) would prove that because America was founded as a Christian nation that the phrase “In God We Trust” is constitutional and should be allowed to remain on the back of all American currency.
While arguments supporting the Christian intentions of the Founding Fathers are strong and arguably well supported, the same reality exists for those who support the opposing philosophy. Mark Whitten, in his essay America Was Not Founded on Christian Principals, states that, “the Constitution is a ‘Godless document,’ a fact that was immediately evident to evangelical Christians of the constitutional era.” (25) He supports his claim by presenting the argument that the Constitutional Convention of 1787 included, “no evidences of prayers for divine guidance or approval” (26) and that in the famous Federalist Papers, a document written to persuade citizens to support the new federation, made “no appeal to religious authorities, rationales, or purposes.” (27) Writer Gary DeMars points out that seven of the founding fathers were practicing deists, a theology that claims that “God exists but is not involved in the world.” (1) With such a theology, one could imagine that American president and practicing deist, George Washington, would state in the Tripoli Treaty that “…the government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion.” (Miller 365) With such conflicting viewpoints, each which are substantially supported, it may appear as if the argument could not be settled merely by sifting through evidences latterly stated; however, further study into the history of the coin provides a more complete platform from which to draw a conclusion to the argument.
While The controversy regarding the Christian nature of America’s foundation can infinitely continue, a fact that is not ambiguous is the historical origins of American currency. The origins of recorded American currency took place in 1791 when the first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, issued a report to congress regarding the establishment of a national minting system. The dollar, quarter, dime and cent piece were all included in this original request. Congress passed his bill the following year with the Coinage Act of 1792. As a result, mints were established and the first American coins were created. These first coins contained images of Liberty, the Eagle and the Latin motto, “E Plurbus unum’, but nowhere to be found was the phrase, “In God We Trust.” The earliest evidence scholars have which makes an attempt to recognize the inclusion of a god on the currency is from a letter written by Rev. Mark Watkinson at the very start of the Civil War in which he told minter James Pollok to add the phrase to the currency because this act, “…would relieve us from the ignominy of heathenism. This would place us openly under the Divine protection we have personally claimed.” (Hall) Pollok and other minters met this request by minting coins with the motto. This tradition continued but was not officially approved by Congress until April of 1864, seventy-two years after the first American coins were minted. In 1907, current president Theodore Roosevelt began work to design new coins that would remove the word ‘God’ from the currency because he believed that the inclusion was sac-religious. Public outrage to this was so intense that in 1908 Congress passed an Act making it mandatory to place the phrase “In God We Trust” on all coins that had previously worn it. The one-cent piece and the dime were added through the years, leaving the nickel as the only coin without the inclusion of the motto. In an effort to unify all American coins, Congress passed an act in 1955 to include the nickel in the list of American coins containing the phrase ‘In God We Trust’.
After the passage of the 1955 act, all American coins were unified in their recognition of a creator; however, not a single piece of paper money shared in this. Due to built-up, anti-soviet tension during the height of the red scare, Congress passed a joint resolution in 1957 declaring “In God We Trust” as the official motto for all US currency. This resolution continues today as all printed currency display this motto “In God We Trust”.
When it comes to picking sides in the battle of the coins, the typical person must choose between the ‘Religious Right’ or the ‘Anti-Religious Right’. These two groups are the most actively vocal regarding their opinions on how the state should handle the issue of the currency problem.
The Religious Right represents the platform to keep ‘In God We Trust’ on the back of all American currency. The group has a long list of positive changes that they have fought for in America through the years. Working for the end of human slavery, proponents of the civil rights movement and advocates of women’s suffrage, the Religious Right is clearly an active force in American politics. The fundamentalist group vehemently believes in the necessary integration of religion and politics, believing that, “…the real problems of the world can only be solved with reference to Biblical Christian principles.” (Summit Ministries 21) At one time, pigeon holed as, “a carnival of backward buffoons jealous of modernity’s privileges.” (Sharlet 34) the Religious Right movement now accounts for the beliefs of over 40 million Americans , more than ten percent of the nation’s population. In other words, the Religious Right is a strong and mobile force working within America today.
Fighting on the other line are the supporters for foundational Americanism, the Anti-Religious Right. Suspicious of the Religious Right movement, they encourage the removal of the controversial phrase and join the ranks of supporters of Roe vs. Wade, the John Scopes Trial and the allowance of gay marriage. Vocal atheist, Sam Harris, writes, “More than half of the American population believes that the entire cosmos was created 6,000 years ago…incidentally, about a thousand years after the Sumerians invented glue...this is embarrassing.” (Harris 42) A common fear shared amongst these members is that the Religious Right will use its political and social influence to negatively infringe upon basic American freedoms. Also, members often find it difficult to be able to disagree with the Religious Right without appearing anti-Christian. “It is, of course, taboo to criticize a person’s religious beliefs…” comments Harris, “…the problem, however, is that much of what people believe in the name of religion is intrinsically divisive, unreasonable, and incompatible with genuine morality.” (Harris 42) Firm supporters of Thomas Jefferson’s ‘Wall of Separation’, members of the Anti-Religious Right only desire is to protect their rights and liberties for themselves now, and all future American citizens.
Historically, religion and faith has played a major role in the development of nations and empires, but not in America’s history. Founded by radical revolutionaries, the United States is a country that not only prides itself on its concepts of freedom and democracy but, demands that they be upheld. To include a religiously biased statement on any federally supported work contradicts the principles and ideals that the nation’s founding fathers risked their lives for. “In God We Trust” displays a clear bias of our nation as it recognizes and submits to the will of a Judaeo-Christian God. What must be understood is that this issue is not an issue of faith, but an issue of democratic principle. To continue to mint currency with the slogan, “In God We Trust” is to continue to send a message to all foreigners and domestics alike that the United States of America embraces a vulnerability to a God, who’s faith in is not shared by all Americans. For the sake of the reputation of a nation whose most cherished mission was to create a country free from religious oppression, we must recognize that we stand here today as hypocrites. As we continue to allow the dollars to be pressed, we are quietly distancing ourselves from real American principles and we are allowing room for a new national idealology: separatism. Therefore, it is beyond any shadow of a doubt that, it is in the best interest of the nation if the country were to negate the slogan from its currency and attempt to focus once again on remaining true to real American values.
Bibliography
Adams, Kathleen, Jeremy Caplan, Kristina Dell, and Coco Masters. "America By
the Numbers." TIME October 30, 2006: 50-51.
Boston, Robert. Why the Religious Right is Wrong About Separation of
Church and State. New York: Prometheus Books, 1993.
DeMar, Gary. "Deism and the Founding Fathers of America." Biblical Worldview. June 2005 1-8. December 1, 2006 .
Hall, Randy. "'In God We Trust:' Our Money's Message for 141 Years." Politics.
November 16, 2005. CNS News.com. 6 Dec 2006 .
Harris, Sam. "The Case Against Faith." NewsWeek November 13, 2006: 42-43.
Massey, J. Earl. America’s Money, The Story of Our Coins and Currency. New
York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1968
Opposing Viewpoints. Religion in America. San Diego: Greenhaven Press,
Inc., 2002
Schwarz, Ted. A History of the United States Coinage. San Diego: A.S.
Barnes&Company, Inc., 1980
Sharlet, Jeff. "Through a Glass, Darkly: How the Christian right is reimagning US
history." Harper's Magazine December 2006: 33-43.
Zinsser, William. “Simplicity.” Language Awareness. Eds. Eschholz, Paul,
Alfred Rosa, Virginia Clark. New York: Bedford/St. Martins, 2005. 100
420 Treaties and Other International Acts of the United States, ed. Hunter Miller, Vol. 2, U. S. Government Printing Office, 1931, p. 365