Thursday, October 28, 2010 7:56:04 AM
CJ, I agree with you however I think you're incorrect on your assessment of "in god we trust."
It implies a trust in a god; the term "god," while often ascribed to the Judea/Christian concept of a god, is a neutral term. The phrase therefore simply implies in trusting a "higher being."
So it does not respect any religion particularly, making it bit of a loophole.
...I still think it should be removed but I also don`t think it violates the law.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010 2:05:17 PM
I think that if you relax, clear your mind and put it through a truth table, you'll find that it keeps each out the other.
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion" Means that the doctrine no particular religion may be favored. "...Or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..." means that the government may not outlaw any particular religion, either.
To make a federal law requiring Christian/Jewish creationism in school is a clear violation of the first part but, then, having "In God We Trust" on the federal currency is, also.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010 11:39:30 AM
CJ, you're dead wrong. The purpose of the establishment clause wasn`t to keep religion out of government; it was to keep government out of religion.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010 12:55:11 AM
I never said it was. The words were used in the letters between the founding fathers. It was pretty clear that they wanted nothing to do with a government based on religion.
I said the idea was in the first phrase of the first amendment. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;" It very clearly says not to make laws that incorporate religion into government and don't make laws that regulate what religions are permissible.