A response of mine to a Mangino on KDKA question regarding a PA - TopicsExpress



          

A response of mine to a Mangino on KDKA question regarding a PA effort to post the In God We Trust Motto throughout the state government and public places. It is thought by most that a national motto should be something inclusive of the nation that says something about the nations character. For decades this countrys de facto Motto was E Pluribus Unum - Out of Many, One. It is bold, noble and defines the concept of inclusiveness as it proclaims All of US are One Nation All of us. This motto says we value our many different citizens as a strength and by our common beliefs in liberty and justice for all, we are one people. The religionists fought from the very first to continue the tyranny of religion in our government, like all of the old European countries had in theirs. But the U.S. was founded by the men of the age of enlightenment. (an intellectual and scientific movement of 18th century Europe which was characterized by a rational and scientific approach to religious, social, political, and economic issues) They refused to be pushed into allowing mysticisms into the new nations governance. Yet old traditions die hard, the forces of religion remained year after year, always trying at every opportunity to re-introduce their God into the determinations of the government of the United States and its individual states. In God We Trust - no matter what else can be said, this is not an inclusive motto. No matter how many people believe in your God, god, a god, gods...there are a large number who are uncertain and a large number who say there is no God. Inclusive says out of many, one, In God We trust speaks as if it were true of our entire nation, but in fact that is not true at all. So it is largely a divisive motto. As to the content of its character, it says no matter what, we are a people who put our trust in God. For many that means God will reciprocate and bless our endeavors. If you dont have such certainty in Gods benevolence or even a belief in a deity, your view of this trait of trusting a non-existent God cannot be positive. What In God We Trust has that makes it so popular is that it says loud and clear that God is on our side. Because we are a people that value and trust God; God will bless our endeavors and adventures, God will be at our side as our nation charts its course through the ages. I have no animosity towards the God of my fathers, but I do know that historically God was not written into our Constitution for what our forefathers thought were very good reasons. They knew that everyone believes their God(s) are the real God and if made a part of how the nation was governed it would lead to chaos and violence with the majority tyrannizing every minority opinion, after all, God was on their side! They knew that once such an acknowledgement of God became policy it would by nature lead to criminal legislation based upon the dogma of the dominant religious views, how can anyone argue against Gods Laws? I bring all this up to say that I really admired, liked and believed in the national motto of Out of Many, One. It resonated an ethic of equality of all, coupled with a truly American Can Do (anything!)
Posted on: Fri, 25 Oct 2013 03:17:58 +0000

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