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> The concept of God abounds in our Pledge of Allegiance, in our graduation ceremonies, in our political speeches--it is almost universally accepted and above q

> The concept of God abounds in our Pledge of Allegiance, in our graduation ceremonies, in our political speeches--it is almost universally accepted and above question. You probably know this already, but Yahweh's prominence on the coinage and in the Pledge of Allegiance is a relatively recent phenomenon. It wasn't until 1908 that 'In God We Trust' was mandated on the coinage, and 'under God' wasn't inserted into the Pledge until 1954, as part of a wider anti-communist reaction. The supposed areligiosity of the Founders is often overstated by modern-day atheists with an axe to grind. However, while you'd be hard pressed to find a more pompous and puritanical Christian than the likes of John Adams, even he was strongly supportive of the separation of church and state: "Nothing is more dreaded than the national government meddling with religion."

excuse-me 14y ago
>"Nothing is more dreaded than the national government meddling with religion." Except perhaps religion meddling with the national government?
- psykotic 14y ago
  The specter still haunting many Americans in those days was the Anglican Church, a monarchical organ in a religious fascia. The aggressive meddling of the Roman Church in national affairs had largely abated and was a non-issue in the nascent United States. His emphasis must be understood in that context.
thetabyte 14y ago
Yeah, I did (about the 'under God' in the pledge to disassociate ourselves from communists, not about the 'In God We Trust' on coinage actually) thanks to my father really, but that's an excellent point to bring up. Especially when you consider that most people /do not/ know that, and would be shocked or disbelieving if you told it to them. As to the Founders, whether or not they were religious, the abuse of their legends has gotten old many times already. Many political factions (though the Tea Party are the worst culprits) have misinterpreted, misrepresented, and straight up lied (or worse, not actually known) about their history and beliefs, and used this confusion as a platform for their opinions. It's disgusting.

excuse-me 14y ago

>"Nothing is more dreaded than the national government meddling with religion." Except perhaps religion meddling with the national government?

psykotic 14y ago
The specter still haunting many Americans in those days was the Anglican Church, a monarchical organ in a religious fascia. The aggressive meddling of the Roman Church in national affairs had largely abated and was a non-issue in the nascent United States. His emphasis must be understood in that context.

thetabyte 14y ago

Yeah, I did (about the 'under God' in the pledge to disassociate ourselves from communists, not about the 'In God We Trust' on coinage actually) thanks to my father really, but that's an excellent point to bring up. Especially when you consider that most people /do not/ know that, and would be shocked or disbelieving if you told it to them. As to the Founders, whether or not they were religious, the abuse of their legends has gotten old many times already. Many political factions (though the Tea Party are the worst culprits) have misinterpreted, misrepresented, and straight up lied (or worse, not actually known) about their history and beliefs, and used this confusion as a platform for their opinions. It's disgusting.