In early 2008 a friend sent me a copy of an eRumor about the US Mint having left out the words “In God We Trust” from the new Presidential $1 coin, and asking people to refuse the new coin, when in fact, the new design had NOT left out the beloved motto, but placed it as an edge-incused inscription.
But the mere suggestion of boycotting the US Mint got me really angry at those loons with nothing better to do than to spread sectarian stupidity around.
Why should anyone refuse taking a perfectly well designed coin?
Why should anyone give a dime about religious content in coin design or lack thereof?
Why should anyone refuse a coin that in its design, it aligns perfectly with the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom? (penned by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in 1779 and signed into law in 1786)
In Section 1 of that document, Jefferson clearly states (among other things), that government involvement in religious matters tends to end in the restraint of freedom of religion.
I would submit that if we want to preserve the religious freedom enjoyed until now by everyone in this country, we should all be involved in supporting separation of church and state, and not the opposite.
Of all developed countries with NO official religion, the US is arguably the most religious! (At times hard to believe, but nonetheless statistically true). It stands to reason then, that over time, Mr. Jefferson’s idea has been proven right: separation of church and state = religious growth.
Why change something that has been proven true and right? The mere suggestion of only accepting coins that have a religious phrase on it, in my opinion is foolish and plainly idiotic.
Such a suggestion should be left to fundamentalist zealots, people blinded by religious dogmatism to the point of becoming oblivious to their own country’s history, always thriving on scare and doom-day tactics, always invoking unsubstantiated mythic authority, instead of valuing, appreciating, and honoring the truly revolutionary ideas purported by the framers of the constitution.
I feel I’ve been left no choice but to join Professor Christopher Hitchens spreading around his new motto:
Mr. Jefferson: Build Up That Wall!
The zeitgeist is changing. Indeed.
