In God We Trust...

In God We Trust. Should this and other religious references be removed from public places? The role of faith in the culture of the United States is a worthy topic and should be discussed openly and deeply. Unfortunately, the dialog I've been hearing isn't about any of that. It's not even about whether God is even relevant in the modern world. It's just another version of the tired old argument about whose interpretation of God's impact (or lack thereof) on daily life should be memorialized.

It's a religious war masquerading as political discourse, Social Correctness masquerading as The Greater Good. Here's the problem: like it or not, our forefathers all agreed that a higher power was at work in the universe. They also agreed that it would be destructive to the common good to allow any one of the many ways of acknowledging that power to make laws affecting people who embrace the other ways of acknowledgement. The belief that God was at work guiding the hands and hearts of our founding fathers and the recognition that there are many conflicting ways of acknowledging that belief are historical facts, and regardless of whether more recent developments in science or theology have altered peoples' understanding, those beliefs are part and parcel of our culture. I don't know anyone who thinks the face of Zeus should be removed from Greek coins just because he's been replaced by some entity with a Christian name. "In God We Trust" isn't a directive to modern man, it is an expression of part of the belief structure that is our history.

The United States of America came into being during a time where Christianity was rampant in the Western world and belief in a higher power was universal. To remove expressions of that belief from our historical institutions is a crime against honesty. But to try and force one way of acknowledging whatever faith a person may embrace by neutralizing all of them is a bigger crime because it seeks to erase rather than embrace the diversity we all talk loud and long about desiring. How diverse is a culture that can't embrace its own history, let alone its friends and neighbors' right to whatever expression of faith (or lack thereof) they choose?

Diversity is hard. It requires much attention and tolerance from everyone, not just those outside the status quo, and gold is where you find it. Here's one of the principles I learned back when I was a Boy Scout (another much-maligned organization):

A Scout is Friendly.
A Scout is a friend to all. He is a brother to other Scouts. He offers his friendship to people of all races and nations, and respects them even if their beliefs and customs are different from his own.

We don't need God carved on everything and we don't need God to be removed from anything. We just need to start being FRIENDLY again.

OK. I'm Done.

Peace,
Robert