FFRF accused the U.S. House of Representatives of “playing political football with religion” when it voted, 396-9, on Nov. 1, to reaffirm “In God We Trust” as the official motto of the United States, and to support and encourage “the public display of the national motto in all public buildings, public schools, and other government institutions.”
The bill was authored by Rep. J. Randy Forbes, co-chair of the Congressional Prayer Caucus, who had previously attacked President Barack Obama for invoking the nation’s first motto, “E Pluribus Unum” (“Out of Many, One”) in a speech last year in Indonesia.
In a statement, FFRF noted: “In fact, both are national mottos. ‘E Pluribus Unum,’ originally chosen by a distinguished committee of Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, appears on the Great Seal of the United States and is still on currency. The religious motto was unfortunately adopted following a religious lobbying campaign during the Red Scare in 1956. As FFRF always points out, ‘In God We Trust’ isn’t even accurate. In order for it to be accurate, it would have to say, ‘In God Some of Us Trust,’ and wouldn’t that be silly?”
The nine brave “naysayers” were:
Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-N.Y.;
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo.;
Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich.;
Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif.;
Rep. Mike Honda, D-Calif.;
Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga.;
Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va.;
Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif.; and
Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y.
FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor debated Rep. Dan Lungren, R-Calif., on national Fox TV over the issue. View the video at: ffrf.org/news/video/.To read more about this or sign up for FFRF Action Alerts, visit: ffrf.org/news/action/ or to receive FFRF in the News: ffrf.org/news/releases/
