Thread:CreddieCupcake/@comment-4542190-20120603190849/@comment-4196911-20120606150402

'In my first first comment, I said about I really appreciate the American people for this (confessing and defending their faith). '

You need to differentiate betwen private citizens and the authority of the government - which is a distinction that I care about.

"In God We Trust" on the money isn't "the people confessing their faith". The American people (in general) have always "confessed their faith" whether the money had God's name on it or not. "In God We Trust" on the money is the government officially promoting God-belief, which isn't their job. Your religion is a matter of your conscience as a citizen, and your beliefs are most protected when the government doesn't take an official position on the matter. it's abasic right, and when the government officially takes sides - even in a small way - it's not good.

From your first reply, what I understood was that you were saying, "this happened just for political play and manuevering, it has no purpose whatsoever (possibly doesn't truly express the American people either?)"

Since it clearly doesn't force anything, I don't see any violation of each individual's free will.

I'm sorry, but you don't seem to appreciate the American system and how it works. School prayer was outlawed because it was coercive and created a climate where goverment authorities (paid for by tax dollars) were promoting and leading prayer - telling people they should pray, and anyone who didn't participate was seen as an outsider who was less moral and less American than the kids who participated. Whether I pray or don't pray is none of the government's business, either way. This was correctly outlawed 50 years ago.

It's not the job of the goverment to tell or encourage people to pray, or that they should pray. It's rightfully illegal. If children want to pray in school, they can legally do so right now without any help from school authorities - which is how it should be. One is private, voluntary and legal. The other is public, coercive, government-sponsored and illegal.

It's the same reason I don't want the goverment promoting God on the money.

The government can't just do or say whatever they want (or enact any law they want) just because the majority of the population wants it. You don't seem to appreciate this. It doesn't and shouldn't work that way.

"If the majority wants it, the government can do it" seems to be your position. I don't have an opinion about what happens in Greece, but that isn't how it works here.

'In a few words, Americans truly and honestly trust in God. '

Most people do. Private citizens and private churches using their rights of free speech. Which is fine. But not all. I don't, but I have to use govenment-issued money just like everyone else. There shouldn't be a pro-God message on official government documents. "The majority wanted it" isn't a good enough reason.

The goverment is paid for by everyone, which is why it has distinct rules and limits to what it can and can't do. Private citizens can do a lot of things that the government isn't allowed to do. By design.

'So, I don't see what's wrong with my original comment (to Cupcake) and why should we drag this on. '

If you don't want to drag anything on, you can stop when ever you want.