The founders of the United States were predominately "Christian" although of varying denominations.  The "establishment" clause had to do with establishing an official denomination, i.e. Anglican, Congregational, Presbyterian, Catholic, to name the predominant ones of the time.  (See Noah Webster's dictionary of the period.) They also recognized (for the most part) the need of freedom of religion for others than those of the Christian persuasion. 

In God We Trust as a motto came from the fourth stanza of "The Star Spangled Banner" written in 1814 and later adopted as the National Anthem.  As early as 1864 it appeared on some of our coinage and was required on all coins except for the penny and nickel in 1908.  Since 1938 it has appeared on all of our coinage.  In 1955 Congress enacted legislation requiring the motto to appear on all coins and currency.

In 1956 "In God We Trust" was adopted by Congress as the official motto of the United States.

There have been numerous lawsuits trying to remove the motto from our coinage and currency claiming it is an establishment of religion, but they have all been defeated.

Interestingly, Theodore Roosevelt objected to its usage on our coinage, not on Constitutional grounds, but because he thought it sacrilegious to use God's name on money.

In 2003 Gallup did an extensive poll on the use of the motto on our coins and currency.  a full 90% of the population supports using In God We Trust.

Various sources were used in the above, including Wikipedia.

Jerry

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Interesting. I never knew that.

We are supposed to twist ourselves in knots and storm the parapets over this thing. Why? It makes great copy, is handy for politicians, provides incredible incomes for a few fire-breathers, and sells a shitload books. It's great for sloppy journalism. It looks much more important than it is. Seriously!

It's  nothing new. Years ago, before our blessed cable TV news system, this kind of thing wound up never on page one but probably below the fold in local news sections or Sunday supplements. It was one of those things that you read, shook your head about.

It's such a waste of energy. It's something to pay some attention to, I guess but don't go nuts.

Charlie; who has no real problem with religious display unless it gets in the way of good vacation photography.

catlind wrote on Dec 21^st, 2010 at 6:23pm:


The 'Sharia is being imposed on the US' idea is bullshit. It's that simple. If someone breaks a law, they go to the government court. Islamic religious law has no more or less standing than Jewish law, or religious law from any Christian group... any of these might be used (at the court's discretion) to recognize a marriage or a will or certain contracts. But the idea that multiple wives is ok or that it will soon be ok for a US mosque to cut off hands for stealing is nonsense.  US law trumps religious law when there is a conflict.  If Jews and Muslims want to tell their believers not to eat pork, or if Muslims and Baptists want to tell their believers not to drink alcohol, who cares??