Recently, I had the privilege of attending the National Religious Broadcasters Convention, along with about six-thousand other people, in Orlando. The NRB had some unusual guests in a spirited panel debate moderated by Janet Parshall that included atheist Michael Newdow and Rev. Barry Lynn of the Americans United for Separation of Church and State. The name of Lynn's organization is really one of those "enigmas, cloaked in a mystery" as it appears the organization is really more about getting rid of any religious custom or reference in public life.I felt sad for atheist, Michael Newdow, who was very bright and not unlikable, but too narrowly focused on his intention of removing "Under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance. It was ironic as well since he is supposedly ordained by some anti-religion religious group. Atheism is after all a religion as it takes a lot more faith to believe in the stuff they believe in than have belief in the one true God.
Two Christian lawyers were present, Jay Sekulow and Mat Staver. I really enjoyed seeing Sekulow in action. He argued very convincingly that public expressions of faith, like the words "In God We Trust" on our currency were constitutional and a part of America's heritage. One of his most persuasive comments were that our Judiciary, our Courts, are to rule on whether or not something is constitutional, period. Those things that are good for the nation (or bad for the nation) are left up to our laws and to Congress.
Interestingly, it was an Act of Congress in 1837, that prescribed that either OUR COUNTRY; OUR GOD or GOD, OUR TRUST should appear as a motto on coins. A few years later in 1864, legislation changed the wording and IN GOD WE TRUST first appeared on the 1864 two-cent coin.
The year 1864 was an extremely difficult year. It was the year that President Abraham Lincoln would be re-elected by a slim margin during a very divisive and horrific war. The tall man from Illinois probably best understood the motto, "In God We Trust" but would not live to see the reconstruction of the North and the South as "One Nation Under God". Fortunately, neither Barry Lynn nor Michael Newdow, nor people like them prevailed to remove all mention of God from the public record or Lincoln wouldn't have been able to use these words in his Second Inaugural:
"With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan--to do all which may achieve and cherish a just, and a lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations."
