No Wonder People Get Mad At Christians!
Did you ever have one of those epiphanies where once the light went on, you had a little more understanding and maybe compassion for someone you disagree with? I had one of those while reading Robert Jewett’s book, Mission and Menace. It is a fascinating journey through the history of the US and highlighting how religion, mainly Protestant Christianity, has shaped our country- and not always in a good way. It is easy to read the book and think, “Oh those nutty Puritans, how could they really believe they were the New Israel? Those silly Fundamentalists, how could they think the Scopes trial and their anti-intellectualism was a good idea?”
I was reading along until I hit something that made me stop and think. It is the fact that in the 1950’s “under God” was added to the Pledge of Allegiance and “In God We Trust” was added to our currency. In the 1950’s! I guess I had thought that these two insertions of “God” into our American Culture had been there from the beginning. I never questioned it. Jewett argues these phrases were added to symbols of our national identity as “Declarations of faith…viewed as forms of piety that would guarantee victory in the Cold War.” (p. 256) “Under God” and “In God We Trust” became “in your face” statements to the atheistic communist nation states the US was in conflict with. They were statements saying, “We believe in God and He is on our side.” 
Now that I know this, it is easier to understand why people protest these insertions of God into our American Culture. I used to think, “Oh just leave them alone; the phrases are a part of our tradition.” In actuality, they aren’t. I now understand where the parents who don’t want their kids to say “under God” in the Pledge are coming from. There is a bit of ridiculousness about it now. And if I am offended at someone not wanting to pay homage to my God reciting the Pledge of Allegiance or in the design of our money, what does that say about me? What do I think these elements really mean? Am I giving in to the myth of American Exceptionalism?
Is having God’s name on our currency a good thing anyway? I’ve heard in sermons that it is a reminder of who we should truly trust in rather than money, but part of me also feels it tarnishes the name of God. Isn’t there something in me that thinks that because God’s name is on the dollar, he’ll bless it? How Deutoronomic! How Puritanic! And I’m sure in 50 years or so somebody will be reading another book thinking, “Oh those crazy American Evangelicals, did they really think they were more chosen and blessed because they used God’s name on their money?”
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Evangelical Political Analysis 
December 9, 2008 at 5:28 pm
The ways that Americans have inserted an acknowledgment of God into everyday life is really interesting. It has become such commonplace that we often don’t even notice. Thanks for illuminating this.
I have a friend that teaches middle school math. His name is Colby. Every morning the class will say the pledge of allegiance, looking at the American flag, with their hands over their hearts. After about a year of doing this, Colby became really uncomfortable with the language in the pledge. He felt that if he is daily pledging allegiance to a nation, then that is preventing him from giving his full allegiance to Christ. A couldn’t agree with him more.
But, what’s more, is that he has a boy in his class who is a Muslim. He has never said the pledge and finally noticed that Colby had stopped saying it, so he asked him about it. Colby was able to explain it to this kid. How cool is that?
I think stirring a little discontent can provide great opportunity to point people away from American and to Christ. Well done!
December 10, 2008 at 6:19 pm
Good point. i never knew this! i imagine it must anger God that we do so much damage using his name. “Under God,” we say, as we pledge allegiance to our nation rather than to His kingdom. “I God we trust,” as we purchase gadget after gizmo, retail therapy to make us feel secure. “In God we trust,” as we spend billions of dollars on weapons and wars. it was quite a risky move to put God’s name on something that gets used to do so many things that are against his will. Dare i say it is a new form of taking the Lord’s name in vain?
perhaps the coins should be changed to read, “In this god we trust.” It might not be holy, but at least it would be more true.
December 12, 2008 at 1:14 am
fullerstudent,
Your last sentence is really provocative but rings true to me. How much does anyone in America–or has anyone in America–ever really trusted in God? If given the opportunity, I would definitely vote against the pledge of allegiance or coins bearing God’s name. To me, Christians shouldn’t be the ones trying to rescue the phrase–they should be the ones most opposed to it. It’s both funny and sad to see how we cling to things we think are true and good… but that really have no basis in truth or reality.
kellydd, thanks for bringing this to our attention and sharing it with the public–it really is a matter of awareness. We need more people that know the real story.
December 9, 2009 at 11:48 am
Wow enjoyed reading your article. I submitted your feed to my google reader!!