The E-Sylum:  Volume 11, Number 3, January 20, 2008, Article 17

IN REASON WE TRUST

Before the holidays I set aside a five dollar bill I'd
received in change with a few red stamps on it.  I didn't
look closely at it until today.  The stamp says TRUSTREASON.COM.
I took the bait and visited the web site.  Atop the home page
is an image of the back of a dollar bill with the word "God"
in the motto "In God We Trust" blacked out and replaced with
the word REASON.  My five dollar bill has a similar marking,
although the word REASON on mine is an inkstamp rather than
being handwritten in ink. Has anyone else come across one
of these?  From the web site:

"So, what is this website about? Why so much effort just
because of the word God on paper currency? After all, the
money spends the same, right?

"That's not the issue. Yes, if it was only an innocuous
phrase on money, I wouldn't object to it. However, that
phrase represents a trend in the US of bigotry towards
those citizens who don't have any belief in gods. It is
even offensive to many that do. In short, there is about
14.1% of the population who "In God We Trust" does NOT
represent. That little phrase is far from innocuous. It
is divisive, and it is meant to be divisive.

"... Please join me in restoring the United States to a
country that accepts all of its citizens as equals. Modify
your bills in protest, replacing "God", which is divisive,
to "Reason", which is sorely needed in this country. If
you've found such a bill, comment here in the blog or by
e-mail. I look forward to hearing from you."

[The web site doesn't say who the "me" is, although one
page of the site quotes Paul Rasor, Director of the Center
for the Study of Religious Freedom at Virginia Wesleyan
College.  -Editor]

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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