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In God We Trust

It has always bothered me that we inscribe this phrase on our money when we do not act in a way commensurate with the words. Words not deeds is not an honorable way of life for either a person or a nation.

What would be different if we lived that phrase?

I'll speak from a Christian perspective not because it is the sole perspective but only out of my own ignorance of other perspectives. I will leave it to adherents of other faiths who are more qualified to so write.

Quotes are from the King James Version if only because I grew up loving the language.

Matthew 5:9---Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

This would seem to be a clear injunction to invest more into diplomacy than into conflict. It is not a call for unilateral disarmament---for how would we protect the weak of this world? 

On the other hand as of 2020 the ratio of military spending to international affairs was 714 billion to 60 billion dollars.  This is nothing resembling parity.

Matthew 5:21-24--- Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment. But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

We as a nation are enjoyed to turn away from anger. This makes sense to me. I have never known in my life a single angry person who has made a single thing better, helped someone hurting, healed the sick, freed a human soul. The angry people in my life have only hurt others in their anger, usually those closest.

And yet:  as a culture we champion anger. If fills our media. Trump preaches it and his followers embrace it.

I could go on. Perhaps I will when I have more time. But let me just reiterate my main thesis.

We should not put "In God We Trust" on our currency until such time as we act as a nation as if we really do. It is not a matter of what hypocrisy does to its witnesses; it is a matter of what it does to us.

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