Inconvenient Native Americans
http://youtu.be/4ixhLRVHQFg
I realize that what I’m about to say will offend many religious people; but off the top of my head, I really can’t see why. I won’t be saying anything about religion. I won’t be claiming that their gods are false, or that teaching people to hate themselves is wrong, or anything like that. I think the religious will be offended by the following because I am claiming that atheists should be treated equally under the law. For some reason, they find that offensive. For some reason, I find that frightening.
Congress has, for the third time, reaffirmed that our nation’s motto is “In God We Trust.” We wouldn’t want to forget that, would we? A chance to remind 9 out of 10 voters that their elected officials are good God-Fearing Americans. And, incidentally, reminding the other 1 out of 10 that he isn’t an American at all. But hey, details, details! The important thing is reaching the majority, right?
Now, I grew up with In God We Trust, and in a manner of speaking, it’s true. We do Trust in God, at least the way most people mean it: “In God we trust, all others pay cash.” You can’t trust your elected officials, or the banks. The things you buy all just break. You can only really trust your closest friends, and only some of them are 100% reliable. Yes, we really don’t trust anybody or anything these days, but when all else fails, there’s always faith. Faith never fails because, what the heck, you didn’t expect it to work anyway, did you? There’s always a “mysterious” reason, but if he were here in person, you’d expect an explanation, wouldn’t you? You can trust in God because he’s not here to let you down personally.
But whatever. You trust in God, but do We?
“In God We Trust.” What does “We” stand for? Does it mean “Congress”? Does it mean “all humanity?” Hell, no. We’re talking about the US national motto here. We means Americans! Americans trust in God. When this motto was adopted, in the heart of the McCarthy era, we wanted to distance ourselves from the evil communists that were trying to destroy our nation. We chose this motto to draw a line between the God-Trusting Americans and the Godless Commies. And I’m sure this made perfect sense, in those fearful cold-war times.
In these fearful post-9/11 times, it still separates Us from Them, but it draws the line in a different way. Now it distances “We” the God-Trusting Americans from “Them” the other Non-God-Trusting Americans. What purpose does this serve? It divides us to no apparent useful purpose. This new motto is the opposite of our nation’s original motto and the antithesis of core American values. The old motto meant “From Many, One.” The new one means “Believe or Leave.”
But, that’s how many Christians seem to think these days: love God or leave. “Why don’t you go back where you came from?” (No! I don’t want to go back to Alabama!) And the motto echoes that: if Americans trust God, then unbelievers are not really Americans. Does this mean we should deport atheists? No, wait, deportation is what we do to illegal aliens. Atheists aren’t aliens, are they? Atheists are really illegal natives. And, what do we do to inconvenient, unwanted native Americans? That’s right! We put them on reservations. (Happy Thanksgiving, by the way.)
We all know how well things worked out for the last batch of native Americans. I think I’ll pass.
But the modern threat to America doesn’t come from Godless Athiests any more. Aside from being divisive, probably unconstitutional, and definitely unAmerican, our national motto is out of date. These days, the people who want to destroy America trust in God a whole lot more than we do, enough to fly planes into a building or blow themselves up. And yes, it’s the same God. According to our national motto, these terrorists are better citizens than I am.
Well, I disagree, and I think we need a new motto.
And yes, I am quite passionate about these things. I love my country. And I really, really resent being told that I am not a citizen. Any American would feel the same on being excluded to this degree.
How would a Christian feel if the national motto was “There is no god.” How would a Christian feel if Congress took time out of their schedule to reaffirm that this was the national motto? Would you feel angry? Disenfranchised? Would he feel passionate?
Any Christian who says he wouldn’t is a liar.
This year, Congress took a half hour out of their busy schedule of not-balancing the budget to personally reaffirm that they don’t think of me as a citizen. Before, it was just a cheesy old motto. Now it’s personal.
