Social issues return to fore with ‘In God We Trust’ resolution

[rug]

Posted at 06:10 PM ET, 10/31/2011
By Felicia Sonmez

Jobs and the national debt have dominated the action on Capitol Hill for much of the 112th Congress, but the House on Tuesday will make a brief detour from that agenda when it considers a measure “reaffirming ‘In God We Trust’ as the official motto of the United States.”

The measure, H.Con.Res. 13, was sponsored by Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.) and is expected to be one of several bills coming up for a vote Tuesday evening under fast-track rules.

“In 2006, on the 50th anniversary of its adoption, the Senate reaffirmed ‘In God We Trust’ as the official national motto of the United States,” Forbes said in a statement announcing the vote. “Tomorrow, the House of Representatives will have the same opportunity to reaffirm our national motto and directly confront a disturbing trend of inaccuracies and omissions, misunderstandings of church and state, rogue court challenges, and efforts to remove God from the public domain by unelected bureaucrats.”

The “In God We Trust” resolution marks the second time this month that the House will have voted on a measure related to social issues. Two weeks ago, the chamber approved the “Protect Life Act,” a measure that would prohibit federal funds from going toward health care plans that cover abortion services.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/2chambers/post/social-issues-return-to-fore-with-in-god-we-trust-resolution/2011/10/31/gIQAXQasZM_blog.html

Text of Resolution:

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112hconres13rh/pdf/BILLS-112hconres13rh.pdf

[xfundy]

1. Anything to keep from doing anything about the economy.

[AleksS]

2. That'll create jobs guys...

Nice to know they've got a laser-like focus on creating jobs and getting Americans back to work...yessir, a laser-like focus.

[NMMNG]

3. Meanwhile we're told not to worry about "In God We Trust" on money

and "under God" in the Pledge, because they're just generic phrases which in no way work to establish a particular religion. :eyes:

[elleng]

4. OMG!

Thanks goodness that every 2 years we have the opportunity to 'overthrow our government.' LETS DO IT!!!

[darkstar3]

5. It must be nice to know that red tape and parliamentary procedure can be avoided for pet issues.

[LeftishBrit]

6. E.Y. Harburg wrote in 'Rhymes for the Irreverent'

In '29 when the banks went bust,
Our coins still read, 'In God we trust'.

Could be updated to 'In 2008', I suppose.



In the UK, coins describe the Monarch as 'Fid. Def' (Defender of the Faith'), referring to a title inherited from Henry VIII, who was given that title by the Pope for his staunch defense of Catholicism. Ooooops. But the Monarchs have never bothered to reject the title, not the Pope to withdraw it.

[cleanhippie]

7. This is one of those opportunities for the alleged "majority" of christians that are not fundies...

to step up to the plate and oppose this nonsense.

We are told day after day, here in DU and IRL, that the conservative christians are nothing but a vocal minority and do not represent the mainstream views of christians in this country. If that is the case, NOW is the time to show that claim to be true.

But I won't hold my breath...

[dmallind]

8. Yes it would be nice to think US Christians have moved past the Red Menace phase

Since it was rampant paranoiac McCarthyism that inserted a Christian prayer into a secular pledge (written by a Baptist minister) and motto, in the 1950s - forever ity seems dividing the indivisible and making the unum pluribus once more.