Editor:
In his column, In God We Trust? Maybe We Need a New Motto, Gabriel claims “In God We Trust” replaced E Pluribus Unum as our national motto out of fear from communism amidst a cold war.
Factually, “IGWT” was used officially long before the 1956 Public Law 140. The motto was authorized by the Act of March 3, 1865 (13 Stat. 518) to be placed on certain coins followed by the Coinage Act of February 12 1873 (17 Stat. 427). The first mandatory requirement for the motto was in the Act of May 18th, 1908 (35 Stat. 164). Lest we forget the lyrics of the national anthem’s Star Spangled Banner written in 1814 by Scott Key,
“And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!”
John Locke, the Father of Liberalism who proselytized Natural Law, heavily influenced Thomas Jefferson when he wrote in the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
God given, unalienable rights apply to everyone regardless of their religious or non-religious beliefs. For the atheist, these rights are endowed by the supernatural and he or she will maintain the same rights as the believer. Otherwise, if our rights are not “endowed by our Creator” or the supernatural, then what is the alternative?
The counter position to Natural Law would lead man to create his own arbitrary morality and rights– right and wrong, just and unjust, good and bad. In other words, our rights become alienable and without a doubt result in tyranny.
The modern Democrat rejects Natural Law. If not, then why do we have a Democratic President who omits “Creator” while quoting the Declaration’s “that all men are created equal, that each of us are endowed with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”? Not once, but in two separate speeches.
More recently, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid omits “under God” when reciting the Pledge of Allegiance on the senate floor (April 12, 2011). As a devout Mormon and Obama, a self-proclaimed Christian, why would they make such egregious oversights?
The truth is because these omissions are intentional. These two extremely powerful individuals, along with many others holding public office today, do not believe rights are a condition of man’s existence but only exist to the extent they ratify them.
Mr. Spatuzzi is absolutely correct. The threat of foreign communism may no longer exist; rather, it is knocking on my front door.
