We have previously discussed how leaders in both the United States and Europe have focused on atheists and secularists as one of the greatest threats facing the free world. Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) seemed to take this to a new level in arguing this week that if the nation did not reaffirm “In God We Trust” as our national motto, we are inviting anarchy and accepting that we are nothing but “worm food.”
Of course, the motto has only been embraced since 1956 and we seemed to do pretty well through the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Moreover, not having a motto based on the recognition of faith does not mean that we are a country of faithless citizens. Indeed, there are plenty deeply religious secularists.
However, Franks went to the floor to say “Is God God? Or is man God? In God do we trust, or in man do we trust?” Otherwise, he warned “we should just let anarchy prevail because, after all, we are just worm food. So indeed we have the time to reaffirm that God is God and in God do we trust.”
Of course, no one was asking to rescind the motto, but the legislative debate is part of the increasing faith-based politics that remains the rage this year.
Source: Washington Post
AssociatedPress
Carol Levy re: Walmart. exactly. Also i Walmart moves to a small town it kills much of the small merchant business so that welds employees to them even more tightly. One of the small townships in my area (St. Louis) that was coming back from many years of depressed jobs and income by attracting and home-growing small neighborhood business’ and stable housing refused to let a Walmart build there a year or so ago. The business’ nor the citizens wanted it – it would in short order destroy what they had all worked so hard to re-build.
The Mayor and some of the pols did want it and wanted to give heavy tax breaks and other benefits to get them to build a store, which was ridiculous, Walmart wanted to build there, they needed no incentives. Walmart won’t give up though, they’re petitioning for their build request which would require re-zoning be again taken up by the Zoning Commission. Maybe the citizens can win this round too, fingers crossed.