Let's remove "In God We Trust" from our currency

Another new year is upon us again. Unfortunately, it appears that 2009 will be a doosie of a year. The economy is almost sure to get worse before it gets any better. This means that unemployment and foreclosures will rise. That in turn will translate to hard times for millions of Americans who lose their jobs and homes. And it probably won’t be any better in many other parts of the world.

The reasons for our economic problems are quite obvious. Beneath the surface of years of economic prosperity in the recent past lay greed, false expectations, excessive debt, living well beyond means, lack of accountability, and massive fraud. This occurred on all levels, from corporations and large financial institutions, to the government, to ordinary consumers. The chickens finally came home to roost in 2008. As a result, events in 2009 and possibly even 2010 or longer will in essence function as the hangover for years of partying. The sad part is that some people who had little to do with all this excess will suffer, while some at the top who played key roles in what happened will get away with what they did and indeed will remain wealthy.

What is to be done about all this? The American government should start by striking “In God We Trust” from all new currency. It’s pretty clear that many Americans don’t trust in God, or at least not the God that Christians worship. From what has transpired recently, one might conclude that the God of many Americans is Mammon. Instead of “In God We Trust” our currency should feature the phrase “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” It’s not that money and wealth are evil per se. But the Bible is clear about the consequences of greed and of making money ones God. Recent experiences have only confirmed that. If Americans want to avoid another catastrophe such as the one we have on our hands now, they would do well to ponder this truth. It would be fitting if what is written on the very money they handle might cause them to do just that.