Quote:
Originally posted by Bad_Rich_Chic
Not to mention the significant minority of people who not only disagree that our government derives authority from a Judeo-Christian (-Islamic) God, or from any god, but that there is any god. Or that any such god should, through the authority of the state, wield authority over the rest of us.
|
I think there are several things in play here. I do not agree that government derives authority from God. On the contrary, it derives it's authority from the people. But I also believe it is indisputable that this country was founded on a belief of god, and that recognition of that fact by the government does not trigger Establishment Clause concerns. So "in god we trust" and "one country under god" raises no 1st amendment issues. These instances, however, are quite different from the ten commandments case, in that the latter is based on beliefs held by particular religions rather than a general belief in god.
