Godless Money

"In God We Trust" was put on all paper currency by an Act of Congress in 1955; the phrase was declared the national motto by an Act of Congress in 1956 and first appeared on paper currency in 1957.

The mid-to-late 1950s were a time of overt racism, religious discrimination, and political oppression in the United States. McCarthyism was at its feverous peak. The "red scare" had Congress and President Eisenhower acting in paranoid fits of illegal and unconstitutional activity. The FBI, under the militant J. Edgar Hoover, engaged in illegal spying campaigns against Americans.

During this period, the federal government acted more like an authoritarian dictatorship than a constitutional democracy. The government violated civil rights with impunity.

Adding "In God We Trust" to the US currency was an act of religious and political propaganda, allegedly to counter the threat of "godless communism."



For more than 10 years, I have spent only Godless dollars. Using a red pen or stamp, I mark a circle and slash over the word "God" (as pictured above) on every bill that passes my way. When I make a withdrawal from the bank ATM, I immediately "de-God" each of the crisp new $20s. When I spend the $20s, and receive $1s, $5s, or $10s in change, I "de-God" each bill before passing it along. No merchant or business has ever refused to accept this "godless" money.




Read more at http://www.lava.net/~hcssc/godlessmoney.html