Share
Commentary

Federal Court Shuts Down Satanist's Attack on 'In God We Trust'

Share

As it turns out, this is one self-described Satanist who didn’t stand a chance.

A Chicago man’s court fight to have “In God We Trust” taken off United States currency suffered a satisfying defeat last week when a federal appeals court threw out the case.

And the court’s logic was unassailable.

In his lawsuit challenging the motto printed on all American coins and bills, Kenneth Mayle, a 36-year-old practitioner of “non-theistic Satanism,” argued the words reflected “religious views and laws” he disagrees with, according to the Chicago Tribune.

(It will surprise exactly nobody that Mayle also doesn’t like President Donald Trump.)

Trending:
Federal Judge Has Bad News for Hunter Biden, Says There's Zero Evidence His Charges Are Politically Motivated

“Right now, you have a lot of politicians that are reflecting their religious views and laws and pushing toward the Trump mentality, nationalism,” he told the Tribune.

“Someone has to present the other side. You just can’t protest in the streets. You have to put things in front of judges.”

Mayle lost his first round challenging the motto in federal court in December 2017, when Judge Amy St. Eve “cited a long-standing Supreme Court ruling that concluded a motto on currency isn’t something people display prominently and so it can’t be said they’re forced to publicly advertise views that clash with theirs,” according to The Associated Press.

In its ruling last week, the appeals court went a step further and ruled that the motto acknowledged the role of religion in the nation’s history.

Should "In God We Trust" be on all United States currency?

“The inclusion of the motto on currency is similar to other ways in which secular symbols give a nod to the nation’s religious heritage,” the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling stated, according to the Tribune.

For many Christians and other believers, of course, the motto is a good deal more than a historic relic of the country’s founding. It’s a proactive statement of belief that there is an omniscient deity who rules over the works of man and that the country puts its faith in that deity.

While First Amendment considerations might keep a federal judge or appeals court from citing religious beliefs as a reason for the motto, the important role of religion in the founding and evolution of United States is indisputable.

From the pilgrims who arrived long before the American Revolution to the Christian abolitionist movement that fomented the battles over slavery that led to the Civil War, religious beliefs have shaped the United States into the country that it is.

The court’s decision pulled out the usual liberals and cranks on social media, of course. There’s a reason Democrats are a viable political party in the United States.

Related:
'Ghostbusters' Star Perfectly Slaps Down Suggestions He Was Victim of Racism

But there was plenty of outright praise, too.

https://twitter.com/Kimberl26632667/status/1003973903205756929

There’s no denying that part of the greatness of the United States was the Founders’ determination to avoid the religious warfare that bloodied Europe for centuries by expressly keeping religious matters out of the government structure.

But there’s also no denying common sense, and the role of religion in the country’s history from before it even began.

The court got it right on this one. In the end, this Satanist didn’t have a prayer.

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
, , , , ,
Share
Joe has spent more than 30 years as a reporter, copy editor and metro desk editor in newsrooms in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Florida. He's been with Liftable Media since 2015.
Joe has spent more than 30 years as a reporter, copy editor and metro editor in newsrooms in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Florida. He's been with Liftable Media since 2015. Largely a product of Catholic schools, who discovered Ayn Rand in college, Joe is a lifelong newspaperman who learned enough about the trade to be skeptical of every word ever written. He was also lucky enough to have a job that didn't need a printing press to do it.
Birthplace
Philadelphia
Nationality
American




Conversation