TAKE ACTION! US Capitol Visitor Center and "under God" and "In God We Trust"

The Center for Inquiry sent out this action alert form letter today! Here's the message from CFI and below that is the letter that I cobbled together. Copy, edit and paste 'til your heart's content! TAKE ACTION!

House Concurrent Resolution 131 (H. Con. Res. 131) would direct the Architect of the Capitol to engrave the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag and the national motto of "In God We Trust" in the Capitol Visitor Center. The estimated cost to the taxpayer would be around $100,000. The overall project cost for the Visitors Center itself was $621 million. The duration of construction was approximately six years, from August 2002 through November 2008. Ask your representative: "Do we really need to spend another $100,000 to present a distorted image of America’s secular heritage?”

It was not until the 1950s that "under God" was added to the Pledge and "In God We Trust" replaced "E Pluribus Unum" (“out of many, one”) as the national motto. All Americans, including the non-religious, have a right and obligation to participate fully in our nation’s politics. Both phrases represent an unmistakable attempt to confuse religious belief with patriotism, and exclude the non-religious from public life.

Let your representative know we don't want our tax dollars wasted on unnecessary jingoism. Your member is home for the July 4th holiday. Send the email below or call their offices to tell them to say “No" to H.Con.Res. 131.



Although it is just in the US House of Representatives, I sent a letter to all of my state and federal government senators and representatives and to the POTUS.

Here's my sample letter for you to copy, edit and paste . . .

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Dear Representative/Senator/President,

I want to voice my opinion to all of my government representatives, although the issue at hand is presently only in the US House of Representatives.

Soon the House of Representative will be voting on House Concurrent Resolution 131 (H. Con. Res. 131) that directs the Architect of the Capitol to engrave the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag and the national motto of "In God We Trust" in the Capitol Visitor Center.

Stop confusing religious belief with patriotism!

We are all Americans!

Vote NO on House Concurrent Resolution 131 (H. Con. Res. 131) that directs the Architect of the Capitol to engrave the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag and the national motto of "In God We Trust" in the Capitol Visitor Center.

The Pledge of Allegiance and the original national motto, E Pluribus Unum ("out of many, one") were unnecessarily altered during the 1950s in an ill-conceived effort to make religious minorities feel like outsiders to the national community.

Stop confusing religious belief with patriotism!

We are all Americans!

Thank you,

XXXXXX XXXXXX

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Today I received this curious reply from Sen. John Cornyn in response to my email letter that I sent to him about the Capital Visitor Center . . .

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Dear Mr. XXXXXXXXXX:

Thank you for contacting me regarding exhibit content displayed in the Capitol Visitor Center. I appreciate having the benefit of your views on this matter.

As you may know, the Capitol Visitor Center now serves as an indoor tour and meeting area for the thousands of tourists, students, and visitors that arrive at the U.S. Capitol complex each day. The newly-constructed, underground building houses orientation theaters, gift shops, a cafeteria, and numerous historical exhibits that date from the establishment of the U.S. Congress. Additionally, you may be interested to learn I contacted the Architect of the Capitol after hearing concerns from Texans regarding the development and approval of exhibit content related to our nation's religious history. Below is the Architect of the Capitol's statement regarding this matter:

References to religion and faith are, in fact, included in the context of several historic exhibits and several religious items appear in the displays. Some examples include Article 3 of the Northwest Ordinance in its entirety; a copy of the Pledge of Allegiance and the prayer said at the opening of the current Congress; a copy of the Bible used to administer the oath of office to Senators until 1882; portraits of the first House and Senate chaplains; information about religious services regularly held in the Capitol in the 1800s, and an unaltered display of the U.S. Constitution highlighting the First Amendment which established our country's right to the freedom of religion.

As a strong supporter of personal freedoms, I do not believe it is the government's role to restrict the free exercise of religion, and I support congressional action protecting religious freedom. I appreciate having the opportunity to represent the interest of all Texans in the United States Senate. Thank you for contacting me.

Sincerely,

JOHN CORNYN
United States Senator

517 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Tel: (202) 224-2934
Fax: (202) 228-2856
http://www.cornyn.sen...

Please sign up for my monthly newsletter at http://www.cornyn.sen....

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You are trying to apply reason to a 'faith based' humanoid. And, complicating that, his constituency here in Texas tends to be very 'faith based' - so even if he weren't, that's where his loyalties would be.

Some intern stitched together the least offensive way they could tell you to "Thanks for contacting me, now FO".

Yeah, unfortunately, that's been my experience in sending letters to legislators. Their FO letters are so diplomatic, aren't they? One gets the distinct feeling that they no longer care (except for the ones who fund them the most). What do you bet that if the Atheist lobby was stronger (and better financed) than the religious right lobby that this religious annexation of our freedoms would not be tolerated. From what I've seen, most politicians are whores.

Politics is the 2nd oldest profession.