The Supreme Court has declared that the motto, like the phrase "under God" in the pledge of allegiance, has "no significant religious content" which makes the motto a blasphemous expression that violates the commandment to not take the name of God in vain.
Kaylor correctly points out how support for such symbols of civil religion contradict the gospel:
Many Christians point to the motto as proof of the U.S. being a "Christian nation." Yet, such a sentiment stands in direct opposition to evangelical Christian theology. Trust in God and being a Christian ultimately resides at the individual level. Thus, how can we as a collective nation be a Christian or trust in God unless each individual therein is or does?
Instead of a personal salvation, this slogan helps create a nationalistic salvation where one is godly simply because one is an American. Without true faith or trust and without actions to support the words, the slogan is ultimately meaningless. God is not going to look at the coins in our pockets to see how we should be judged, but in our hearts. Perhaps, then, we should spend less time honoring and fighting for the wording on our coins and instead attempt to give to God that which is His.
America may have its godly-sounding slogan, but it also has numerous people who desperately need much more than that. Maybe we should start ministering to the least of these, instead of worrying about the phraseology on our coins. Maybe we should start leading people to actually trust in God, instead of spending our time and money trying to "save" the national slogan.
Otherwise we are left with nothing except a false gospel that has been nickeled and dimed to death.
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