Quote:This week, Sheriff Doug Reader proudly announced that all law enforcement vehicles in Stone County, MO (just outside of Branson) would be adorned with the department’s new motto. Was it, “To Protect and to Serve“? Nah… Was it the nation’s original, simple, and unifying national motto, “E Pluribus Unum” – “out of many, one“? Nope.

Instead, in 2015, the publicly elected Sheriff of Y’allqaeda took it upon himself to follow an example set by past theocrats, Eisenhower and Truman – to disregard the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution in order to endorse and promote his particular religion by adorning the back of every gun-toting law enforcement vehicle in the county with “In God We Trust” – making it that much easier to remind non-Christian citizens to, “Respect my God-given authority or I will taser your heathen a**!”



I think it’s important to point out that Reader refers to “In God We Trust” as “our National Motto” – but, who is the “our” in that sentence? According to the latest enormous Pew Research study on religion in the United States, 29.4% of the country is now willing to label themselves as “unaffiliated” with any religion. That’s almost 1/3rd of the population that doesn’t believe in any gods, let alone the one now referred to on the back of police vehicles. Simply put, that’s 16 of the department’s own staff pictured above that would statistically not share the views of their boss. (Of course, that would only be true if a sheriff who is willing to put religious mottos on taxpayer-owned vehicles could actually be an “equal opportunity” employer.)

On the other hand, at least they are being blatantly transparent about their bias against almost 1/3rd of the population. A bias important enough to proudly display on every car in the department. Of course, atheists, Hindus, Scientologists, Muslims, and Buddhists should all know they will be treated equally under the law in Stone County, MO, right? (Come on…)


Gott Mit Uns: Because, when God is on your side, ANYTHING is possible.

My immediate response to the sheriff’s post was to recall how other leaders of armed patrols used strikingly similar messages of theocratic grandstanding when overstepping their authority in clutches for power and control – from Nazis (yes, Nazis) to ISIS (yes, ISIS).

Of course, a lot has changed since the phrase became “our [opportunistic and outdated] national motto” in 1956…
“I am the most intensely religious man I know,” said Dwight Eisenhower. “A democracy cannot exist without a religious base.”

This, of course, coming from a born-again Christian who would become President of the United States and almost unilaterally change the national motto from the beautifully unifying, E Pluribus Unum (“out of many, one”) to the religiously motivated and divisive In God We Trust amid a propaganda campaign against the “godless commies” during the Red Scare. The brand new motto was being added to our money about the same time the phrase “under God” was forced into the Pledge of Allegiance. Of course, this all happened only two years after President Truman (a recent born-again Christian) proved his own allegiance to his religion by proclaiming (by federal law 36 U.S.C. § 119) the National Day of Prayer (along with another law (100-307) that would require all future presidents to do the same).

Make no mistake, these remain the very telltale signs of theocratic meddling that our founding fathers fought so hard to escape (from the Church of England) and avoid through the careful construction of the Constitution:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” – The Establishment Clause (found within the First Amendment to the United States Constitution)

So… what does this small town sheriff have in common with these two American presidents? They all overstepped the intent and spirit of the establishment clause in order to promote their own religious beliefs from their publicly elected office. In doing so, they have grossly disrespected the unity prescribed under the country’s original motto, “Out of many, one” – instead, ushering in and welcoming division among local citizens. Don’t believe me? Just read the comment threads on the Sheriff’s post.

The Sheriff re-ignited a religious battle among otherwise unified and peaceful citizens. Period.



So… job well done, Sheriff Reader, a good and faithful servant doing his best to live a Biblical life by bringing division upon the land… Of course, by creating such division, what he is really doing is simply illustrating exactly why “there has been no better time than now” for our country to erase this shamefully divisive religious motto from the public sector and revert back to the original celebration of our country’s great melting pot of equal opportunity.

SERIOUS QUESTION: If you trust in God so much, why all the weapons and body armor? Heck, why is there a police force at all? Wouldn’t it be more effective to just pray the crime away? (Okay, you caught me, that wasn’t really a “serious” question.)
As I drive through Stone County again in a couple of months, I’ll be sure tape over and hide my horrifying “COEXIST” bumper sticker. Because, how dare any messages of peaceful unity be displayed on Sheriff Reader’s turf? But, nah… religious zealots would never treat an apostate unfairly, would they (#sarcasfont).?

No, no – I don’t actually have one of those COEXIST bumper stickers on my car. Unlike the Sheriff, I no longer see a need to wear my faith (or lack thereof) like a badge – especially not in the workplace. ;-)

E pluribus unum, folks – out of many, one.

– Horus Gilgamesh

Quote:According to the latest enormous Pew Research study on religion in the United States, 29.4% of the country is now willing to label themselves as “unaffiliated” with any religion. That’s almost 1/3rd of the population that doesn’t believe in any gods

(07-23-2015, 01:17 PM)michaelsean Wrote: That's an odd conclusion.

(07-23-2015, 01:22 PM)GMDino Wrote: Is that the only problem you have with the story? 

(07-23-2015, 04:00 PM)Johnny Cupcakes Wrote: Establishment Clause ignored.

(07-23-2015, 04:08 PM)michaelsean Wrote: Which part?  Certainly not as it's written, even using the 14th to extend it to the states.

(07-23-2015, 04:33 PM)Johnny Cupcakes Wrote: Well, I guess you're right, because this isn't congress making this a law.  It's still messes with the lines of separation though.

(07-23-2015, 05:08 PM)michaelsean Wrote: I mean if it's on the money, (I assume that had to go through the courts at sometime) it's kind of argue when it's anywhere else. 

It also doesn't promote any religion.  It's God.  That's just a believer regardless of religion, and many believers have no actual religion.  I'm sure there are court cases that have narrowed it, but I'm talking just as it is written.

(07-23-2015, 01:50 PM)Nately120 Wrote: In god we trust, so if you don't believe or believe something else OR do things we deem to be against said god WATCH OUT!

(07-23-2015, 08:14 PM)fredtoast Wrote: How can they not realize how ridiculous this is?

(07-23-2015, 08:22 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Almost as ridiculous as folks getting bent out of shape because a rural Sheriff's Department chose to put a sticker about God on the backs of their vehicles

(07-23-2015, 08:38 PM)fredtoast Wrote: God's law is in conflict with the state law polce swear to enforce.  God's name has nothing to do with enforcing the law, and his name has no business on a police cruiser.

(07-23-2015, 08:14 PM)fredtoast Wrote: I see a HUGE conflict between "God's law", and the actual criminal code of the state.  How can the claim to trust in God yet enforce a code that conflicts with the law of their god?

How can they not realize how ridiculous this is?