In God We Trust sign prominently posted in FCPS Middle School main office

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I walked into the office to pick up my daughter yesterday and noticed an 8.5 x 11 sign stating "In God We Trust" in a prominent location in the main office.

This seems at best inappropriate and at worst like a brazen attempt to bring personal religious beliefs into a public space (unfortunately I do think it is legal). I happen to know, because of the Principal's Instagram account, that she is extremely religious. I respect her personal beliefs and her right to express them in a private context.

But as someone who has carefully raised their children without religion and God, this sign is offensive to me. Whether or not it is intentional, it effectively others and intimidates constituents of that school who don't believe in God. Even if it only offends a few people, isn't that enough? Why is this necessary?

I know. It's on our money and it's in the pledge, but my kids can opt to not say the God part in the pledge. They can't opt not to go into the main office.

I filled out a discrimination complaint online, but I doubt anything will come of it (there are certainly more immediate issues in that arena for that office to address).

I am considering writing a kind and good faith note to the principal from an anonymous email address. Any (kind and in good faith) thoughts on that approach or ideas for ways to resolve this without backlash against my kids?

Thanks.

Hmmm... Maybe you should switch over to bitcoin for currency. You know because you don't want your kids exposed to religion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That’s a lot of energy for an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper.

op, show more tolerance! Everything doesn’t have to be a take down fight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That’s a lot of energy for an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper.

op, show more tolerance! Everything doesn’t have to be a take down fight.

No one here is going to storm the VA state capitol over this.

[Anonymous]

This is NOT ok. Not because of the sign itself - a few years back, that would have just been an odd place to reference a dollar bill. In the current circumstances it is a dog whistle to Christian nationalism and everything that entails.

I find it extremely offensive. I would avoid that school. I would definitely complain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is NOT ok. Not because of the sign itself - a few years back, that would have just been an odd place to reference a dollar bill. In the current circumstances it is a dog whistle to Christian nationalism and everything that entails.

I find it extremely offensive. I would avoid that school. I would definitely complain.

Why is this not allowed when FCPS officially celebrates Diwali, Eid, etc making all students take the day off or learn nothing? That's ok but a reference to God on a paper is Christian nationalism?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We need to learn to be ok with being offended. It’s ok that it was there. It’s not telling you that you have to believe.

No, we don’t. We can point out things that are fundamentally wrong.

It’s not ok that it was there.

You don't have a right not to be offended.

We are a country of free speech and freedom of religion.

I love all the constitutional scholars who have no idea what the constitution actually says.

Yes.

Thos who want to restrict speech, who think the constitution guarantees a right to not have their feelings hurt, and who think the constitution syas anything about separation of church and state" probably need to take some time to actually read the constitution.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We need to learn to be ok with being offended. It’s ok that it was there. It’s not telling you that you have to believe.

No, we don’t. We can point out things that are fundamentally wrong.

It’s not ok that it was there.

You don't have a right not to be offended.

We are a country of free speech and freedom of religion.

I love all the constitutional scholars who have no idea what the constitution actually says.

Yes.

Thos who want to restrict speech, who think the constitution guarantees a right to not have their feelings hurt, and who think the constitution syas anything about separation of church and state" probably need to take some time to actually read the constitution.

They also forget that the whole reason there isn't an establishment of religion at the federal level, is that the various states had different established churches.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is NOT ok. Not because of the sign itself - a few years back, that would have just been an odd place to reference a dollar bill. In the current circumstances it is a dog whistle to Christian nationalism and everything that entails.

I find it extremely offensive. I would avoid that school. I would definitely complain.

So, you’d avoid every school in Virginia. Didn’t you see above that it’s display is required?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is NOT ok. Not because of the sign itself - a few years back, that would have just been an odd place to reference a dollar bill. In the current circumstances it is a dog whistle to Christian nationalism and everything that entails.

I find it extremely offensive. I would avoid that school. I would definitely complain.

Why is this not allowed when FCPS officially celebrates Diwali, Eid, etc making all students take the day off or learn nothing? That's ok but a reference to God on a paper is Christian nationalism?

Do we have politicians forcing schools to put up Muslim, Hindu, Jewish signs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is NOT ok. Not because of the sign itself - a few years back, that would have just been an odd place to reference a dollar bill. In the current circumstances it is a dog whistle to Christian nationalism and everything that entails.

I find it extremely offensive. I would avoid that school. I would definitely complain.

Why is this not allowed when FCPS officially celebrates Diwali, Eid, etc making all students take the day off or learn nothing? That's ok but a reference to God on a paper is Christian nationalism?

Do we have politicians forcing schools to put up Muslim, Hindu, Jewish signs?

Muslims and Jews are both Abrahamic religions though. It's my understanding that there is a Supreme God in Hinduisml, though there a multitude of Gods as well.

Again, you can read "In God we trust" however you want, and adherents to different traditions may read their own God(s) into it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is NOT ok. Not because of the sign itself - a few years back, that would have just been an odd place to reference a dollar bill. In the current circumstances it is a dog whistle to Christian nationalism and everything that entails.

I find it extremely offensive. I would avoid that school. I would definitely complain.

Why is this not allowed when FCPS officially celebrates Diwali, Eid, etc making all students take the day off or learn nothing? That's ok but a reference to God on a paper is Christian nationalism?

Do we have politicians forcing schools to put up Muslim, Hindu, Jewish signs?

I would be curious to see what would happen if parents demanded Muslim and Jewish "in God we trust" signs. Pardon my lack of knowledge of Hinduism but I assume they would not be interested in a sign referencing God.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is NOT ok. Not because of the sign itself - a few years back, that would have just been an odd place to reference a dollar bill. In the current circumstances it is a dog whistle to Christian nationalism and everything that entails.

I find it extremely offensive. I would avoid that school. I would definitely complain.

Why is this not allowed when FCPS officially celebrates Diwali, Eid, etc making all students take the day off or learn nothing? That's ok but a reference to God on a paper is Christian nationalism?

Do we have politicians forcing schools to put up Muslim, Hindu, Jewish signs?

I would be curious to see what would happen if parents demanded Muslim and Jewish "in God we trust" signs. Pardon my lack of knowledge of Hinduism but I assume they would not be interested in a sign referencing God.

What would they look like? Keep in mind what the various names for God translate to back into English.

Allah=God/The God depending on the entomology from Aramaic, Hebrew and Syriac roots.

Of course setting aside whether or not the God in the 3 Abrahamic faiths is the same God or not, but that's a debate for the religion forum.

The courts however have seen the whole thing as a secular motto, even if it was invoked as a differentiator from the atheistic communists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is NOT ok. Not because of the sign itself - a few years back, that would have just been an odd place to reference a dollar bill. In the current circumstances it is a dog whistle to Christian nationalism and everything that entails.

I find it extremely offensive. I would avoid that school. I would definitely complain.

So, you’d avoid every school in Virginia. Didn’t you see above that it’s display is required?

I remember when this was signed into law. It was over the objections of many many people, but at that time VA was still red and GOP religious zealots controlled the legislature. The little signs were actually distributed by an extreme right wing Christian group, and schools had to display them. I guess the democrats never got around to getting rid of that stupid, likely unconstitutional law. However, most of the signs disappeared at some point, and I haven't seen one in years. So if it's up now.....I would guess it is a reflection of the principal's personal religious and political beliefs more so than any mostly forgotten law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is NOT ok. Not because of the sign itself - a few years back, that would have just been an odd place to reference a dollar bill. In the current circumstances it is a dog whistle to Christian nationalism and everything that entails.

I find it extremely offensive. I would avoid that school. I would definitely complain.

Why is this not allowed when FCPS officially celebrates Diwali, Eid, etc making all students take the day off or learn nothing? That's ok but a reference to God on a paper is Christian nationalism?

Do we have politicians forcing schools to put up Muslim, Hindu, Jewish signs?

Muslims and Jews are both Abrahamic religions though. It's my understanding that there is a Supreme God in Hinduisml, though there a multitude of Gods as well.

Again, you can read "In God we trust" however you want, and adherents to different traditions may read their own God(s) into it.

No. We don't. I'm Jewish and I don't for one moment believe there is any god referenced in that sign other than the Christian god. After all, it was Christians who lobbied for the motto and for pasting it everywhere, and they did so as an absolute and direct reference to Christianity - their version of it, anyway. To see it any other way is to deny the obvious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is NOT ok. Not because of the sign itself - a few years back, that would have just been an odd place to reference a dollar bill. In the current circumstances it is a dog whistle to Christian nationalism and everything that entails.

I find it extremely offensive. I would avoid that school. I would definitely complain.

Why is this not allowed when FCPS officially celebrates Diwali, Eid, etc making all students take the day off or learn nothing? That's ok but a reference to God on a paper is Christian nationalism?

So, yes, that IS a reference to Christian nationalism. It is directly related to evangelical Christianity and the push to create a Christian national religion. That's fact.

Not sure what it has to do with giving a day off for holidays that a lot of people miss. No one is forcing their Diwali beliefs on anyone.