As I picked up the Turlock Journal Wednesday morning, the first thing that caught my eye was an article entitled “In God We Trust?” With great interest I opened up the newspaper and read the article and my heart sank.
The article was about the intent the City Council has to paint “In God We Trust” on a wall where their meetings are held. The article said that this has been the intent of the City Council for some time but funds have not permitted them to get it accomplished. Now, a group called The Freedom From Religion Foundation has drafted a legal letter to the City of Turlock regarding this matter and not only have the plans to paint the wall come to a halt (temporarily, I’m hoping) but also the prayers offered before each City Council meeting are now being held privately prior to the meeting. I have a great belief in God. Ninety-two percent of Americans believe in God or a higher power! Only 1.6 percent consider themselves atheist and the rest are undecided. Half of Americans pray every day.
Some time ago, Turlock was in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the most churches per capita. It saddens me greatly that there is such a very loud minority. And that minority seems to have the loudest voices and the voices that are the most heard here in America. Why is that? If 92 percent of Americans believe in God or a high power and only 1.6 percent don’t believe in God, why is it that people that are the very small minority are the people being heard? That is absolutely NOT right and un-American! Our children now have Spring Break and Winter Break, not Christmas Break or Easter Break. This very small minority is trying to take “In God We Trust” off of our currency and do all they can so that a nativity scene is not displayed on public property, among other things.
Slowly but surely God is being taken out of our country. There is a reason why our country has the respect of so many other countries; it’s because of the freedoms that we enjoy and because of the morals that this country was founded upon. Our country was founded by good men who had a strong faith in God and who believed they were being directed. The rights of we 92 percent Americans who believe in God are being taken away from us!
When will OUR voices be heard? What will have to happen? We citizens here in Turlock, that believe in God, need to unite and let The Freedom From Religion Foundation know that we in fact want God in our town.
Go to their Web site and e-mail them your feelings against what they are doing. Let’s support our City Council and allow “In God We Trust” to be painted on our City Council’s wall.
The article was about the intent the City Council has to paint “In God We Trust” on a wall where their meetings are held. The article said that this has been the intent of the City Council for some time but funds have not permitted them to get it accomplished. Now, a group called The Freedom From Religion Foundation has drafted a legal letter to the City of Turlock regarding this matter and not only have the plans to paint the wall come to a halt (temporarily, I’m hoping) but also the prayers offered before each City Council meeting are now being held privately prior to the meeting. I have a great belief in God. Ninety-two percent of Americans believe in God or a higher power! Only 1.6 percent consider themselves atheist and the rest are undecided. Half of Americans pray every day.
Some time ago, Turlock was in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the most churches per capita. It saddens me greatly that there is such a very loud minority. And that minority seems to have the loudest voices and the voices that are the most heard here in America. Why is that? If 92 percent of Americans believe in God or a high power and only 1.6 percent don’t believe in God, why is it that people that are the very small minority are the people being heard? That is absolutely NOT right and un-American! Our children now have Spring Break and Winter Break, not Christmas Break or Easter Break. This very small minority is trying to take “In God We Trust” off of our currency and do all they can so that a nativity scene is not displayed on public property, among other things.
Slowly but surely God is being taken out of our country. There is a reason why our country has the respect of so many other countries; it’s because of the freedoms that we enjoy and because of the morals that this country was founded upon. Our country was founded by good men who had a strong faith in God and who believed they were being directed. The rights of we 92 percent Americans who believe in God are being taken away from us!
When will OUR voices be heard? What will have to happen? We citizens here in Turlock, that believe in God, need to unite and let The Freedom From Religion Foundation know that we in fact want God in our town.
Go to their Web site and e-mail them your feelings against what they are doing. Let’s support our City Council and allow “In God We Trust” to be painted on our City Council’s wall.
— Kelly Thompson
