Since a child I can remember being intrigued by the motto “In God we Trust” printed on dollar bills and engraved on coins. What God do we trust in? Is the God we trust in Jesus? Why do we trust in him? These were just a few questions that came to my mind. With all the greed and capitalistic corruption that exist in society, how could men war over money that reminds us “In God we Trust”.
I was under the assumption that this statement was symbolic of the authority God had within the system of commerce. Surely if God has no place in business, we would not proclaim our trust for him on the very currency we spend. I propose that it is ethically sound for the motto “In God We Trust” to be printed on our currency in the United States.
Have we forgotten the scriptures? The book of Ecclesiastes 10:19 states, “…? But money answereth all things.”? The scriptures have always expressed provision for the issues of man in this natural world. So is it far-fetched to believe that the very fabric of business is woven into the foundations of Judeo-Christian belief? For those that would say “no”, I then ask; why has this affirmation “Of God we Trust” still printed on our currency in the United States?
Obviously our founding fathers had a higher moral premise in mind when this was decided on. Taking these factors into consideration, has lead me to investigate the validity and value of this statement. Does the motto, “In God we Trust” prove to be an ethical fallacy as it relates to principals of business? To that question I say “no”. I will examine these question in my argumentative essay.
The inscription “IN GOD WE TRUST” was placed on United States coins largely
Because of the increased religious sentiment existing during the Civil War. Ci...
... middle of paper ...
...ferson, T. (1776, July 4). The Declaration of Independence: A Transcription. Retrieved from The Characters of Freedom : http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html
Max L. Stockhouse . (1995). Democracy . In M. L. Stockhouse, On Moral Business (p. 480). Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company .
Treasury, U. D. (2011, March 8). History of 'In God We Trust'. Retrieved from U.S. Deparment of Treasury : http://www.treasury.gov/about/education/Pages/in-god-we-trust.aspx
Version, K. J. (1971). Holy Bible. New York, N.Y.: Three Lions Inc. , Camera Clix Inc. , Moore Associates, . Bob Jones Gallery.
Wing, N. (2013, March 15). 'In God We Trust' Lawsuit: Freedom From Religion Foundation Sues To Remove Phrase From Currency. Retrieved from Huff Post Politics : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/13/in-god-we-trust-lawsuit_n_2867227.html
The stronger will do anything in their power to make a profit, leaving the weak with nothing. Kuyper says, “…the more powerful exploited the weaker by means of a weapon against which there was no defense” (Kuyper, Abraham, and James W. Skillen 26). Additionally, he states that “…the idolization of money killed the nobility in the human heart” (Kuyper, Abraham, and James W. Skillen 31). Kuyper talks about how Jesus felt bad for the rich and sided with the poor (Kuyper, Abraham, and James W. Skillen 32). Matthew 6:19-21 says, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Earthly materials mean nothing because the real treasure awaits in
In the 2008 the United States Census Bureau, Self-Described Religious Identification of Adult Population, The Christian faith proved to be the more dominating religion out of all religions. So it would seem the words “Under God” would be beneficial for the majority, the Pledge of Allegiance allures and supports the loyalty of the majority of citizens. The nonbelievers of religion have had the right to not recite the pledge since 1943 but have been asked to quietly stand while the believers recite the pledge in its entirety. Even though leaving out “Under God” is not a difficult task we can clearly see a division has now developed, opposite of bringing the people together. Another example that shows the pledge allures and supports a loyalty to the majority of citizens, the acceptance and encouragement to keep ...
The world seems to look at business as the root and means of many forms of evil, even Christians. It is easier to see the lies and deceit behind many business deals and even successful business than it is integrity and honesty within the realms of business. Why is it that the business world seems so tainted by sin? These are the issues that Wayne Grudem addresses in his book, Bussines for the Glory of God: The Bible`s Teaching on the Moral Goodness of Business. Grudem specifically develops arguments for why 11 specific aspects of business are actually fundamentally designed to glorify God rather than cause evil. Grudem doesn’t only want believers to see these Biblical truths but also nonbelievers. His hope is that the business world be the one in which we see the world transformed by the Gospel. He hopes that each individual can and will take heed of the Biblical truths regarding business and hold fast to them, overcoming sin and temptation, in order to bring glory to the God who created it all. Two of the specific aspects he addresses are employment and borrowing and lending. Grudem develops an argument for each of these aspects as to why they are fundamentally good and why and how they each provide individually many opportunities for glorifying God. Grudem effectively fleshes out how employment is a biblical principle starting with Jesus words himself, “The laborer deserves his wages.” (Luke 10:7) Grudem uses
“There are some things money can’t buy, but these days, not as many” (Sandel 40). Sandel states this before he presents all of the data he has collected on how people spend their money. This use of logos conveys the point of the statement that money can almost buy anything. Money can pay children to read for the betterment of their education or be used to undermine others by paying five hundred thousand dollars to instantly become an American citizen, cutting ahead all those people who have been waiting for years. Unfortunately,
While the idea of money as being so important in daily life in the modern era is not a concept that is given much thought, it is very important to realize that this is not exactly a new concept. It was as important during the medieval period in the time of Saint Francis of Assisi. Wealth, in many cases of modern times and medieval is seen as both the main factor for running the world as well as its downfall. It is something that no matter the period we as humans understand and use to classify the world in both abstract and in more literal ways.
...ith liberty and justice for all.” Without God, the Pledge becomes less convoluted and more expressible. There will be less people who say it in vain, less controversy, and more admiration and devotion.
After the end of the founding period, the blatant references to a deity was made as, “In God we trust,” was coined after the Civil War. The Pledge of Allegiance introduced, “Under God” in 1954 during the McCarthy hysteria. Brooke further says that the Treaty of Tripoli of 1797 is very clear that the US nation was not founded under the Christianity religion.
Henry Hazlitt states, “The art of economics consists in looking not merely at the immediate but at the longer effects of any act or policy; it consists in tracing the consequences of that policy not merely for one group but for all groups” (Hazlitt, 1979, p. 17). Leviticus 19:35-37 compels, “You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measurement of weight, or capacity. You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from the land of Egypt. You shall thus observe all My statutes, and all My ordinances, and do them: I am the Lord.” According to Proverbs 22:7, people will always be slaves to the lender as demonstrated by the Federal Reserve System violating Biblical values in economic
Many have heard the popular phrase “Money is the root of all evil,” derived from 1 Timothy 6:10 which states “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (NIV). However, this verse does not blame money itself for evil, but the love of money - greed. One’s attitude toward money could certainly be considered a characteristic of one’s values and ethical/unethical beliefs that influence ethical judgment (Vitell, Singh, & Paolillo, 2007). Greed, corruption, deceit, and other unethical attitudes can lead one away from biblical principles. Proverbs 16:8 states; “Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice” (NIV). As Christians, and business professionals, we must place focus not on worldly riches such as
The authors examine scripture from various places in the bible to make their case that the bible is full of economic advice. Additionally, the authors state (2010), “for centuries, cultures have looked to the Bible as a rich resource that has helped people think about the way morality and economics come together.” (Hill & Rae, 2010, p. 23) The author’s most basic understanding is that morality and economics are intertwined, and in order to fully understand economics one must understand the bibles economic standards. The authors laid out seven biblical teachings on issues such as economics, wealth creation, poverty, injustice, and assets throughout the book.
Where there is faith, there is love. Where there is love, there is God. The apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans wrote that we have an obligation to meet all of our obligations. All debt, be they civil or financial, require that we act responsibly. Monetary debts incurred from borrowing, purchasing, contractual agreements, or commercial exchanges, although they cannot be wholly avoided in
Gallagher, S. A. 2005. Strategic response to Friedman’s critique of business ethics. Journal of Business Strategy, 26(6), 55-60.
Money has evolved with the times and is a reflection of the progress of man. Early money was itself a physical commodity, grain, gold or silver. During the vital stage, more symbolic forms of money such as certificates of deposit, bank notes, checks, letters of credit, bonds and other forms of negotiable securities came into prominence. Social development transformed money in to a trust, “In God We Trust' it says on the back of the ten-dollar bill.” (The Ascent of Money, 27) Today money is faith in the person paying us and belief in the person issuing the money he uses or the institution that honors his money. This trust has no end it can be extended to a greater number of individuals.
...r our currency. The motto “In God We Trust” wasn’t added until the 1860’s during the Civil War. If these situations in our country hadn’t become present when they did, would our country base its beliefs and freedoms in the hands of God?
As the quotation above says, is money society¡¦s new god? If so, can other values such as freedom, love, achievement or even motivation also be bought? This is precisely the topic of the paper. All of these things can be pointed back to money and see how people treat it today. Besides discussing the real functions of money, this paper will also attempt to answer not just the questions above but also investigate whether money is the only thing that really motivates people today.