THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 1908. A GOLDEN MOTTO.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9039, 4 March 1908, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 1908. A GOLDEN MOTTO.

Recently President Roosevelt created considerable astonishment in certain circles by his decision to excise from gold coinage of the United States the motto "In God we Trust." Controversy on the subject waxed long and strong. It was a matter upon which a good deal of feeling was bound to be exhibited because of the religious sentiment of a huge proportion of the ptople of the States. The New York "Independent" has.entered upon the topic, however, in a calm and philosophical way which ought to have a soothing effect upon those who hold that religious sentiment has been outraged by the President's dictum. It points out that the name of God in its Constitution does not make a nation Christian; the name of God on a coin does not in the least sanctify the pocket that holds it or the mint or the State that stamps it: it is the people, nothing less than the numbers «md the controlling spirit of the people that make a nation Christian. "It is," says the "Independent," "the outcry against the removal of the mottu, 'ln God we Trust,' from the gold coinage which J gives occasion to this fundamental statement. By order of the President, for a reason which he does not satisfactorily explain, he has directed the words to be removed. He defends his action on the ground that they give occasion for flippant or irreverent jokes not consistent with their serious meaning. People

will joke irreverently on the most solemn subjects, but we do not believe it had .occurred to many that this minute • inscription had given occasion fur profane remarks. For most people here in the East, on the rare occasions when a gold coin comes into their possession, if they happen to see the motto they have been pleased with it. It expresses what most of our people feel ought to be their sentiment. For that reason, seeing that there was no objection to the words, we think it would have been quite as well to leave them undisturbed. And yet the teaching of religion is no business of the State. So long as no objection was made to opening sessions of the public school? with reading of Scripture and prayer, so long as all the people preferred it so, it was well to continue the practice. But just as soon as objection was made, and we were assured that it favoured one religious sect as against another, we willingly gave it up. We knew that this practice did not make the State or the children Christians. We further know that it was the business of the Church to foster Christianity, not of the nation, which must comprise many who are not Christians, but who have equal rights with those who are. It did not hurt our consciences; we only felt the enhanced obligation of the Church to make its children and its citizens Christians. It is much so — except that it is a very much smaller matter—with our coinage. Most of our people believe in God, and a great many of themVtrust' in Him. But we will trust Him no less if we omit the golden inscription. The omission may make it a little clearer to our minds that words and forms and visible show are no part of religion. The words may even be omitted in the very interest of religion, as President Roosevelt declares was his intention. In such a case as this of the failure (o stamp the name of God on a gold coin there are two parties to be considered. One is the people, whose religious sentiments ar* concerned, and the other is God Himself, Who may be supposed, and often is supposed, to be injured and wronged by the failure to do Him visible honour. If we are not mistaken tho entire influence of all visible and stately and honorific forms of worship is. or should be, c'irected wholly to creating the due religious sentiment and purpose in the breast of the worshipper, and not to please or propitiate God. The one only essential thing that makes a nation Chribtian is that its people be Christian; and that, if we are Christians, or if ours is a Christian Church or a Christian nation, it is unimportant that we mako a visible show of our religion, but that it is of the utmost importance that in our hearts we practise the Christian spirit toward God and man, and that individually we do our utmost to teach all men the same spirit and purpose. Accordingly, we are but little concerned that the words are dropped from the coins. We have larger things at heart."