[This is a letter to the Editor of the Lebanon Reporter, commenting on their editorial of 8 May 2001, where they decried a Native American prayer being offered at the launch ceremony of the new Buffalo Dollar.]

I read with interest your lead editorial on May 8th, 2001 regarding the US Mint striking a commemorative coin honoring the buffalo. The ceremony surrounding the striking of this new coin included a Native American religious ritual, to which you objected, on the grounds that "we expect that what applies to Jews and Christians ought to apply equally to all other religions, including those espoused by Native Americans." This declaration against hypocrisy is laudable, and I generally support these sentiments. However, in this case, I submit that the rules we in fact applied equally. Let me explain.

The United States of America has two official mottoes - the first, adopted around the time of independence, is the Latin phrase, "E Pluribus Unum" (From Many, One). The second, adopted during the Eisenhower administration, is "In God We Trust". Both mottoes appear on all coins issued by the United States Mint, including the new Buffalo Commemorative (see the Mint's website).

Note the singular "God" in the second of these mottoes - it is not plural, it is not "Great Spirit", "Tao" or "Buddha" .... this is clearly a reference to Jehovah of the Judeo/Christian/Muslim tradition. With this clearly religious statement on our coinage, each act of commerce is effectively a statement that the persons engaged in this commerce trust in this particular deity.

So, far from being an unconstitutional act on the part of the United States Government, I view this dedication as taking a small step towards recognizing our religious diversity, and I would suggest that if we are to build the secular society envisioned by our Founding Fathers, with religious liberty for all, a more appropriate protest might be directed against the appearance of the Eisenhower motto on our coinage.

Copyright 2001 by Daithi M Haxton