You may recall a post about the White House petitions trying to remove the words “under God” from the pledge of allegiance and having “In God we trust” removed from it’s statutory position as the national motto. This received enough signatures to merit a response:

Religion in the Public Square

By Joshua DuBois, Executive Director of the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

Thank you for signing the petition “Edit the Pledge of Allegiance to remove the phrase ‘Under God.’” We appreciate your participation in the We the People platform on WhiteHouse.gov.

The separation of church and state outlined in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution is an important founding principle of our nation. Our nation’s Bill of Rights guarantees not only that the government cannot establish an official religion, but also guarantees citizens’ rights to practice the religion of their choosing or no religion at all.

Throughout our history, people of all faiths – as well as secular Americans – have played an important role in public life. And a robust dialogue about the role of religion in public life is an important part of our public discourse.

While the President strongly supports every American’s right to religious freedom and the separation of church and state, that does not mean there’s no role for religion in the public square.

When he was a Senator from Illinois, President Obama gave a keynote address at the Call to Renewal conference where he spoke about the important role religion plays in politics and in public life.

A sense of proportion should also guide those who police the boundaries between church and state. Not every mention of God in public is a breach to the wall of separation – context matters.

That’s why President Obama supports the use of the words “under God” in our Pledge of Allegiance and “In God we Trust” on our currency. These phrases represent the important role religion plays in American public life, while we continue to recognize and protect the rights of secular Americans. As the President said in his inaugural address, “We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and non-believers.” We’re proud of that heritage, and the strength it brings to our great country.

I’m not sure which is more insulting, whether it’s the director of White House’s faith based initiatives office that responded or the fact that the President believes that “under God” and “in God we trust” merit a place in a country that he acknowledges includes non-believers. They do not represent an appropriate context for the role religion plays in America. Atheists do not share in the “one nation under God” and if the motto of our nation is “in God we trust” then atheists cannot share in that vision. Obama just further shows how he’s the master of lip service.