🌀 Irony in Plain Sight: Why “In God We Trust” Doesn’t Belong on Our Money

A proper beginning, I suppose, would be a definition of irony.

Irony (noun): Incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the normal or expected result.

Few examples are more ironic than the phrase “In God We Trust” printed on American currency. I’ve seen fundamentalists react with outrage at the mere suggestion of removing it—as if the idea were a personal attack. But let me assure you: God, trust, and money do not mix. And as the saying goes,

“The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.”

Let’s explore this irony in a language the faithful might understand.

📜 The Commandments and the Contradictions

In the West, many of us are introduced early to the Ten Commandments. The first three are especially difficult to grasp—even into adulthood—and it’s here that the irony begins:

1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image…
3. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain…

Yet we routinely contradict all three.

We create symbols—crucifixes, icons, constellations, even words—to represent God. These are seen as badges of faith, but they violate the second commandment. And if we can be led to believe in things we’ve never witnessed, we can also be led to witness things we never believed possible.

💸 The Love of Money and the Name of God

“The love of money is the root of all evil.”

And yet, the name of the God we are taught to love with all our heart, mind, and soul is printed on every dollar bill. Alongside it: Trust.
But trust in what? In a system built on usury—specifically, Fractional Reserve Banking—which many historical accounts describe as a slow but certain form of social decay.

Even the Bible warns us.
Ezekiel 18:13 says that the man who lends money at interest “shall surely die.”
We may not enforce that penalty today, but the warning remains dire—and relevant.

⚠️ A Better Inscription

“In God We Trust” should be removed from our currency. In its place, we should inscribe a warning:

“Beware: The pursuit of material wealth and social status may rob you of your true value in society.”

The current phrase acts as a subterfuge—a spiritual smokescreen that masks the exploitative nature of our economic system. It conflates divine trust with financial manipulation, and in doing so, it undermines both.