Pence Remarks at Judiciary Committee Markup Reaffirming "In God We Trust" as the Official Motto of the United States
Press Release
The following are excerpts from U.S. Congressman Mike Pence's remarks at a Judiciary Committee Markup on H. Con. Res. 13, the "Reaffirming "In God We Trust' as the official motto of the United States and supporting and encouraging the public display of the national motto in all public buildings, public schools, and other government institutions Act":
"Thank you Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the thoughtfulness of the comments that have been made on both sides of this issue, but I want to speak for a few minutes with a strong affirmation of the Forbes Resolution and particularly speak a word of gratitude for the tireless and ongoing advocacy of America's rich religious heritage that is manifested in the life and the work and the career of Congressman Randy Forbes."
"We are engaged in a national debate between the deep religious heritage and tradition of the overwhelming majority of Americans practice to this day. And a rising tide of secularism, driving its way deeper and deeper into the public square, deeper and deeper into the laws of the land that tell us we cannot make certain displays in public. I like to call the Ten Commandments the "inconvenient cornerstone of Western Civilization.'"
"Let me just say that reaffirming the commitment of "In God We Trust" I think matters on a couple of different levels.
"Number one, it pays tribute to our past and to our present, but it also facilitates our future. It pays tribute to our past as Mr. Forbes, Mr. Franks and Mr. Lungren said with eloquence more powerful than mine, that this was a nation that was founded on the principle that we derive our rights from our Creator. They are not given to us by government or by kings. They're given to us by God and therefore they are unalienable rights. If we lose that, there's that powerful Jeffersonian quote that's literally carved into the wall of the Jefferson Memorial, that he said, "I tremble for my nation when I think that God is just and that his justice will not sleep forever.'"
"The Old Book says, "If the foundations crumble, how can the righteous stand?' One of the foundations of our nation is the belief that our rights come from God."
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