For more than 10 years, I have spent only Godless dollars. Using a red pen or stamp, I mark a circle and slash over the word “God” (as pictured above) on every bill that passes my way. When I make a withdrawal from the bank ATM, I immediately “de-God” each of the crisp new $20s. When I spend the $20s, and receive $1s, $5s, or $10s in change, I “de-God” each bill before passing it along. No merchant or business has ever refused to accept this “godless” money.
I probably spend at least fifty “godless” bills per week. That adds up to more than 2,500 “godless” bills per year.
Assuming that each dollar bill changes hands at least 20 times in the life of the bill, I estimate that my “godless” money passes through at least 50,000 people per year. In the past 10 years, I have thus circulated enough “”godless” money to reach a half-million people.
(via Boing Boing)
Comments
42 Comments so far. Leave a comment below.What are you, some kind of mental case?
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first off “reader”, Chris just posted it, he didn’t write it.
second I have never ever seen one of these so I think this guy has a bit of a complex thinking that these have made it into so many hands
I bet these are taken out of circulation fast.
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How about replacing it with a tiny picture of Hubble’s Ultra Deep Field?
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What a waste of 10 years. This must be about as effective at spreading Atheism as book burning to spreading Catholicism.
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I’d say it’s not a bad idea. You get a couple of hundred people in favor of enforcing the First Amendment’s establishment clause doing this and it might make it into the public eye.
I for one an ashamed of this country for allowing fear to override the law. References to god should be removed from our currency, the Pledge of Allegiance, and any other government sponsored location. Why is that so hard for people to accept? Do you feel that your faith is so weak that it needs the blessing and support of the government?
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Sigh. This exhibits how the public arena has closed up. In the good old days, that guy would be a regular at the city park, standing on a soap box and treating passer-bys to classic wild-eyed, spittle flecked rants.
Now he’s just sitting in a room with a stack of cash and a magic marker.
The world is somehow poorer for the exchange.
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what a waste of life
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I agree with LL.
It isn’t a bad idea. God doesn’t have a place in our goverment and shouldn’t have a place on our money. And think, if all athiests did this to all of their money, what a powerful message it would send.
And seriously, it’s not like the guy is just sitting around and taking money out of machines just to mark all over them. And honestly, “wasting” his life? It takes like 2 second to do. What’s he wasting? Sharpies? And he’s not “spreading atheism” he’s making a statement about religion needing to be seperate from government. Which it should be, even non-athiests should agree to that.
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Yeah I miss the ‘town criers’.Used to have a guy in our area that preached on corners and sold pencils.Don’t know if he ever made anyone change their thinking but he was entertaining to watch and the pencils were cheap.Maybe’Cash is our God’ would be a more true statement,just going by the TV preachers begging all the time.
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i think i’m going to start doing it. it won’t take much time.
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I just de-godded $200. It felt good.
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The constitution grants us freedom OF religion, not freedom FROM religion. It keeps the government from forcing or banning religion.
Separation of church and state is meant to keep us from turning into an Iraq or Iran where clerics wield political power.
Religious statements or items in, on or around government property does not fall under this statement. What it does fall under is freedom of speach and religious and atheists deserve the same freedoms.
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>The constitution grants us freedom OF religion,
>not freedom FROM religion.
No, the constitution prohibits the *government*
from establishing or prohibiting a religion.
It grants no specific individual rights either
way. And the courts have decided that
religious expression by the government
in many cases constitutes prohibited
establishment of religion.
>Separation of church and state is meant
>to keep us from turning into an Iraq or
>Iran where clerics wield political power.
Well, we already have that.
Separation of church and state is not mentioned
in the constitution. It’s an interpretation of
the establishment clause, originally penned (IIRC)
by Thomas Jefferson. And in those days, the worry
was in having a king with “God-given” absolute power.
A little different than Muslims following a
Mullah.
>Religious statements or items in, on or around
>government property does not fall under this
>statement.
Uh, religious statements by individuals not speaking
for the government, such as marking out the GOD on
money, does not fall under the establishment clause.
Religious statements *by* the government, such as
“GOD” on money, *does* fall under the establishment
clause, as it’s favoring, for instance, “God” over
“Allah” or “Jaweh”, or “Flying Spaghetti Monster”,
or atheism.
It’s all about who’s doing the religious expression.
Many people on the religous right these days are
trying to blur this distinction.
>What it does fall under is freedom of
>speach and religious and atheists deserve the same
>freedoms.
On this we agree. Everyone has a perfect right to
cross out “God” on their own personal money, or
substitute “The Great Unknowable”, if they prefer.
But not the government.
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Ass pennies. Thats all I’m saying on the subject.
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this might a bit trivial but he says it legal i might be wrong if i am tell me but it is a crime to deface money and if is pissed about in the bill’s appearance get a visa check card
^
product placement
: )
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United States Code
TITLE 18 – CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PART I – CRIMES
CHAPTER 17 – COINS AND CURRENCY
§ 333. Mutilation of national bank obligations
“Whoever mutilates, cuts, defaces, disfigures, or perforates, or unites or cements together, or does any other thing to any bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence of debt issued by any national banking association, or Federal Reserve bank, or the Federal Reserve System,
with intent to render such bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence of debt unfit to be reissued, shall be fined under this title or
imprisoned not more than six months, or both.â€
Doesn’t sound to me like crossing out “God” would render the bill unfit for circulation. Nor do I think this would necessarily stand up in court when balanced against the freedom of expression of crossing out one tiny three-letter word on the bill.
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Actually it would. Look up the word defaced. Its not referring to crossing out a past presidents fact on the front of the bill. I’m not saying thats right but its how it would hold up in court.
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Dr. Octagontologist said: “Look up the word defaced”
Doc, I assume you are referring to my previous posting. Yes, I am aware that ‘defacing’ does not refer to having one’s face removed. Did you read what I posted? Read again the part that says with intent to render such bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence of debt unfit to be reissued.
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Sounds great to me…
I think I might start doing that as well…maybe not so obsessively… ;]
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Also just de-goded $150. Defacing currency?….have you never put a penny on the tracks?
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Sounds like a great idea! That’ll teach them!
Just tell me how exactly you differ from any religious fanatic when you start doing this?
This whole thing sounds really obsessive, strange and nerdy. Wether you like it or not, our society has grown from a christian background. Science and the arts only prospered because the church (and the church alone) supported it for many hundreds of years. Even today peace groups, environmental lobbyists and action groups like Amnesty are mostly supported by christians. You don’t have to like it, but please just don’t stick your head in the sand and pretend atheists are better or smarter. They’re not. They mostly just complain a lot more.
Just face the facts: our society owes almost everything to christianity, from the basics of the laws to the morality of society. That religion gets hijacked a lot by some right-wing dumbo’s is another matter entirely, but do not confuse God or christian thinking with some christians themselves.
De-godding your money sounds like the exact equivalent of any action a right-wing tv-preacher could ask of his followers. It’s stupid, it’s fanatic, it shows frustration, it shows not thinking and no historic knowledge whatsoever.
What’s next? The national anthem? The pledge of allegiance? Any politician uttering the word ‘God’ during office hours? Burn all the bibles in hotel rooms? Sounds like a great idea! That’ll teach them!
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you guys are all nuts….take off the God on coins,,,,thats a little bit harder.
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I repeat, are you kidding? I agree with many in saying, WHAT A WASTE OF YOUR LIFE!!!
I have read many websites with the exact same post. The funny thing is the original “post person” does not even state why he is doing what he is doing. What is the cause for this fight?
It is really a shame that those who live in the United States of American are trying to take out something that goes further back than 1950. The reason this statement “In God We Trust” is on the currency is to remind us that we SHOULD be a God-fearing people, as were the Founding Fathers of this nation (it is in the history books).
This does not mean that we should all look, act, dress, speak, and worship in the same way. That is why the first amendment was put into practice, and life would be boring. However, I find it humorous that those that do not believe in God are trying to force others to follow their beliefs. IF God is removed from everything…what’s next, people cannot go to church to worship Him? Sounds like those that are for taking God out of our country are doing the exact thing they profess people are imposing on them…a little hypocritical don’t you think? I for one and countless others will fight against these actions, as those who fight to de-God life, in essence are imposing on my first amendment rights.
It is too bad that so many feel there is no point to life, that we are just here wandering aimlessly through our many years, to just simply die and never be known to anyone again. I would be so depressed if that was it! So what is the meaning of life if you do not believe there is a Supreme Creator? What about Jesus Christ? Was he really only a man who was very smart and was able to convince so many that he was sent by his Father to atone for all the sins of the world? I don’t think so. He was the Son of God. He was born to Mary. If you read history, Mary and Joseph were not married and were not even close to each other in proximity because of the tradition during the “engagement period”, where she was to remain with her family. She would have been killed if someone found she was pregnant before she got married, that was the law. Why would she have gone through with it if there was no purpose, knowing the consequences? Because she believed in God.
History aside, the only way to gain a true testimony that God lives is to ask Him. We are one nation under God, and I believe that He is mindful of all His children, but are we mindful of Him?
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Isn’t this as bad as posting a copy of the Ten Commandments all over the place?
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Rekindling a religious argument almost a year later–I always suspected thumpers were a little slow, but this is ridiculous.
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Your an idiot. Screw you. God does have something to do with our money. He put ous on this earth and made men to make this money for us.
Every time “de-god” a dollar bill, you turning into more and more of a jerk.
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This is so interesting to me.. i came across this piece while researching Religion in our Gov. for a research paper i’m doing.
I am not ashamed to proclaim that i am a Christian.
When did a quote on a dollar bill become so important…important enough to spend countless hours calculated up over time..making Gods name out of our money bills..
If it’s that big of an issue to you..why don’t you do something that is worth your time..and effort…
I’d love to understand how marking Gods name out is going to make any difference at all..
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You are a f***ing mental case. God is how we got the constition started. No you not know your American History. If you read the Declaration it talks about God. You are antichrist. You are a freak. No more intake. I am not going to waste my time on you.
GAYS HAVE RIGHTS TOO. KEEP GOD ON THE MONEY
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How did we get back to this? This is 2006!
Erica, the CONSTITUTION has no mention of God.
The Declaration of Independence has nothing to do with how we run this country. It’s just our declaration (hence the name) that we are independent from anyone else (specifically, Great Britain).
BTW, how much time did you waste, considering no one posted from November 22 to today. Did it take it 4 months to compose and type that rant? YIKES.
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OK, I would hate for every Christian in this thread to be angry and hateful. So here I am. Erica and KK, take a chill pill. Does your faith depend on the word God appearing on our nation’s currency? Mine does not.
The US is supposed to be a big tent, with room for all, no matter their religion or lack of. I don’t want the government telling me what sect I must belong to, and I’m sure you don’t, either.
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Moon++
The Declaration of Independence mentions God because the British King was claiming God’s authority for governance, with great precedent. The DoI claims very specifically that government belongs in the hand of PEOPLE, not Kings. It’s a document that declares secularism as the highest ideal, and was aimed directly between the eyes of the head of the Holy Church of England.
The Constitution also enshrines secularism. The “founding fathers” comprised Christians, Deists and Atheists, but they were all, to a man, fierce secularists. Putting “In God we Trust” on money is anything but secular.
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Didn’t “In God We Trust” start in the 1950s??
Yes, it did. 1956.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_God_We_Trust
As a person who lived through most of the 1950s, we don’t want to go back to that. Lots of fighting.
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You have more problems than most of us.
God help you and forgive you. You could actually be spending all that time doing something good for someone who needs it.
People like you need God and you are turning away the best thing out there!
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When people say those words “God help/forgive you”, why does it almost always sound like a curse?
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Taking the name of god away is commiting suicide , and cutting your own throat the fool has said in his heart that there is no god…………
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WHy do I always feel like I’m talking to a 5-year-old when “good christians” start their spiel?
How about talking logically for a change and not quoting some version of an ancient text written by numerous authors and countless editors.
Why should our money have God on it?
Remember…logically now…
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It’s simple…. Without God,We would not exist!
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I love this, I just started doing this a month ago and I get pleasure from every bill I de-god. I just did $4 right now, i keep a sharpie on my keys so it is easy to cross god off every bill I receive. Keep it up, we all need to stand up against religion being enforced by the government! There is a separation of church and state and we NEED to demand that our rights be upheld!
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It’s oh so ironic to hear people who spend their entire lives worshiping an invisible man in the sky say taking two seconds to cross out name of said invisible man is a waste of time.
Sure, it doesn’t do much, but it’s therapeutic.
Also:
1. Morons, the US wasn’t founded as a Christian country, hence the “freedom of religion” doodad.
2. Saying “God did xyz” means nothing to people who do not have the minds of four-year-olds. Replace “God” with “mermaids” or “the Easter Bunny,” and you’ll see how we feel.
3. And no, posting the Ten Commandments has nothing to do with crossing out “God” on a bill. It’d be like having “Allah” or “Zeus” (or mermaids or the Easter Bunny) on bills, then removing it. It’s called equality.
I cross the God off of coins too. It’s called a permanent marker. They didn’t have ‘em in the bible, but that’s because it’s a couple thousand years old and a bit outdated, see. Some of us have gotten over it. Is it really that hard? No one’s out there worshiping the wind god, for flip’s sake.
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I’m starting it with my group on upstate new york, and we’re simply calling it the “Crossout Campaign”. I’ll have T-shirts available soon. E-mail me if you’re interested: DC14522@Gmail.com.
Keep stamping!… we’ll reach critical mass soon and start turning our country toward reason.
Dan
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A little harsh, but thank you, fgdgb. A lot of those commenting do not know their history. The law is not based on democracy and for good reason. If it were, we would still have discriminatory minority laws. Having “God” printed on our currency IS a discriminatory law and is unconsitutional. The U.S. goverment was designed to be secular by the founding fathers because it is a servant to ALL of its citizens, not just those that believe in god. Practice any religion you want, I don’t care how you waste your time, but the government must be secular if we are to live in a free and eqaul society. Would you want “In the Devil we trust” stamped on every dollar? No becuase then your governmant would be supporting something you did not believe in and that is the situation that all non-christian U.S. citizens find themselves in.
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Ha, I’m glad I’m not the only person that does this.
Spread the good word, and cross out the bad ones.
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