O Canada - I wish I lived there

[_Yoda]

Neither do we. We let our middle class go without good healthcare.

Bingo!!!

[_Darth J]

No, DarthJ, I don't believe that naming a city "Pomona" is a violation of the Establishment Clause.

Why not?

I didn't say anything about the Establishment Clause.

Does that mean your objection to "In God We Trust" is more about aesthetics than the government promoting theism?

My point was that, while U.S. currency promotes "In God We Trust," Canadian currency promotes something that actually does some good -- medical research.

And beavers! Beavers do a lot of good, too!

LDSToronto, I believe you have had an atheist Prime Minister, if I am not mistaken. That is not possible (yet) in the U.S.

But hopefully the day will come when the U.S. can also have an atheist prime minister.

[_EAllusion]

Darth J -

No, because the name was not chosen with any religious significance in mind nor does it have that effect. It's ceremonial mythology that informs the culture, like saying "God Bless You" after someone sneezes. Proponents of things like "In God We Trust" on money or "Under God" in the pledge of allegiance like to argue those are like that too (or at least that's what they'll argue in court), but they really aren't. The initial intent was to have the government give explicit promotion of a particular religious point of view and its effect, while diminished, does provide the message that those are values of America. And if you don't think it does, why do religious groups blow their top at the very idea that such terms would be removed if it has no religious significance?

[_ludwigm]

And beavers! Beavers do a lot of good, too!

Beavers do a lot of good, too!

[_selek]

And beavers! Beavers do a lot of good, too!

Ah yes! I love beavers. I like to pet them, stroke them, and eat them, too!

But hopefully the day will come when the U.S. can also have an atheist prime minister.

Agreed!

[_krose]

But hopefully the day will come when the U.S. can also have an atheist prime minister.

I really do hope that -- for an atheist as head of state, of course, but mostly for a prime minister and parliament. Our US system is great for gridlock and paralysis, but not so much for accomplishing anything.

I did not fail to note that when the neocons did their nation building in Iraq, the good people there didn't end up with the US system, complete with the wonderful electoral college. They got a parliamentary system (not to mention national health care guaranteed in their constitution).

[_ludwigm]

Ah yes! I love beavers. I like to pet them, stroke them, and eat them, too!