TPC: ‘In God We Trust’

The Terrebonne Parish Council passed an ordinance last week to place a sign in the council chambers emblazoned with the national motto “In God We Trust.”

Lee Whitney Signs is donating the sign, so no public funds will be spent creating it.

“This is not intended to offend anyone. This is our national motto,” said John Navy, Terrebonne Parish council member. “…It wasn’t intended from the religious standpoint, although I stand on my word that we are a praying nation, this is a praying community and we are a praying council.”

Executive Director of the ACLU in Louisiana Marjorie Esman believes otherwise, though.

“I think it’s unfortunate that a governing body feels the need to take action to exclude members of their community who may believe differently from them,” Esmen said. “They are elected to serve everyone…everyone has a right to feel welcome.”

Esmen is concerned that certain members of the community may feel alienated by the statement. She noted that there are many Buddhists among the Vietnamese fishing community, the Wiccan community of the parish and, of course, atheists may be less inclined to participate in local government.

One vocal member of the occultist community, Monte Plaisance, doesn’t feel offended. Plaisance, who is a spiritualist and owner of Lucky 13 Curio, a hoodoo shop in Mathews, said that the Wiccan community will not be protesting the actions taken by the council.

“In all honesty I do trust in God, maybe it’s not their interpretation of God,” he said. “To me God is almost a universal term.”

Wiccans believe that God is a creating force and present in all things. It is often referred to as witchcraft, but it is a serious religion.

“If they had named a specific deity, then he would have a problem with it,” Plaisance said. “I just feel like we’re getting to a point in our society where if you say [any] word, it may offend people.”

Plaisance said that if the council were to pass an ordinance that, for example, required people to say a prayer before entering a government building, then it would be an infringement on people’s individual rights. But a mere sign will not deter him from interacting with government

“It’s not going to force you into Christianity,” Plaisance said. “There is so much more in this world to get upset about than the word god on a public building.”

“All of our bills and all of our coins say ‘In God We Trust,’” said Daniel Babin, Terrebonne Parish councilmember. Many members raised this point at the council meeting and agreed that they did not believe that people who may be offended would stop using the currency.

Plaisance agreed with the councilmembers.

“Am I going to stop spending money because it’s on a dollar bill? If somebody is handing me some money and that offends me, I’m not going to not accept it,” he said.

It is the ACLU’s policy to not divulge any possible future legal action that civil rights organization may be considering taking, Esmen said.