Man asks Illinois court to change his name to "In God We Trust"
ZION, Ill. - Steve Kreuscher wants a judge to allow him to legally change his name. He wants to be known as "In God We Trust."
Kreuscher says the new name would symbolize the help God gave him through tough times.
The 57-year-old man also says he's worried that atheists may succeed in removing the phrase "In God We Trust" from U.S. currency.
He recalls that the phrase "God Reigns" was removed from the Zion city seal in 1992 after Illinois courts deemed it unconstitutional. Zion was founded as a theocracy - by a sect that believed the Earth was flat.
The school bus driver and amateur artist in the northern Chicago suburb says he has filed a petition to change his name in Lake County Circuit Court.
49 comments
"The 57-year-old man also says he's worried that atheists may succeed in removing the phrase "In God We Trust" from U.S. currency."
It shouldn't be there in the first place, as this country was not founded to be a Christian nation, and there is a separation of church and state.
"Zion was founded as a theocracy - by a sect that believed the Earth was flat."
Well tough shit. They shouldn't have joined the union if they wanted to be a theocracy and reject reality.
Nice trick, but I see through it Mr Kreuscher. You just want to go up to people when they're counting out their money in shops and say "hey that money is mine." Then pounce when they say "well I don't see your name on it."
But it won't work. Didn't work for me when I went up to groups of women and said my name was Victoria's Secret.
Atheists : We want to remove 'In God We Trust' from currency because it's unconstitutional.
In God We Trust : Well, my name is In God We Trust, WHAT NOW?
Atheists : Well shit. What the hell do we do now?
Kreuscher says the new name would symbolize the help God gave him through tough times.
There's subtle, carefully understated symbolism, and then there's stupid, overblown, blundering gestures. Guess which classification I'm veering towards on this one.
Hey, I'm all for letting this guy have his crazy name, especially if that mollifies anyone toward the removal of that inane and unconstitutional phrase from our coins and currency, where it never belonged in the first place. And while we're about it, let's get the national motto officially changed back to what it should have remained: "E Pluribus Unum."
Personally, I'm all for this. I think he should be allowed to change his name to "In God We Trust."
Mr. In G.W. Trust would certainly be a helpful and useful part of society with that name. I heartily endorse his desire to change his name.
Because I'm getting tired of paying for comedy, and I think it's time I got some for free.
Anything for your 15 minutes of fame, right?
Well at least he's not killing people to get on the nightly news.
I want to change my name to "More Popular than Jesus".
Rik Mayall already did that on his autobiography. The full title was "Bigger than Hitler, Better than Christ".
@Antichrist:
That's Phase II of his plan, after the name change.
Then, when he's arrested, he can start shouting "I'm being persecuted for my name and beliefs!" to everyone who'll listen.
Personally, I have no problem with this guy changing his name. He may be a loon, but if that's the fundiest thing he ever does, he's harmless.
I don't see that he is any weirder than the guy who was sued by the CocaCola Co. after he had his name legally changed to Coke Is It.
And when Steve dies, god will say to St Peter, "Thou shalt not have any other Gods before me".
Then he chucks both of 'em into hell.
Well, I'm going to change my name to "The Artist formerly known as In God We Trust", and then hang out on his front lawn muttering "I am your future". Which would probably freak him out, seeing as how I am 30 years younger than him....
Okay, fine, change your name, whatever. But can you make anyone care about the name change? That's the real trick.
Man, news must be slow up in Canada if something as trivial as a man's name change is making the news.
moose: It's CBC's Diversions section. It's where they put the funny, weird stories that would otherwise be relegated to two lines in a newspaper if that. Trust me, news is not slow up here, not with the RCMP raiding Conservative Party headquarters.
I want to change my name to "Internal Revenue Service."
That way, I'll get huge checks mailed to me by accident and I'll be a millionaire overnight.
There has to be SOME Hebrew name that means "trusts in God".
But I wonder if he realizes he might set a precedent...and not the good kind? To understand my point, consider the case of a rather uniquely named woman who was arrested for adultery in 17th-century...I forget whether it was England or Massachusetts.
Her name?
"Flee-from-Fornication".
{sigh} What was insufficient about "Chastity"?
If only he somehow wanted to change his name to God In Trust. I can picture it now:
"Hey, GIT, how's it going?"
I wanted to legally change my name to Johann Gambolputty de von Ausfern-schplenden-schlitter-crasscrenbon-fried-digger-dingle- dangle-dongle-dungle-burstein-von-knacker-thrasher-apple- banger-horowitz-ticolensic-grander-knotty-spelltinkle-grandlich- grumblemeyer-spelterwasser-kurstlich-himbleeisen-bahnwagen- gutenabend-bitte-ein-nürnburger-bratwustle-gerspurten-mitz-weimache- luber-hundsfut-gumberaber-shönedanker-kalbsfleisch-mittler-aucher von Hautkopft of Ulm, but I was told to fuck off.
ZION, Ill. - Steve Kreuscher wants a judge to allow him to legally change his name. He wants to be known as "In God We Trust."
The 57-year-old man also says he's worried that atheists may succeed in removing the phrase "In God We Trust" from U.S. currency.
Sure change your name to "In God We Trust." It won't make it any more constitutional on our currency. It doesn't mean squat me, as an atheist, that you want to change your name. I don't even know why this was in the news, but I suppose that's the only reason you wanted to change your name in the first place.
Several years ago, I heard an NPR story about a young man whose favorite book was "Trout Fishing in America."
He loved the book so much, in fact, he asked the court to change his name to "Trout Fishing in America."
The judge said something to the effect of, "young man, do you appreciate that this will cause you a world of trouble in the future?"
He responded "yes your honor", and the judge, presumably rolling his eyes during the whole process, allowed the name change.
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
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