The image of the U.S. dollar bill is one of the most recognizable pieces of currency, for its design, images, and quotations. However, when examined, the imagery can be concerning for the message that is conveyed, including pictorial elements that are not in the United States. The fear of death has been known to motivate people to change their diets, exercise more, drive while wearing a seatbelt, and to be wealthy; images of the dollar bill display religious blessings that create the ideology of money is immortality, which is a factor of America’s infatuation with wealthy status. The root of money and the concept of currency is tied to spirits, religion, and various god figures. Money began in ancient temples to exchanges of gold for religious …show more content…
This has created a materialistic country, where possessions and wealth decide a person’s value to society. The first phrase on the U.S. dollar bill that is the most recognizable is, “In God We Trust!”. This is located on the back of the dollar bill. The inclusion of this quote directly applies religion to government currency. How does this phrase contribute to the idea of money? “God has metamorphosized into money and materialism in contemporary society” (Solomon, Greenberg, Pyszczynski), which translates to God is an association of money, where money is higher value than God. It is common to think of money before God when the question of “What gives a sense of security?”. To continue the quote above, “We may not trust God anymore, but we do trust cash”. This is the beginning of the pictorial elements that strengthen the association of money and …show more content…
dollar bill. The first symbol that points to immortality is that of the pyramid. There are not any pyramids in the United States, but the Latin translations of the symbols explain the idea. The second symbol that is combined the the pyramid is a floating eye, that is located directly above the pyramid. These two images reflect “the eye of God opening to us when we reach the top of the pyramid and attain immortality”, the Latin phrases written next to this also support the reflection. Above the floating eye is the phrase annuit coeptis which translates to “He favors new undertakings”. This associates God’s blessings to the owner of the dollar bill. The second phrase that is under the pyramid is novus ordo seclorum that, “refers to “a new order of the ages” or something that lasts into posterity” (Solomon, Greenberg, Pyszczynski). The three phrases combined together says that God is money, that he blesses those who have money, and that the blessing of money will be passed on to future