The change took place in a Lake County, Illinois courtroom on Friday. It won't affect U.S. currency, though -- only one man, who now has a new name.
The Zion, IL resident, formerly known as Steve Kreuscher, enacted the second of seven planned name changes last week when he was officially rechristened One Nation Under God. He had taken the name In God We Trust two years earlier.
Though his name comes from a phrase in the Pledge of Allegiance, Under God refuses to recite the pledge. He explained his refusal to the Chicago Tribune by saying, "Christ said make no oaths."
But he gave quite a different reason to the Chicago Sun-Times:
Under God described his name change as a "calling" to return Americans to "One Nation Under God" by overturning the legalization of abortion. "Jan. 22, 1973, is the day the nation murdered God," Under God said.
That is the date the U.S. Supreme Court decided the case of Roe v. Wade. ...
The 59-year-old Under God said many still call him Steve, which he doesn't mind. His boss made the adjustment, though, calling him "In God We Trust" in the workplace. Under God said he didn't know if his boss would now call him "One Nation."
Under God isn't done with name changes, either. In fact, he plans on five more, to be spaced out in two-year intervals. Up next is Seven Seven Seven, a numeric series of some significance to Christians. What Would Jesus Do and No Cross No Crown are also on the list, as are the more colorful Thermado Zattersof and Angelico Zioneero, according to the Tribune. The Sun-Times gives the latter as Andgelical.
