Myth Watch

The shocker: “In God We Trust” is coming off the penny!

The myth: Only a few weeks after the U.S. Mint announced in September that the Lincoln cent was being redesigned, an outraged e-mail started circulating. “Thanks to the ACLU and other similar groups, the words ‘In God We Trust’ have been removed,” it said. The e-mail urged people to speak out before “they outlaw prayer in church.”

The reality: The Snopes site that explores online myths tracked down the truth. Four new designs of the penny will debut in 2009 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth. But the new depictions -- each of which will show a facet of the president’s life -- will be on the reverse side of the coin. No changes are planned for the side that shows Lincoln’s profile and the “In God We Trust” motto.

Info: www.snopes.com/politics/religion/lincolncent.asp