In God We Trust
"In God We Trust" (also rendered as "In God we trust") is the
While the earliest mentions of the phrase can be found in the mid-19th century, the origins of this phrase as a political motto lie in the
The motto remains popular among the American public. According to a 2003 joint poll by
Origins
The earliest recorded usage of the motto in English was in January 1748, when The Pennsylvania Gazette reported on the colours of Associators regiments, namely that of Benjamin Franklin's Pennsylvania militia, one of which said: "IX. A Coronet and Plume of Feathers. Motto, In God we Trust."[17][18][19] According to Thomas S. Kidd, an American historian, this appears to be an isolated instance of an official usage, which could be traced to some renderings of Psalm 56:11.[20]
The precise phrase, “In God We Trust” is also found in a publication of Isaac Watts’
Motto on U.S. currency
Initial adoption
In a letter dated November 13, 1861, Rev. Mark R. Watkinson of Ridleyville,
In the South, the phrase has also gained significant traction. A Confederate
As Chase was preparing his recommendation to Congress, it was found that the federal legislature passed a bill on January 18, 1837, which determined the mottos and devices that should be stamped on U.S. coins. This meant that enactment of some additional legislation was necessary before "In God We Trust" could be engraved. Such bill was introduced and passed as the Coinage Act of 1864 on April 22, 1864, allowing the Secretary of the Treasury to authorize the inclusion of the phrase on one-cent and two-cent coins.[8]
On March 3, 1865, the U.S. Congress passed a bill, which Lincoln subsequently signed as the last act of Congress prior to his assassination,[26] that allowed the Mint Director to place "In God We Trust" on all gold and silver coins that "shall admit the inscription thereon", subject to the Secretary's approval.[8][41] In 1873, Congress passed another Coinage Act, granting the Secretary of the Treasury the right to "cause the motto IN GOD WE TRUST to be inscribed on such coins as shall admit of such motto".[42]
In God We Trust (or, rarely, its variation, God We Trust) first appeared on 2¢ coins, which were first minted in 1863 and went into mass circulation the following year.[43] According to David W. Lange, a numismatist, the inclusion of the motto on a coin was a major driver for the popularisation of the slogan.[44] Other coins, that is, nickels, quarter dollars, half dollars, half eagles and eagles, have had In God We Trust engraved from 1866 on.[45] Dollar coins got the motto in 1873 for trade dollars and 1878 for common circulation Morgan dollars.[45] However, there was no obligation for the motto to be used, so some denominations still didn't have it. Others, such as nickels, have seen the phrase disappear after a redesign, so that by the late 19th century, most of the coins did not bear the motto.[46] Finally, in 1892, an oversight caused the Coinage Act to lose the language which mandated inclusion of the phrase.[47]
Banknotes did not have formal authorization, or mandate, to have "In God We Trust" engraved until 1955. However, a version of the motto (In God Is Our Trust) first made a brief appearance on the obverse side of the 1864 $20 interest-bearing and compound interest treasury notes, along with the motto "God and our Right".[48][49]
Reactions
The initial reaction of the general populace was far from unanimous approval. On the one hand, Christian newspapers were generally happy with the phrase being included in coins, though some advocated for more religiously connoted mottos, such as "In God alone is our trust" or "God our Christ".
The phrase, however, gradually became a symbol of national pride. Just six years after it first appeared on coins, the San Francisco Chronicle called it "our nation's motto"; similarly, groups as diverse as prohibitionists and suffragists, pacifists and nativists, Democrats and Republicans, Christians and Jews all adopted the motto or endorsed its usage by the end of the 19th century.[7] The motto stayed popular even as fewer denominations had "In God We Trust" embossed on coins.[26]
1907 Saint-Gaudens coins controversy
In 1904, President Theodore Roosevelt sought to beautify American coinage and decided to give the task to his friend, Augustus Saint-Gaudens,[40] who, after several delays and technical issues with his design, produced a new design for eagles and double eagles. Roosevelt specifically instructed Saint-Gaudens not to include "In God We Trust" on the coins, as the President feared that these coins would be used to further ungodly activities, such as gambling, and facilitate crime.[40][53] Saint-Gaudens did not oppose the order, as he thought that the phrase would distract from the coin's design features.[53]
The coin, whose ultra-high relief version is now considered one of the most beautiful coins ever struck in the U.S.,[53][54] was indeed appreciated for its esthetics by art critics.[55] However, a scandal immediately erupted over the lack of "In God We Trust" on the eagles and double eagles.[56][57] Theodore Roosevelt insisted that while he was in favor of placing the motto on public buildings and monuments, doing so for money (or postage stamps and advertisements) would be "dangerously close to sacrilege":[39]
"My own feeling in the matter is due to my very firm conviction that to put such a motto on coins, or to use it in any kindred manner, not only does no good, but does positive harm, and is in effect irreverence, which comes dangerously close to sacrilege. ... Any use which tends to cheapen it, and, above all, any use which tends to secure its being treated in a spirit of levity, is from every standpoint profoundly to be regretted. ... it seems to me eminently unwise to cheapen such a motto by use on coins ... In all my life I have never heard any human being speak reverently of this motto on the coins or show any signs of its having appealed to any high emotion in him, but I have literally, hundreds of times, heard it used as an occasion of and incitement to ... sneering ... Every one must remember the innumerable cartoons and articles based on phrases like 'In God we trust for the 8 cents,' ... Surely, I am well within bounds when I say that a use of the phrase which invites constant levity of this type is most undesirable."
— President Theodore Roosevelt, 13 November 1907[58]
Press response was largely negative. Most news outlets affiliated with Christian organisations, as well as
Other coins have also retained or renewed the usage of the motto. All gold coins and silver $1 coins, half dollars and quarters have had the motto engraved since July 1, 1908; pennies followed in 1909 and dimes in 1916.[8] Since 1938, all U.S. coins have borne the "In God We Trust" inscription on them.[8]
Road to universal mandate
It is generally thought that during the Cold War era, the government of the United States sought to distinguish itself from the Soviet Union, which promoted state atheism and thus implemented antireligious legislation,[59] therefore, a debate for further usage of religious motto was started in Congress. Kevin M. Kruse offers an alternative explanation. In his book, he argues that conservative opposition to the New Deal, and those politicians' subsequent successful campaigns to expand the influence of religion, were the main factors that contributed to further adoption of "In God We Trust".[60]
The Eisenhower administration struck a deeply religious tone, which proved a fertile ground for lobbying for inclusion of the motto in more contexts.[61] This is often attributed to the influence of Billy Graham, a prominent evangelist of the time.[62] After intense public pressure for inclusion of the national motto, it appeared for the first time on some postage stamps of the 1954 Liberty Issue,[63][64][65] though lobbying for universal inclusion by Michigan Senator Charles E. Potter and Representative Louis C. Rabaut failed.[61]
The following year, Democratic Representative
On July 11, 1955, the bill, having passed with bipartisan support of both chambers of Congress, was signed into law by President Eisenhower.[70][71] Since all coins already complied with the law, the only changes were made to the paper currency. The motto first appeared on the $1 silver certificate in 1957, followed by other certificates. Federal Reserve Notes and United States Notes[72] were circulated with the motto starting from 1964 to 1966, depending on the denomination.[8][73][74][d]
Adoption and display by government institutions in U.S.
Federal government
On July 30, 1956, the 84th Congress passed a joint resolution "declaring 'IN GOD WE TRUST' the national motto of the United States."[75] The resolution passed both the House and the Senate unanimously and without debate.[76][77][e] It replaced E pluribus unum, which had existed before as a de facto official motto.[6] The United States Code at 36 U.S.C. § 302, now states: "'In God we trust' is the national motto." The resolution was reaffirmed in 2006, on the 50th anniversary of its adoption, by the Senate,[78] and in 2011 by the House of Representatives, in a 396 to 9 vote.[79][80] In 2000, the House additionally encouraged to publicly display the motto.[81][82]
The House of Representatives features the motto above the rostrum of the Speaker, which was carved in the wall in December 1962[83] in response to the Supreme Court banning public school prayer in Engel v. Vitale.[84][85]
State and local governments
Adoption of the national motto in state symbols
In Florida, HB 1145 provided for the adoption of "In God We Trust" as the official state motto, instead of fairly similar "In God Is Our Trust", effective July 1, 2006.[4][5][86] The motto has also appeared on the seal of Florida[87] and on the flag of Florida, as the seal is one of its elements, since 1868.[88]
Georgia's flag features the motto since 2001, which was retained after a redesign two years later.[89]
In Mississippi, the Mississippi Senate voted to add the words, "In God We Trust" to the state seal, justifying it as an effort to protect religious freedom. The change was made effective on July 1, 2014.[90][91] Six years later, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves signed into law a bill requiring that the state's flag, which had contained the Confederate battle emblem, be replaced with a new one containing the phrase "In God We Trust."[92] A new flag containing the motto was approved by voters in a referendum, and it became the official state flag in January 2021.[93]
On April 28, 2023, Governor Bill Lee of Tennessee signed a bill that would require him to submit a new state seal design which would include the national motto. The secretary of state should receive the proposal by July 1, 2025.[94]
Mandating display
- Arkansas: In March 2017, Act 911, sponsored by state Representative Jim Dotson, made it a requirement of Arkansas state law for public schools to display posters with the national motto, if these were donated.[95][96] In 2019, the law was later amended to require public display of the national motto in public schools, higher education institutions and state government buildings, if funds are available for that purpose.[10]
- Florida: In early 2018, Kimberly Daniels, a Democrat who served as a representative for the Florida House of Representatives, introduced HB 839, a bill that requires public schools to display the motto "In God We Trust" in a conspicuous place. On February 21, 2018, the bill passed 97 to 10 in the House.[97][98] Governor Rick Scott then signed the mandate into law.[99][100]
- Idaho: House Concurrent Resolution 32, adopted in March 2020, mandates that the national motto be placed over the chairs of presiding officers of both chambers of Idaho Legislature.[101]
- Kentucky: In 2014, a law was passed that obliged display of the national motto in legislative buildings and in committees.[102] In June 2019, a bill sponsored by state Representative Brandon Reed of Hodgenville was passed that required Kentucky public schools to display the motto "in a prominent location", beginning from the 2019–20 school year.[103][104] To protest the requirement, Fayette County Public Schools, a school district which serves Lexington, complied by posting framed one-dollar bills, which bear the slogan,[104][105] while in LaRue County, of which Hodgenville is seat, schools were using oversized images of pennies.[104]
- Louisiana: A bill requiring public display of the motto in public schools was introduced by state Senator Regina Ashford Barrow in March 2018. It was passed unanimously both in the Senate (33 to 0) and in the House (93 to 0)[106] and signed into law by Governor John Bel Edwards in May that year.[107][108] The bill also mandated school instruction about "In God We Trust" as part of the social studies curriculum.[106][109] The law was strengthened in August 2023 to require the motto to be hung in each classroom.[110]
- public school classroom, as well as the school auditoriums and cafeterias, throughout the state.[111]
- Ohio: Ohio requires public schools to hang material featuring the motto if school districts receive it as donation, or if money is donated with the stated purpose of buying such materials.[10][112]
- South Dakota: In March 2019, South Dakota required public schools to prominently display "In God We Trust" motto on their walls, starting from the 2019–20 school year.[113][114][115]
- Tennessee: In March 2018, a bill sponsored by state Representative Susan Lynn, which requires Tennessee schools to prominently display "In God We Trust" passed the state House with 81 of the 99 members voting in favor of it.[116] After being approved unanimously in the Senate, it was signed by Governor Bill Haslam into law the following month.[117]
- Virginia: A regulation that obliges all Virginia schools to publicly display the motto was signed into law in May 2002.[121][122]
- Utah: Utah's law to oblige schools to publicly display "In God We Trust" was signed into law in March 2002 by Governor Mike Leavitt.[123] The law also mandates school instruction about the motto.[124]
Allowing display
- Alabama: A 2018 law allows display of the motto in schools, libraries, government buildings, and on law enforcement vehicles.[10][125]
- Arizona: Arizona allows public display of the motto in public schools.[10]
- Georgia: Georgia allows for usage of the national motto in schools and government buildings, provided they have funds for pay for its display.[10]
- Indiana: Indiana allows display of the national motto in public schools since 2005.[10]
- Michigan: Michigan allows and encourages the display of the motto in and on public schools as well as state and local government buildings.[10][126]
- New Hampshire: HB 69, introduced in April 2021, initially proposed to require schools to display the national and state motto's, and passed the House 204–169. It was amended in the Senate to allow publication of the mottos and approved on May 13, 2021,[127] which was approved by the House the following month.[128] The bill was signed into law by Governor Chris Sununu on July 30, 2021.[129][130]
- North Dakota: North Dakota statute allows display of the national motto in public schools.[10]
- Oklahoma: A bill was passed in 2004 that allowed public schools to display "In God We Trust" and E pluribus unum in classrooms, auditoriums and cafeterias;[131] a 2018 Senate bill to mandate such display died in the House.[132]
- South Carolina: South Carolina allows political subdivisions and schools to post a display detailing the foundations of the American law and government, of which the national motto is one of thirteen documents, while providing context to these documents in terms detailed by the state statute.[133]
In addition to that, several local governments have introduced the display of the motto in government buildings and municipal cars.[134][135][136] School boards have also seen voluntary introduction of the motto, particularly after the September 11 attacks, when the American Family Association supplied several 11-by-14-inch posters to school systems and vowed to defend any legal challenges to their display.[137]
Society and culture
Multiple scholars have noted that "In God We Trust" motto is one of the main elements of civil religion in the United States.[138]
Religion
In Judaism and Christianity, the official motto "In God We Trust" is not found verbatim in any verses from the Bible, but the phrase is translated in similar terms in Psalm 91:2, in the Old Testament ("I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust") and in the New Testament in 2 Corinthians 1:10 ("Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us.") The concept is paraphrased in Psalm 118:8, Psalm 40:3, Psalm 73:28, and Proverbs 29:25.[139] According to Philip Jenkins, a historian of religion, some Bible translations rendered Psalm 56:11 as "In God I trust; I will not fear",[140] which could lead to substitution of the first "I" for "we".[20]
In Islam the word for the concept of reliance on God is called Tawakkul; the phrase "In God We Trust" is closely paraphrased in two places of the Quran, in surah 10 Yunus, as well as surah Al-A'raf (7:89), and several other verses reinforce this concept.[141] Melkote Ramaswamy, a Hindu American scholar, writes that the presence of the phrase "In God We Trust" on American currency is a reminder that "there is God everywhere, whether we are conscious or not."[142]
License plates
As of May 25, 2021, the following U.S. states currently offer an "In God We Trust" license plate (vanity and standard issues): Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, Ohio,[144] Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.[145][146]
Among the states that use the motto in standard issues, the Mississippi's standard plate will feature the motto as displayed on its state seal until the end of 2023, when it will change to the design that does not contain the motto.[147] Utah offers a standard option license plate with a seal.[148] Florida, which also offers a specialty plate, has an option to place "In God We Trust" instead of the official state nickname or county name;[149] Georgia also provides for such an option,[150] while North Carolina offers an option with North Carolina's state motto and "In God We Trust" instead of "First in Flight" or "First in Freedom".[151] In Tennessee, the 2022 issue license plates have two versions: with and without the national motto.[152] As of March 2023, about 60% of the state's license tags feature "In God We Trust", but this falls to 21% in Davidson County, which includes the state capital, Nashville.[153]
Opinion polls
According to a 2003 joint poll by
Controversy
"In God We Trust" has long been controversial as an official motto due to what opponents perceive as being a religious statement, and as such, violating the separation of church and state. Secular and atheist organizations, such as Americans United for Separation of Church and State,[155][156] Freedom From Religion Foundation,[157][158] as well as The Satanic Temple[92] members, have all opposed inclusion of such motto. On the other hand, Project Blitz as well as conservative organizations and lawmakers have lobbied for its further adoption.[159][160]
Proponents have extensively argued for inclusion of the national motto in more settings, grounding it in the traditional invocations of God that they say have now become an element of a civil religion and should express the will of the founders, who believed in God.[7][82][161][162] Opponents, on the other hand, argue that not only does the motto violate the secular character of the United States, but it also predefines the type and number of gods (if any) to be trusted.[163][156][164]
Litigation
The constitutionality of the phrase "In God We Trust" has been repeatedly upheld according to the judicial interpretation of accommodationism, whose adherents state that this entrenched practice has not historically presented any constitutional difficulty, is not coercive, and does not prefer one religious denomination over another.[165] In Zorach v. Clauson (1952), the Supreme Court also wrote that the nation's "institutions presuppose a Supreme Being" and that government recognition of God does not constitute the establishment of a state church as the U.S. constitution's authors intended to prohibit.[166] The courts also rely on the notion of "ceremonial deism" (as defined in Brennan's dissent in Lynch v. Donnelly, 1984),[167] i.e. that there exist religious references that, through their repetitious and customary usage, have become secular and are thus constitutional.[168] While opponents of such rulings argue that Jefferson's notion of "wall of separation between church and state" prohibits any aid, direct or indirect, to any religious institution, and therefore any ruling to the contrary goes counter to Founders' intent, this separationist view has not gained significant ground in judicial settings.[165][169]
Even though not directly related to the motto,
Even though the Supreme Court has never ruled directly on the constitutionality of "In God We Trust",[16] several appellate federal courts and some state courts have, and the Supreme Court itself did not seem to have any problem with the phrase being inscribed on coins and banknotes.[45]
In 2015,
Additionally, several courts have agreed that "In God We Trust" on public buildings did not violate the Establishment Clause: the
Even though efforts to remove "In God We Trust" in most settings were largely fruitless, mandatory display of mottos in general on license plates drew some skepticism from the judiciary. In
The Supreme Court never decided on the constitutionality of "In God we Trust" as a national/state motto. But in obiter dicta, the majority of the Supreme Court in Wooley indicated they would reject the line of argument that the plaintiffs used in that case to declare the presence of the national motto on currency unconstitutional. They argued that unlike license plates, currency was not something that was either associated directly with the owner or made to display.[45][192]
Usage in other countries
The Spanish equivalent of "In God We Trust", En Dios Confiamos, is an unofficial motto of the Republic of Nicaragua. The phrase can be seen on most of Nicaragua's coins.[11]
Additionally, the phrase has been used in heraldic settings. In 1860, the phrase was included in the
In 2023, Shas, a Haredi religious political party in Israel, proposed a bill that would order inclusion of "In God we trust" motto on banknotes, but it was not likely to pass.[197]
See also
- In other countries:
- Deus seja louvado (Brazil)
- Dieu et mon droit (UK)
- God, Honour, Fatherland (Poland)
- "God Save the King" (UK)
- God zij met ons (Netherlands)
- Gott mit uns (Prussia, previously in Germany)
- In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash
- List of Florida state symbols
- May God have mercy upon your soul
- National symbols of the United States
- Pledge of Allegiance of the United States, "under God" added in 1954
- Religion in the United States
- So help me God
- Trust in God and keep your powder dry
Notes
- ^ For the relevant statutes, see 36 U.S.C. § 302 and United States Public Law 84-851
- ^ See preamble of CSA Constitution: ...invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty God...
- U.S. House of Representatives), p. 3387, the motto was adopted "doubtless with his [Lincoln's] knowledge and approval".
- W. Randolph Burgess, Deputy to the Treasury for Monetary Affairs, had approved of the legislation. 101 Congressional Recordpp. 4384 (quoted), 7796. (1955)
- ^ For the relevant statutes, see 36 U.S.C. § 302 and United States Public Law 84-851
References
- ^ "H. CON. RES. 13" (PDF). United States Government Publishing Office. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2019-05-12. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
Reaffirming In God We Trust as the official motto of the United States
- ^ "Title 36 – Patriotic and National Observances, Ceremonies, and Organizations". United States Government Publishing Office. Archived from the original on 2019-05-12. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
§302. National motto "In God we trust" is the national motto.
- ^ "36 U.S. Code § 302. National motto". Legal Information Institute. Archived from the original on 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
"In God we trust" is the national motto.
- ^ a b "Florida State Motto In God We Trust". www.netstate.com. Archived from the original on 2017-06-14. Retrieved 2018-02-24.
- ^ Florida Department of State. Archived from the originalon 2018-02-16. Retrieved 2018-02-24.
- ^ ISBN 9781107071827. Archived from the original on 2021-04-22. Retrieved 2020-11-12 – via Google Books.
- ^ .
- ^ U.S. Department of the Treasury. 2011. Archivedfrom the original on 2016-04-17. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
- ^ a b Kelley, Bryan (25 September 2019). "'In God We Trust': Public School Displays of the National Motto". Education Commission of the States. Archived from the original on 2021-05-25. Retrieved 2021-05-25.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Display of National Motto in Public Schools" (PDF). National Conference of State Legislatures. September 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-06-20. Retrieved 2021-05-25.
- ^ a b "Billetes y Monedas en Circulación". Central Bank of Nicaragua (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2019-07-04. Retrieved 2021-05-29.
- ^ a b "USA Today/CNN/Gallup Poll results". USA Today. 2011. Archived from the original on 2022-01-08. Retrieved 2011-11-15.
C. The inscription "In God We Trust" on U.S. coins; 2003 Sep 19–21; Approve 90; Disapprove 8; No opinion 2
- ^ a b Kabbany-Fix, Jennifer (2019-08-28). "Nearly half of college students believe 'In God We Trust' should be removed from U.S. currency: poll". The College Fix. Archived from the original on 2021-05-26. Retrieved 2021-05-24.
- ^ "Atheist in battle to remove 'In God We Trust' from US currency". The Daily Telegraph. London. 2010-03-12. Archived from the original on 2013-10-31. Retrieved 2014-02-04.
- ISBN 9780313276637.
- ^ a b Dunn, Christopher (2015-10-02). "Column: The Pope, Invoking God, and New York Courtrooms (New York Law Journal)". New York Civil Liberties Union. Archived from the original on 2021-06-02. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
The Supreme Court has never ruled on any aspect of government use of "In God We Trust," and the phrase appears only as an aside in a few of the Court's opinions.
- ^ "Founders Online: Colors of the Associator Companies, 12 January 1748 and 16 April 1748". National Archives and Records Administration. Archived from the original on 28 July 2021. Retrieved 2021-05-29.
- ^ a b Popik, Barry (2009-07-02). "In God we trust (all others pay cash)". The Big Apple. Archived from the original on 2021-06-02. Retrieved 2021-05-29.
- ISBN 9780300107982.
- ^ a b Kidd, Thomas S. (2015-11-10). "The Origin of "In God We Trust"". Anxious Bench. Archived from the original on 2021-06-02. Retrieved 2021-05-29.
- ^ Watt's Psalter, 1785. June 2006. Archived from the original on 2021-10-31. Retrieved 2021-10-31.
- ^ Chase, Salmon P (1863-12-09). Letter to James Pollock. National Archives and Records Administration. p. 11.
{{cite book}}
:|work=
ignored (help) - ^ Dominguez, André. ""In God We Trust" originated from a Columbia County President Judge" (PDF). Columbia County Historical and Genealogical Society. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-08-09. Retrieved 2021-08-09.
- ^ Popik, Barry (2009-07-02). "In God we trust (all others pay cash)". The Big Apple. Archived from the original on 2021-06-02. Retrieved 2021-05-29.
- ^ "The Liberator. v.15:no.17(1845:Apr.25)". Archived from the original on 2021-06-02. Retrieved 2021-05-28 – via Digital Commonwealth.
- ^ .
- ^ Disney, David T. (February 1845). "Bro. Disney's Address". The Ark, and Odd Fellows Magazine. 2 (2): 20, 184. Archived from the original on 2021-10-15. Retrieved 2021-06-19 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b Myers, R. Andrew (2020-07-25). "How did "In God We Trust" come to be on American currency? A 19th-century Presbyterian played a major role". Log College Press. Archived from the original on 2020-11-03. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
- United States Government Printing Office. 1897. p. 260. Archived from the originalon 2016-11-18. Retrieved 2021-08-07.
- ^ Begley, Sarah (2016-01-13). "How 'In God We Trust' Got on the Currency in the First Place". Time. Archived from the original on 2021-05-06. Retrieved 2021-05-24.
- ISBN 978-1-112-13570-5.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
In 1956, the United States, changed its motto to 'In God We Trust', in large part to differentiate itself from the Soviet Union, its Cold War enemy that was widely seen as promoting atheism.
The following year, 1955, largely at the instigation of Matt Rothert, later president of the American Numismatic Association, Congress amended the U.S. Code to require the national motto to be placed on all coins and currency.
'In God We Trust' was adopted as the national motto in 1956, with neither debate nor a single dissenting vote in the House or Senate.
'In 2006, on the 50th anniversary of its adoption, the Senate reaffirmed 'In God We Trust' as the official national motto of the United States,' Forbes said in a statement announcing the vote. 'Tomorrow, the House of Representatives will have the same opportunity to reaffirm our national motto and directly confront a disturbing trend of inaccuracies and omissions, misunderstandings of church and state, rogue court challenges, and efforts to remove God from the public domain by unelected bureaucrats.'
Citing a crisis of national identity and mass confusion among Americans about their nation's motto, the House on Tuesday voted on a resolution 'reaffirming "In God We Trust" as the official motto of the United States.'
The House of Representatives passed a bi-partisan resolution Tuesday night reaffirming "In God We Trust" as the official motto of the United States. The 396–9 vote came at the request of Rep. Randy Forbes (R-VA).
State motto.—"In God We Trust" is hereby designated and declared the official motto of the State of Florida.
Ohio Battleflag" license plates shall be inscribed with the words "In God We Trust
"Strict separationists" believe that the government has no business supporting religious beliefs or institutions in any way – for example, by providing tax breaks to churches, assisting parochial schools, including prayers or benedictions in public ceremonies, or inscribing "In God We Trust" on the currency. Religious accommodationists can well explain why certain entrenched social practices (such as the inscription of "In God We Trust" on the currency) were not historically perceived as presenting constitutional difficulties: The relevant practices are not coercive and do not prefer one narrow sect over another.
Much more recently, in 1952, speaking through Mr. Justice Douglas in Zorach v. Clauson, 343 U.S. 306, 313, the Supreme Court repeated the same sentiments, saying: We are a religious people whose institutions presuppose a Supreme Being. Mr. Justice Brewer in the Holy Trinity case, supra, mentioned many of these evidences of religion, and Mr. Justice Douglas in the Zorach case referred to ... [P]rayers in our legislative halls; the appeals to the Almighty in the messages of the Chief Executive; the proclamation making Thanksgiving Day a holiday; "So help me God" in our courtroom oaths – these and ... other references to the Almighty ... run through our laws, our public rituals, our ceremonies ... the supplication with which the Court opens each session: "God save the United States and this Honorable Court" (312–313). To this list may be added tax exemption of churches, chaplaincies in the armed forces, the "Pray for Peace" postmark, the widespread observance of Christmas holidays, and, in classrooms, singing the fourth stanza of America which is prayer invoking the protection of God, and the words "in God is our trust" as found in the National Anthem, and the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, modified by an Act of Congress of June 14, 1954, to include the words "under God.
External links
- Final answer? Not quite as star gets second chance to play for a million – article in The Guardian about a disputed quiz question about the motto of the United States.
- Local documentary on origin of phrase