The phrase “IN GOD WE TRUST” became the national motto of the United States in 1956, but it first appeared on American coinage during the Civil War. (Read more about the history.)
Yet the phrase has met contention. It has been battled over for more than a century.
As far back as 1907, people have been raising concerns: President Theodore Roosevelt, in a letter published in the New York Times, wrote that keeping the motto on coins was unwarranted and possibly sacrilegious. He wrote:
“My own feelings 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.”
The motto was first legally challenged in 1970 in the Aronow v. United States case, and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled “its use is of patriotic or ceremonial character and bears no true resemblance to a governmental sponsorship of religious exercise.”
Modern Challenges
A chain email in the early 2000s claimed the motto had been removed from dollar coins. It hadn’t, though some 2007 Presidential Gold Coins had the inscription on the coin’s edge, rather than the more typical obverse. The U.S. Mint did have problems with the George Washington dollar coins, and an “unknown number” were mistakenly produced without the edge inscription — if you find one of these rare coins, make sure to hold on to it.
In 2010, the House of Representatives took the time to pass a nonbinding resolution to reaffirm the words as a motto, in what was later decried as a politically motivated distraction.
In 2013, atheist groups sued to have the motto removed from coins and currency, saying it conveys a religious message that “violates separation of church and state and puts them in a position of spreading a religious message” when they use their money.
The lawsuit was dismissed, with the judge saying the plaintiffs couldn’t prove they faced a “substantial burden” because of the motto. Plaintiffs tried to appeal, but the Supreme Court declined to hear the case.
Because of the long history of the motto, and several laws affirming its use on United States coins and currency, it looks like the phrase will continue its legacy in American culture.
What do you think about the phrase “In God We Trust”? Would you replace it with something else?
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