For other uses see In God We Trust (disambiguation). "In God We Trust"

In God We Trust was adopted as the official motto of the United States in 1956. It is also the motto of the U.S. state of Florida. The phrase has appeared on U.S. coins since 1864 and on paper currency since 1957.1 Its Spanish equivalent En Dios Confiamos is the motto of the Central American nation of Nicaragua.2

The origin of the phrase is no doubt derived from the Bible as a plethora of psalms contain this phrase or derivations of it (Psalms 20 Psalms 56 & Psalms 62 etc.) The phrase has been incorporated in many hymns and patriotic songs. The final stanza of The Star-Spangled Banner written in 1814 by Francis Scott Key (and later adopted as the U.S. national anthem) contains an early reference to a variation of the phrase: "...And this be our motto: 'In God is our trust'."3

It was first used as a motto on coinage on the 1864 two-cent coin followed in 1866 by the 5 cent nickel (18661883) quarter dollar half dollar silver dollar and gold dollars.14 An 1865 law allowed the motto to be used on coins.5 The use of the motto was permitted but not required by an 1873 law. While several laws come into play the act of May 18 19086 is most often cited as requiring the motto (even though the cent and nickel were excluded from that law and the nickel did not have the motto added until 1938). Since 1938 all coins have borne the motto.

On July 11 1954 just one year after the phrase "under God" was incorporated into the Pledge of Allegiance7 the U.S. Congress enacted Public Law 84-140 which required the motto on all coins and currency. The law was approved by President Eisenhower on July 30 1956 and the motto was progressively added to paper money over a period from 1957 to 1966.1

In 1956 the phrase was legally adopted as the United States' national motto by a law passed by the 84th United States Congress.(Public Law 84-851)"8 and the United States Code at 36 U.S.C.  302 now states: "'In God we trust' is the national motto." Controversy A circulated $1 bill with "In God We Trust" marked out with a custom-made stamp.

Some critics contend that the motto's placement on money constitutes the establishment of a religion or a church by the government thus violating the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment and the Separation of church and state. The motto was first challenged in Aronow v. United States in 1970 but the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled: "It is quite obvious that the national motto and the slogan on coinage and currency 'In God We Trust' has nothing whatsoever to do with the establishment of religion. Its use is of patriotic or ceremonial character and bears no true resemblance to a governmental sponsorship of a religious exercise."9 The decision was cited in Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow a 2004 case on the Pledge of Allegiance. In Lynch v. Donnelly (1984) the Supreme Court upheld the motto because it has "lost through rote repetition any significant religious content". So-called acts of "ceremonial deism" have supposedly lost their "history character and context".10 In Zorach v. Clauson the Supreme Court has also held that the nation's "institutions presuppose a Supreme Being" and that government recognition of God does not constitute the establishment of such a state church as the Constitution's authors intended to prohibit. Constitutionalists object to sworn judiciaries employing historical context in what they believe ought to be a raw textual interpretation.1112 Some activists have been known to cross out the motto on paper money as a form of protest.13 Although federal law (18 U.S.C.  333 and 18 U.S.C.  475) prohibits defacement of currency it specifies either "intent to render such bank bill...unfit to be reissued" or a "notice or advertisement" and no documented cases exist of prosecution for such action. Additionally the Federal Reserve frequently recirculates similarly altered notes.14

Outside of constitutional objections President Theodore Roosevelt took issue with placing the motto on coinage as he considered it sacrilegious to put the name of God on money.15

A long-standing irreverent joke slogan was eventually cited as the title of a book In God We Trust All Others Pay Cash. Notes References a b c "U.S. Treasury - Fact Sheet on the History of "In God We Trust"". United States Department of the Treasury. http://www.treasury.gov/about/education/Pages/in-god-we-trust.aspx. Retrieved 2011-05-23.  As shown on the Crdoba (bank notes and coins); see for example Banco Central de Nicaragua 50th Anniversary of Our National Motto "In God We Trust" 2006 Proclamation Issued by President Bush White House. Congressional Record 1956 p. 13917 via NonBeliever.org Sikorski Robert (1993). Prayer in public schools and the Constitution. Courier Corporation. pp. 44041. (13 Stat. 517518) Sikorski loc.cit.(35 Stat. 164) "The Pledge of Allegiance" ushistory.org Steven B. Epstein "Rethinking the Constitutionality of Ceremonial Deism" Columbia Law Review Vol. 96 No. 8. (Dec. 1996) p. 2083-2174 quoting the peroration (abridged here) of the speech by Charles Edward Bennett sponsor in the House the only speech in either House of Congress on the subject. President Eisenhower and W. Randolph Burgess Deputy to the Treasury for Monetary Affairs had approved of the legislation! 101 Congressional Record pp. 4384 (quoted) 7796. (1955) Aronow 432 F.2d at 243. LYNCH v. DONNELLY 465 U.S. 668 (1984) U.S. Supreme Court Atheist protests In God We Trust' posting Judge turns down atheist's suit challenging 'In God We Trust' ""In God We Trust"--Stamping Out Religion On National Currency". Flashline. American Atheists. 1999-03-15. http://www.atheists.org/flash.line/igwt1.htm. Retrieved 2008-01-22.  Lacitis Erik (2004-10-04). "Where's George Tracking the travels of paper currency". The Seattle Times (The Seattle Times Company). http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002053434wheresgeorge04m.html. Retrieved 2008-07-16.  "ROOSEVELT DROPPED 'IN GOD WE TRUST'; President Says Such a Motto on Coin Is Irreverence Close to Sacrilege. NO LAW COMMANDS ITS USE He Trusts Congress Will Not Direct Him to Replace the Exalted Phrase That Invited Constant Levity.". The New York Times. November 14 1907. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.htmlres9406E2D8103EE033A25757C1A9679D946697D6CF. Retrieved 26 August 2010.  "The U.S. National Mottos: Their history & constitutionality" External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to: In God We Trust 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. v d eUnited States currency and coinage Topics Federal Reserve System  Federal Reserve Note  U.S. dollar  U.S. Mint  Bureau of Engraving and Printing   Mutilated currency Current coinage Penny (1)  Nickel (5)  Dime (10)  Quarter (25)  Half dollar (50)  Dollar ($1) Bullion coinage America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins  American Buffalo  American Gold Eagle  American Platinum Eagle  American Silver Eagle Paper money $1  $2  $5  $10  $20  $50  $100  Larger denominations See also Bicentennial coinage  Commemoratives  Early Commemoratives  Modern Commemoratives   Confederate dollar  Fake denominations  Obsolete denominations  Mill  Coin production  In God We Trust  E pluribus unum  Nicknames