www.MyFaithVotes.com
When you proudly display your IN GOD WE TRUST window decal on your
car, at home, or anywhere else, you may receive questions from others
who see it. We want you to effectively engage with others as to why our
National Motto is important to you. We’ve assembled a short list of
frequently asked questions with some responses you may find helpful.
Q
What does it mean when we declare,
IN GOD WE TRUST?
A.]
Q
The National Motto simply expresses what
has been established from the founding of our
nation, the bedrock belief that America’s hope
and trust is in God. Public posting of the Motto
is a way for Americans to declare that our civic
life is not “all about me” and that our government
is not God. It recognizes God’s primacy in all
of life, including our civic life. It also reminds
us that our civic life—whether it is in schools or
government—is not completely “separate” from
God. On the contrary, millions of Americans of
all faiths acknowledge publicly and privately that
God’s rule and purposes are primary.
Q
A.]
The Supreme Court has repeatedly
assumed the motto’s secular purpose and effect,
and all circuit courts that have considered this
issue – namely the Ninth, Fifth, Tenth, and D.C.
Circuit – have found no constitutional violation in
the motto’s inclusion on currency.
In speaking to the issue, Supreme Court Justice
O’Conner said, “The Constitution does not
guarantee citizens a right entirely to avoid ideas
with which they disagree. It would betray its own
principles if it did; no robust democracy insulates
its citizens from views that they might find novel
or even inflammatory.”
When did IN GOD WE TRUST
become the national motto for the
United States?
Since 2006, the Senate and the House of
Representatives have both overwhelmingly
passed resolutions reaffirming IN GOD WE
TRUST as the official national motto of the United
States of America.
A.]
The phrase appears to have originated
in “The Star-Spangled Banner”, written during
the War of 1812. The fourth stanza includes the
phrase, “And this be our motto: ‘In God is our
Trust.’”
The Motto first began to appear on the currency
of the United States in 1864 after many appeals
to the Treasury Department from citizens who
wanted recognition of Almighty God in some
form on our coins. On July 30, 1956, President
Eisenhower approved a Joint Resolution of the
84th Congress, declaring IN GOD WE TRUST
the national motto of the United States. Following
that passage of that law, IN GOD WE TRUST was
then applied to paper money in 1957, when it
appeared on the one-dollar silver certificate.
Q
Where else is the national motto
displayed?
A.]
In addition to displaying the national
motto on our currency, it is displayed in many
courthouses and schools. In fact, after the
September 11 attacks in 2001, many public
schools across the United States posted “In
God We Trust” framed posters in their “libraries,
cafeterias and classrooms.”
As of April 1, 2016 the following US states
currently offer an “In God We Trust” license
plate for an additional charge above the normal
vehicle registration processing fees which vary
from state to state: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas,
Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana,
North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South
Carolina, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and
Wisconsin. Some states charge a yearly fee for
the plates while others do not.
Isn’t IN GOD WE TRUST a violation
of the Constitution and the separation
of church and state?
Q
Why is it important for us to
acknowledge God in the public square?
A.]
If public acknowledgement of God were to
be eliminated in the United States, it would by
default place government and government alone
in the position of the final arbiter of the moral
order, the decider of what is right and what is
wrong. Many in our nation already believe that.
A recent study told us that 47% of public do not
believe in moral absolutes. History has proven
that a nation without a moral anchor will falter
and fail. We must publicly acknowledge that God
is the basis of our laws and our decisions, not
governors or government.
Q
What is My Faith Votes, and how is
it connected to the promotion of the
national motto?
A.]
My Faith Votes is a non-profit and nonpartisan organization established to inspire
and motivate Christians to act on their faith and
vote. We know that there is strength in numbers,
should all 90 million eligible Christian voters
act. We are partnering with our friends at the
Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation to
restore our dependence on God in the United
States through prayer and the influence of our
vote.
Q
How can I get more information about
My Faith Votes?
A.] Please visit us at www.myfaithvotes.com.