Secular Coalition Opposes Reaffirmation
Of ‘In God We Trust’ as National Motto

House Judiciary Members Sent Letters Urging Them
To Focus on Issues Inclusive of All Constituents

(Washington, D.C.) — On Friday, February 4, 2011, the Secular Coalition for America sent letters to members of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee urging them to oppose a resolution that would unnecessarily reaffirm the phase “In God We Trust” as our nation’s official motto. House Concurrent Resolution 13 also calls for the support and encouragement of the public display of the national motto in all public buildings, public schools, and government institutions.

The Secular Coalition told House Judiciary members that the motto is not inclusive of the beliefs of all Americans, including millions of atheists, agnostics, humanists, and other nontheists, as well as millions of other Americans whose non-Judeo-Christian beliefs do not entail the use of the word “god.”

According to the letter, the resolution’s passage “would continue to alienate millions of Americans from their government and encroach further on the nation’s tradition of separation of church and state.”

The phrase “In God We Trust” has had a short history as the nation’s motto, adopted only in 1956 during the height of the Cold War. The previous de facto motto was “E pluribus unum,” which is Latin for “Out of many, one.”

The Secular Coalition asked the Committee members to “focus on protecting the rights of all U.S. citizens and the integrity of the Constitution,” rather than wasting time on a resolution that does not alter law in any way.

The text of the letter sent to House Judiciary members can be found here.

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The Secular Coalition for America is the national lobby for atheists, humanists, freethinkers, and other nontheistic Americans. From our office in the nation's capital, our lobbyists and support staff engage public policy makers and the media on issues ranging from religion's influence on education and medical research to the privileging of faith groups by government. We are the first and only cooperative venture of freethought organizations coming together to improve the cultural and political situation of a previously unrepresented constituency: the tens of millions of atheists and agnostics in the United States.