“In God We Trust”—The Motto Of The USA
Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI
Biblical Authority Ministries, October 7, 2025 (Donate)
It surprises many today, since the USA has increasingly
moved to the religion of secular humanism (i.e., a “no God” religion), that the
motto of this nation is “In God We Trust”. It appears on our currency official seals,
courtrooms, state buildings, and has even been on postage stamps showing the
influence of the Christian God.
Origin and Expansion of the Motto
The phrase "In God We Trust" traces its
inspiration to the War of 1812—often called the Second Revolutionary War, where
the US was trying to retain their Independence from Great Britain. The National
Anthem was written during this war. In the famous Star-Spangled Banner written
by Christian (Episcopalian) Francis Scott Key in 1814, the anthem's fourth
stanza includes the line:
“And this be our motto: ‘In God
is our trust!’”
Though this verse is rarely sung today, it clearly expresses
a sentiment of national reliance on God. Though popular and often used for
state events (Naval Flag raisings in the 1800s for instance), this song was not
officially recognized as the National Anthem until 1931. Nevertheless, this line
laid the groundwork for the later adoption of "In God We Trust" in a
more official capacity.
The unofficial status of the motto and national anthem
before their “official” date were deeply rooted and engrained in American
society. Much like the eagle being the unofficial bird of the USA, but was not
recognized until 2024!
Amid the American Civil War, public sentiment grew
increasingly concerned with national morality and divine favor in the Lord.
Many citizens wrote to the U.S. Treasury Department, urging the government to
acknowledge God on the nation’s currency—to which they obliged.
Responding to this movement, a Christian (Episcopalian), Salmon
Chase, who was Secretary of the Treasury under President Abraham Lincoln,
instructed the Director of the Mint to prepare a motto recognizing God. And an
1864, "In God We Trust" appeared on the two-cent coin.
Over the following decades, the motto was gradually added to
more coins, especially those with sufficient space for inscriptions. It became
a familiar—though not yet universal—feature of American money. Florida adopted
the state motto “In God We Trust” in 1868. They reaffirmed this motto in 2006.
The motto appears on both the state seal and state flag.
By the mid-20th century, during the height of the
“Cold War”, U.S. leaders sought to distinguish the United States from atheistic
communist regimes. In this climate, religious expression was increasingly seen
as a patriotic virtue.
In 1956, Christian (Presbyterian) and President Dwight D.
Eisenhower signed a law that Congress had passed officially declaring "In
God We Trust" the national motto of the United States. The law states:
"In God we trust" is
hereby declared to be the national motto of the United States.[1]
The following year, in 1957, the motto was added to paper
currency for the first time—starting with the $1 silver certificate. Its use
expanded from there.
The official seal of the U.S.
House of Representatives includes the motto “In God We Trust” prominently
beneath the eagle. Several U.S. states feature “In God We Trust” in their
official seals, flags, or mottos.
Besides Florida, Mississippi,
in 2014, updated its state seal to include “In God We Trust” and in 2020, the
new state flag also incorporated the motto. Georgia, while not part of the
official full-color state seal, “In God We Trust” appears in some official
versions, especially those used by the General Assembly and in courtrooms.
The phrase has been widely
adopted on state-issued license plates (e.g., Kentucky for example), government
buildings, courtrooms, and statehouse chambers. Many schools, city halls, and
police departments across the U.S. have displayed “In God We Trust” as a symbol
of godly heritage, tradition, and patriotism.
Establishment Clause
Today, "In God We Trust" appears on all U.S. coins
and paper currency. Its use has been upheld in multiple court cases—a
traditional and historical expression, not a direct establishment of religion.
This should be obvious; the founding fathers of the USA openly
referenced God or Jesus Christ and didn’t see that as a violation of the Establishment
of Religion Clause in the First Amendment of the Constitution.
This is where a lot of people who don’t understand are
confused. The Establishment of Religion Clause stands opposite of the English
system that they were rebelling against where one Christian denominational
view was established as the state standard and other Christian denominational
views were then persecuted.
Christian was never the target of the establishment
clause. Denominationalism was. In other words, even if the USA officially
declared Christianity as the national standard, that would not be in violation
of the Establishment Clause—however, if they had said something like the Baptist denomination, Episcopalian denomination, Lutheran denomination, or the Anglican denomination is the national
standard, then that would have been in violation of the Establishment Clause.
This is why having open support for the God of Christianity
and the Bible was welcome in state affairs without question and those who literally
wrote the establishment clause didn’t see this as a violation of it. The ones
who wrote and supported the Establishment Clause were the same ones purchasing
Bibles for use in public classroom education.
They didn’t want to repeat the errors that occurred in England
by forcing one Christian denomination onto other Christian denominations. The Establishment
Clause was to protect the freedom to exercise their local denominational Christian
religion without being persecuted by the state. Sadly, states and non-Christian
religious persons attack Christians for their free exercise all the time and are
dragged into court to defend themselves today.
Conclusion
From the line in The Star-Spangled Banner, to its
first coin appearance during the Civil War, and its official adoption during
the “Cold War”, "In God We Trust" is a powerful national symbol reflecting America's Christian heritage. It
reflects a longstanding theme in American life: the belief that the nation’s
freedom and endurance are tied to God’s guidance and grace.
Bodie Hodge, Ken
Ham's son in law, has been an apologist since 1998 helping out in various
churches and running an apologetics website. He spent 21 years working at Answers
in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding
news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight
Council.
Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children.
