Secularize State Mottoes
State mottoes may be said to reflect the character and beliefs of the citizens of the state, or more accurately, the citizens of the state when they were adopted. Following is a list of states whose official state motto makes religious references. It would be a very rare instance that would give anyone legal standing to challenge these in court but if you live in one of these states you may be able to find a more appropriate alternative and suggest the change to your state representative.
| State | Motto | Adopted | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | "Ditat Deus" (God enriches) |
1864 | Richard McCormick, the first Secretary of the Territory of Arizona in 1863, the Arizona Territorial seal. His seal depicted a miner in front of a wheelbarrow with a pick and a short-handled spade. Two mountains rose in the background. McCormick's seal also included the motto, Ditat Deus. Arizona's motto, Ditat Deus, meaning "God Enriches", is probably an abbreviation of Genesis, Chapter 14, verse 23, of the Latin Vulgate Version of the Bible. Whether or not McCormick's motto was inspired by the book of Genesis, it does convey a strong religious sentiment. |
| Colorado | "Nil Sine Numine" (Nothing Without the Deity) |
1877 | The seal of the state shall be two and one-half inches in diameter, with the following device inscribed thereon: An heraldic shield bearing in chief, or upon the upper portion of the same, upon a red ground three snow-capped mountains; above surrounding clouds; upon the lower part thereof upon a golden ground a miner's badge, as prescribed by the rules of heraldry; as a crest above the shield, the eye of God, being golden rays proceeding from the lines of a triangle; below the crest and above the shield, as a scroll, the Roman fasces bearing upon a band of red, white, and blue the words, "Union and Constitution"; below the whole the motto, "Nil Sine Numine"; the whole to be surrounded by the words, "State of Colorado", and the figures "1876". |
| Connecticut | "He Who Transplanted Still Sustains" | 1788 | In 1889 State Librarian Charles J. Hoadly published an article, printed in the Connecticut State Register and Manual, 1889: Register and Manual of the State of Connecticut that stated: "The vines [on the State Seal] symbolize the Colony brought over and planted here in the wilderness. We read in the 80th Psalm: 'Thou has brought a vine out of Egypt: Thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it' and the motto expresses our belief that He who brought over the vine continues to take care of it--Qui transtulit sustinet." George Earlie Shankle, Ph.D., in State Names, Flags, Seals, Songs, Birds, Flowers and Other Symbols states: "Connecticut's motto means He who transplanted contiues to sustain. It is an adaptation of Psalms, Chapter 79, verse 3, of the Latin Vulgate Version of the Bible." |
| Florida | "In God We Trust" | 1868 | On June 22, 2006, Governor Jeb Bush signed House Bill no. 1145 adopting In God We Trust as the official state motto of Florida, effective July 1, 2006. The motto's intent is clear. It expresses a definite faith in a deity referred to as God. Title 4 Chapter 15 states: The great seal of the state shall be of the size of the American silver dollar, having in the center thereof a view of the sun's rays over a highland in the distance, a sabal palmetto palm tree, a steamboat on water, and an Indian female scattering flowers in the foreground, encircled by the words "Great Seal of the State of Florida: In God We Trust." |
| Kentucky | "Deo gratiam habeamus" (Let us be grateful to God) |
2002 | The official Latin motto of the Commonwealth of Kentucky was adopted by an Act of the Kentucky General Assembly on April 1, 2002. The legislation was signed by Kentucky Governor Paul E. Patton on April 11, 2002. "the Latin phrase "Deo gratiam habeamus," which is rendered in English "Let us be grateful to God," does correctly express the sentiment clearly stated in the Preamble to our Constitution." (Does not appear on State seal) |
| Ohio | "With God all things are possible" | 1959 | On 2001-MAR-16, the full 6th U.S. Court of Appeals reversed the decision of its own three judge panel. "The motto involves no coercion. It does not purport to compel belief or acquiescence. It does not assert a preference for one religious denomination or sect over other." Four dissenting judges stressed that the Ohio motto is "extracted word-for-word from the Bible. The state should not align itself with Jesus Christ. Yet that is precisely what Ohio has done". (Does not appear on State seal) |
| South Dakota | "Under God, The People Rule." | 1885 | The South Dakota motto, like others, was adopted as part of the state seal. It was suggested by the Reverend Joseph Ward, founder of Yankton College, at the 1885 Constitutional Convention. It was adopted as the South Dakota motto, as an element of the state seal in the 1885 constitution and in the 1889 constitution. The wording in the South Dakota Constitution, pertaining to the motto, reads: Properly divided between the upper and lower edges of the circle shall appear the legend, "Under God the People Rule" which shall be the motto of the state of South Dakota. |