Ohio's State Motto
During the early 1950s, the Ohio legislature sponsored a contest for selecting a state motto. "With God All Things Are Possible" became Ohio's state motto on October 1, 1959. James Mastronardo, a twelve-year-old boy recommended this quotation from the Bible.
In 1997, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a suit against Ohio and its state motto, claiming that this phrase from the Bible violated the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which guarantees religious freedom and a separation of church and state. Various federal courts sided with Ohio, allowing the state to retain the motto. Judges ruled that Ohio's motto does not endorse a specific God and, thus, was not a violation of the First Amendment. Ohio is one of five states with the word "God" in their mottos.
Time Periods
Citation
"Ohio's State Motto", Ohio History Central, July 1, 2005, http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=1885
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