May 1, 2000
Ohio's motto ruled out because 'uniquely Christian'
___COLUMBUS, Ohio (RNS)--Deciding that the state motto of Ohio expresses "a uniquely Christian thought" and is a government endorsement of Christianity, a federal appeals court declared the motto unconstitutional April 25 in a 2-1 vote.
___In prohibiting Ohio's use of the motto "With God, all things are possible," the appellate court decided U.S. District Judge James Graham should not have granted Ohio permission to use the motto with the stipulation that the phrase's biblical origins could not be cited.
___"When Jesus spoke to his disciples, he was explaining to them what was needed of them to enter heaven and achieve salvation, a uniquely Christian thought not shared by Jews and (Muslims)," wrote Circuit Judge Avern Cohn.
___In its suit filed on behalf of Presbyterian minister Matthew Peterson, the American Civil Liberties Union argued the phrase is inseparable from its biblical context.
___"Remarkably, advocates of the state motto attempted to drain the passage of its theological significance in their effort to avoid the First Amendment implications of its meaning," said Raymond Vasvari, the ACLU's Ohio legal director. "It is just another example of how state sponsorship ultimately does no favors to religion."
___The appellate court's lone dissenter, Circuit Judge David Nelson, said he found Ohio's state motto no more upsetting than the phrase "In God We Trust" printed on U.S. currency.
___But Cohn, citing two federal appeals courts rulings since 1970, said "In God We Trust" is not the equivalent of a state endorsement of religion, and noted that the U.S. Supreme Court never has ruled on a direct challenge to the phrase.
___Ohio Gov. Bob Taft, a Republican, has vowed to do "everything within my power to uphold and defend the motto."
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