As a passionate advocate for the original motto of the United States, "E Pluribus Unum," meaning “Out of many, one,” I find it deeply troubling that our currency carries the phrase “In God We Trust.” This phrase was not part of our country's original design as suggested by committee on July 4, 1776. Instead, it was added in 1956 during a time when America was grappling with Cold War fears.

The inclusion of this religious reference on government-issued material directly conflicts with Article 41 which states that “All religious communities shall be equal before the law and clearly separated from the state.” The presence of this phrase on our currency is an implicit endorsement of monotheistic religion by our government, which contradicts the principles upon which our nation was founded.

According to a survey conducted by Pew Research Center in 2019, about one-quarter (26%) of U.S. adults now identify as atheist, agnostic or 'nothing in particular.' This means that over a quarter of Americans are using currency daily that does not represent their beliefs.

We must return to honoring all citizens' beliefs and uphold true separation between church and state as intended by our founding fathers. Therefore, we urge Congress to remove "In God We Trust" from all US currency and restore "E Pluribus Unum" as our national motto displayed on these items.

Please sign this petition if you believe in maintaining separation between church and state while respecting diversity within America's citizenry.