COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio’s official state motto, “With God, all things are possible,” is once again under scrutiny as a new petition calls for its removal, reviving debates that have followed the phrase since its adoption more than six decades ago.
The motto was added to Ohio law in 1959 after 10-year-old Cincinnati schoolboy Jimmy Mastronardo proposed it in a letter to the Cincinnati Enquirer. With the encouragement of state officials, Mastronardo gathered more than 18,000 signatures to support the idea. He later testified before the Ohio Senate’s State Government Committee, and lawmakers passed the measure that summer. Governor Michael DiSalle signed it into law, and the motto officially took effect on October 1, 1959.
Drawn directly from the New Testament book of Matthew, the phrase was unusual among state mottos, as it quoted Christian scripture word-for-word. Most state mottos with religious references use more generalized language, such as Florida’s “In God We Trust.” For decades, Ohio displayed the motto without controversy, including carving it into the Statehouse plaza.
That changed in the 1990s, when the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio sued to have the motto removed. In 2000, a panel of the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with the challenge, ruling that the biblical quotation represented unconstitutional government endorsement of Christianity. But in 2001, the full Sixth Circuit overturned that decision, allowing the motto to remain.
The majority opinion concluded that the phrase could be read as a broad, theistic message consistent with longstanding traditions in American public life. Judges compared it to expressions of what they called “ceremonial deism,” such as “In God We Trust” on U.S. currency and “one nation under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance. They emphasized that the motto did not coerce religious observance and could therefore be retained.
Not all agreed. Dissenting judges stressed that unlike other civic expressions, the Ohio motto is a verbatim biblical passage and therefore crosses into explicit religious endorsement. They argued that neutrality requires government to avoid quoting directly from sacred texts.
Now, a petition circulating online is calling for lawmakers to repeal the statute and replace the motto with a secular alternative. Organizers say the government should not display language tied to one faith tradition, and they argue the motto alienates non-religious citizens and residents of other faiths.
As of now, no legislation has been introduced in the General Assembly to remove or replace the motto. Any change would require statutory amendment and would carry costs tied to revising signage, documents, and official displays that currently feature the phrase.
Legal experts note that while the Sixth Circuit ruling remains binding precedent, challenges could arise again. The Supreme Court has in recent years been more receptive to religious expression in public spaces, which may strengthen the motto’s standing. Still, critics argue its scriptural origin distinguishes it from more generic civic invocations of God and keeps the issue open to debate.
For now, Ohio remains the only state in the nation with an official motto quoted directly from the Bible — a distinction that continues to stir both pride and protest.