Humanists Voice Opposition to

In a victory for church-state separation, Georgia is holding a re-vote of a new license plate design—without “In God We Trust.”

In a press release issued on July 14, the American Humanist Association expressed disappointment with the Georgia Department of Revenue for holding a license plate design contest featuring designs that included the words “In God We Trust.”

The Atlanta Business Chronicle reported that the “In God We Trust” sticker would be optional and cost $1 for Georgia residents who choose to include the sticker on their license plate. However, this fact was not clear during the online voting process and resulted in several complaints from Georgia residents who saw this as a blatant violation of church-state separation.

“The phrase ‘In God We Trust’ does not speak for all Americans,” said Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association. “Religion shouldn’t be dependent on the popular vote, nor imposed on the population. It’s a slap in the face to the thousands of Georgia residents who respect the separation of church and state.” 

The American Humanist Association urged the Georgia Department of Revenue to offer an alternative sticker with the words “E Pluribus Unum”—Latin for “Out of Many, One”—which was the original motto of the United States. “’E Pluribus Unum’ is an inclusive motto that respects the secular foundation of our country,” said Speckhardt.

As a result, the Department is now conducting a re-vote online of the original eight designs—none of which have the “In God We Trust” optional sticker image. In a press release, the Department clarified that “In God We Trust” is an optional sticker that can be purchased for $1. Voting will last for three weeks and end Monday, August 8.

The American Humanist Association thanks our members in Georgia who took action on this important issue and sent complaints to the Georgia Department of Revenue.

To view the full press release, click here.