With God, all things are possible

"With God, all things are possible" is the state motto of the U.S. state of Ohio. It is derived from the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 19, Verse 26.[1]

This motto stirred controversy for allegedly violating the separation of church and state, resulting in a challenge by the Ohio ACLU. The motto survived the challenge.

The following brief history of this motto is taken from conservative author Robert Struble's Treatise on Twelve Lights:[2]

About the same time America was entering the space age, a nine year old Cincinnati boy, Jimmy Mastronardo, traveled to his State capitol at Columbus, registered as a lobbyist, and campaigned over the next three years for a new State motto. The boy's dream became political reality. It was enacted by both houses of the Ohio legislature, and in July 1959 was signed into law by then Governor Michael Vincent DiSalle.

Previously, in 1866, a Republican General Assembly adopted the motto Imperium in Imperio (Latin: "An Empire Within an Empire" or "Sovereignty Within Sovereignty"[3]); only a year later, a Democratic Assembly repealed it.[4] Until the current motto was adopted in 1959, Ohio remained without a state motto.[5]

References

  1. ^ Matthew 19:26
  2. ^ Struble, Robert (2007). "Insurrection of Suede –– Plan A". Treatise on Twelve Lights. http://www.tell-usa.org/totl/04-Insurrection%20of%20Suede.htm. 
  3. ^ McDonald, Forrest (November 2002). States' Rights and the Union: Imperium in Imperio, 1776–1876. Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. ISBN 978-0-7006-1227-7. http://www.kansaspress.ku.edu/mcdsta.html. 
  4. ^ "Great Seal of Ohio". Ohio History (Columbus, Ohio: Ohio Historical Society) 10: 392–393. April 1902. http://publications.ohiohistory.org/ohstemplate.cfm?action=detail&Page=0010392.html&StartPage=388&EndPage=394&volume=10. Retrieved 2008-11-04. 
  5. ^ Fritsch, Jane (2000-04-30). "Holy Cow! Ohio Has A Motto Problem". The New York Times (The New York Times Company). http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C01E7DA1739F933A05757C0A9669C8B63&sec=&spon=&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink. Retrieved 2008-11-04. 

See also