"With God All Things Are Possible" became Ohio's state motto on October
1, 1959. James Mastronardo, a twelve-year-old boy recommended this
quotation from the Bible.
In 1997, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a suit against Ohio
and its state motto, claiming that this phrase from the Bible violated
the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which guarantees
religious freedom and a separation of church and state. Various federal
courts sided with Ohio, allowing the state to retain the motto. Judges
ruled that Ohio's motto does not endorse a specific God and, thus, was
not a violation of the First Amendment. Ohio is one of five states with
the word "God" in their mottos.
