If most people don’t believe in God, then why do they put “IN GOD WE TRUST” on money?

A Gallup poll taken a few years ago shows that about 89% of Americans say they believe in God.  Gallup first asked Americans this question in 1944, when 96% responded that they believed in God.

Twelve years later, Congress passed a law in a joint resolution that the phrase “In God We Trust” must appear on American currency; they also passed legislation making the phrase the nation’s motto.  President Eisenhower approved both measures on July 30, 1956.   The phrase first appeared on paper money on October 1, 1957.  (It had earlier appeared on currency in 1864.)

50 years later in 2006, the Senate reaffirmed “In God We Trust” as the official national motto of the U.S.  Five years later in 2011, the House of Representatives passed an additional resolution reaffirming the phrase as the official motto of the U.S. in a 396-9 vote.

According to a 2003 joint poll by USA Today, CNN, and Gallup, 90% of Americans support the inscription “In God We Trust” on U.S. coins.  As of April 1, 2016,  17 states offer an “In God We Trust” specialty license plate.  Georgia and Florida even offer the option of “In God We Trust” replacing the County Name on the license plate.

So it seems that a large majority in this country do in fact hold some form of faith in God.  Perhaps with some it might not be what the Bible calls a living faith due to it not being backed up by works of obedience to God’s revealed will in His Word (James 2:14-26).  Nevertheless, the reason most of our politicians seem to either outright favor or at least put up with the phrase “In God We Trust” being on our currency is because the majority of the population – and thus the majority of the voters – are at least willing to say to pollsters that they believe in God and favor it being on our currency.