Please help thwart a constitutionally dubious bill pending in the Ohio Legislature.
The House recently passed HB 473, a bill that would allow state officials to place the phrase “With God, All Things Are Possible” alongside the state seal. The bill is up for a hearing in front of a Senate committee tomorrow, Wednesday, Dec. 16. Please take a moment to tell the members of that committee why you oppose this bill.
Regrettably, “With God, All Things Are Possible,” a verse from the New Testament, Matthew 19:26, is the official motto of the state of Ohio (and legal challenges have been unsuccessful). Adopting the sectarian religious phrase as an official motto does not make it any less religious. It was wrong to select this divisive phrase as the state motto — and placing it alongside the state seal compounds that mistake.
HB 473 will be considered by the Senate General Government and Agency Review Committee at a hearing tomorrow. Even if these are not your senators, please take a moment to email the members of this committee to tell them that you oppose HB 473 and want the state seal to remain secular so that it represents all Ohioans, not just Christians. According to the Pew Research Center, 27 percent of Ohioans are not Christian, and that number has been growing every year.
Please feel free to use our automated system to email members of this Senate committee. You may use our suggested talking points, or write your own. For best results, keep your messages polite and succinct.
