Leece said the display isn’t meant to force a particular religious viewpoint on anyone, but rather to celebrate the United States’ national motto and promote patriotism.
“It’s not a coercive effort,” Leece said. “It’s not forcing anyone to believe or not to believe.”
Fourteen cities in Orange County have placed the “In God We Trust” motto in their city council chambers: Brea, Buena Park, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Los Alamitos, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente, Seal Beach, Tustin, Villa Park, Westminster and Yorba Linda.
The growing movement to add the “In God We Trust” motto to city halls across the country was started by Bakersfield City Councilwoman Jacquie Sullivan in 2001.
Sullivan encourages other cities to adopt the motto through a nonprofit she founded called In God We Trust-America.
Since Sullivan persuaded the Bakersfield City Council to adopt the expression in 2001, 59 other cities in California have followed suit.
“We have to teach patriotism to our younger generations and value the history of our country,” Sullivan said. “We want to pass on the true history of our country. Freedom of religion does not mean freedom from religion.”
There has never been a legal challenge to any of the cities that have adopted the slogan, Sullivan said.
The Supreme Court has upheld the motto, ruling the expression has “lost through rote repetition any significant religious content.”
Most, if not all of the California city councils who have taken up the issue over the past eight years, end up voting in favor of using the motto, Sullivan said.
“I’m supportive of it,” Mayor Allan Mansoor said. “Our founding fathers mentioned trusting God often, and so I think our heritage as Americans is something we can be proud of.”
