Omar Bennett
The inclusion of God in constitutions has been a topic of debate and discussion for centuries. While some nations choose to include references to God or a Supreme Being in their founding documents, others opt for secular language to preserve religious neutrality. The United States Constitution, for example, does not explicitly mention God, but the nation's state constitutions do. This contrast between federal and state-level recognition of divinity sparks questions about the role of religion in government and the intentions of the Founding Fathers. As such, the number of times God is written in a constitution varies, reflecting the diverse approaches nations take to acknowledge or separate religion from the state.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of times God is mentioned in the US Constitution | 0 |
| Number of times God is mentioned in state constitutions | At least once in each of the 50 state constitutions and nearly 200 times overall |
| Number of state constitutions that do not mention God | 4 (Colorado, Iowa, Hawaii, and Washington) |
| Number of state constitutions that refer to a "Supreme Being" or "Supreme Ruler of the Universe" | 3 (Colorado, Iowa, and Washington) |
| Number of references to God in the Massachusetts constitution | 8 |
| Number of references to God in New Hampshire's constitution | 6 |
| Number of references to God in Vermont's constitution | 6 |
| Number of times the word "religion" is mentioned in the US Constitution | 2 |
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What You'll Learn
God in US state constitutions
The US Constitution does not explicitly mention God or the divine. However, it does use the formula "the year of our Lord" in Article VII. On the other hand, the constitutions of individual US states do refer to God or the divine. In fact, according to a Pew Research Center analysis, God or the divine is mentioned at least once in each of the 50 state constitutions and nearly 200 times overall.
All but four state constitutions – those in Colorado, Iowa, Hawaii, and Washington – use the word "God" at least once. The constitutions in Colorado, Iowa, and Washington refer to a "Supreme Being" or "Supreme Ruler of the Universe", while Hawaii's constitution mentions the divine only in its preamble, which expresses gratitude for "Divine Guidance."
Most state constitutions – 34 – refer to God more than once. Of the 116 times the word appears in state constitutions, eight are in the Massachusetts constitution, and New Hampshire and Vermont have six references each. The constitutions of several other states, including California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Texas, Wisconsin, and Puerto Rico, also make references to God.
The state constitutions' mentions of God are consistent with the Declaration of Independence, which includes four religious references: "Nature's God," the "Creator," the "Supreme Judge of the World," and "divine Providence." Additionally, the inclusion of God or the divine in state constitutions can be attributed to historical and traditional reasons, as well as the desire to legitimize state power by associating it with the will of God.
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God in the Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence, drafted by Thomas Jefferson, contains several references to God. The document mentions God four times, each demonstrating the founders' understanding of God's power and nature. The founding fathers' recognition of God is in stark contrast to the absence of any mention of God in the Constitution.
The first mention of God in the Declaration of Independence occurs in the very first sentence, which refers to the "Laws of Nature and of Nature's God." This phrase acknowledges the source of power as God and recognises that the power to establish a nation was given to them by God. The introduction affirms that the "Laws of Nature and Nature's God" entitle the American people to a "separate and equal station among the powers of the earth." This reference to a deity serves to validate the assertion of independence.
The second reference to God in the Declaration of Independence is as the "Creator," who endows all people with certain unalienable rights, including "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." This theory of rights depends on a Supreme Being, not man, for its validity. By stating that people's rights are God-given, the Founding Fathers endowed those rights with a legitimacy that cannot be challenged by any mortal source.
The third mention of God in the Declaration of Independence is as the "Supreme Judge of the World." The founding fathers recognised that justice is God's idea and that He, as the ultimate judge, ensures that true justice will prevail.
Finally, the last sentence of the Declaration of Independence includes a reference to "divine Providence," expressing the founders' belief in God's protection and their reliance on it. They pledge their "Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor" with a firm reliance on "the protection of divine Providence."
The inclusion of these references to God in the Declaration of Independence reflects the founders' understanding of and trust in God. It also highlights the importance of religion in the founding of the nation, even as the country has evolved in its religious views over time.
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God in European constitutions
The inclusion of God in the constitutions of various nations has been a topic of much debate and discussion. While the US Constitution does not explicitly mention God, the nation's state constitutions do, with God or the divine mentioned at least once in each of the 50 state constitutions and nearly 200 times overall. This differs from the approach taken by most European countries, with only five of the 27 European Union member states' constitutions including the word "God".
Historically, treaties between Christian nations often began with an invocation of God, a tradition that continued into the 19th century when written constitutions became the norm for modern states. Several European states, such as Germany, carried this tradition forward into their founding documents, while others, like France, chose to exclude any mention of God to preserve the state's religious neutrality.
The German constitution, for example, includes a preamble that acknowledges the responsibility of the German people "before God and man" in adopting their Basic Law. Similarly, Poland's strongly Catholic-influenced constitution recognizes the nation as "both those who believe in God as the source of truth, justice, good and beauty, as well as those not sharing such faith, but respecting those universal values as arising from other sources."
On the other hand, the constitutions of Norway (1814), Luxembourg (1868/1972), Iceland (1944/68), Italy (1947), and Portugal (1976) notably do not include references to God. The French constitution, exemplifying absolute laicism, excludes any ecclesiastical influence or control, with "Freedom, equality, and brotherliness" as the collective ideal.
The inclusion of God in European constitutions is not just a matter of historical tradition or religious influence. It also serves to legitimize governmental power by declaring it to be exercised according to the will of God, acknowledging the inherent limitations of human law and power. In countries with a long constitutional history and a shared religious faith, references to God can anchor the state in history and tradition, perpetuating the invocationes dei of older constitutions.
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God in Eastern European constitutions
Following the fall of the Soviet Union, the newly independent Eastern European nations adopted new democratic constitutions in the early 1990s. These constitutions took a variety of approaches to the issue of including references to God.
The preamble to the 1997 Polish constitution, for example, does not mention God directly but refers to the country as "both those who believe in God as the source of truth, justice, good and beauty, as well as those not sharing such faith, but respecting those universal values as arising from other sources". The preamble to the Slovakian constitution also does not mention God directly but refers to the country's "spiritual heritage of Cyril and Methodius". On the other hand, the constitutional preambles of Poland and Ukraine contain a nominatio dei, or a "naming of God".
The inclusion of a nominatio dei was hotly debated in the preparation of the preamble to the proposed European Constitution. Many German Christian-Democrats considered the preamble of the 1997 Polish constitution a good compromise for the EU treaty. The German Protestant Church and the speaker for the Central Committee of German Catholics also supported a reference to God in the EU treaty. However, the governments of the member states eventually failed to reach a consensus for a reference to Christianity.
The French constitution, on the other hand, is an example of absolute laicism, excluding any ecclesiastical influence or control. The first Article explains that "France is an indivisible, secular, democratic and social republic." Similarly, the preamble of Turkey's constitution states that "holy religious sentiments, as the principle of secularism demands, should in no way be mixed with the affairs of the state".
While only five of the 27 European Union member states' constitutions include the word "God" in their texts, this does not mean that religion does not appear in the other countries' constitutions. For example, the Italian constitution states that "all religious commitments are equal before the law". The Spanish constitution also states that "there is no state religion" and that the "public authority respects the religious views of Spanish society".
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God in US currency
The inclusion of the phrase "In God We Trust" on US currency has been a topic of debate for many years. The phrase first appeared on US currency in 1864 during the Civil War, when religious sentiment was on the rise. Many Americans believed that the war was a result of the country turning away from religion. As a result, they wanted the world to know what their country stood for, and so they wrote to the Secretary of the Treasury, Salmon P. Chase, requesting the inclusion of God on US coins. Chase agreed with their arguments, and Congress passed an act requesting the addition of "In God We Trust", which was adapted from a lesser-known verse of Francis Scott Key's "Star-Spangled Banner". The first two-cent coin with the phrase was minted in 1864, and the phrase gradually became accepted among Americans.
However, the inclusion of "In God We Trust" on US currency has not been without controversy. Numerous court cases have been brought forward over the years, challenging both the constitutionality of the phrase and whether references to God violate the separation of church and state. Some groups and individuals in the United States have objected to its use, arguing that it violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. These groups believe that the phrase should be removed from currency and public property, and their argument has resulted in numerous lawsuits.
Despite the controversy, the courts have largely upheld the use of the motto, determining that the phrase is not inherently religious. In 1956, Congress passed a joint resolution, signed by President Eisenhower, declaring "In God We Trust" to be the official motto of the United States. This decision was influenced by the Cold War and the desire to set the US apart from the godless ideology of the Soviet Union. By 1957, the motto appeared on paper currency, and it has since been included on all US currency.
According to polls, the motto remains popular among the American public, with a 2003 joint poll by USA Today, CNN, and Gallup finding that 90% of Americans support the inscription "In God We Trust" on US coins. However, a more recent 2019 student poll by College Pulse showed that only just over half of the students supported its inclusion in currency, with two-thirds of those who identified as Democrats opposing and 94% of Republicans in favor.
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Frequently asked questions
God is not explicitly mentioned in the US Constitution. However, "our Lord" is used as a boilerplate term to record dates.
God is mentioned at least once in each of the 50 state constitutions and nearly 200 times overall.
By the time of the Constitutional Convention, most of the nation believed that an establishment of religion violated religious liberty. The Founding Fathers wanted to keep the new national government out of affairs of religion or conscience.
The state constitutions of Colorado, Iowa, Hawaii, and Washington do not mention God.
Yes, many countries' constitutions mention God. For example, the constitutions of Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic include references to God or spiritual heritage.
