A divided county council in Pierce County, Washington Tuesday voted to display the motto "In God We Trust" in its chambers, becoming the first jurisdiction in the Northwest to take part in a national campaign to feature the motto.
But the approval came with a twist.
Self-described agnostics, humanists and a Jew testified that the public display of the "In God We Trust" motto would alienate them their government. The chief proponent, Pierce County Council member Jim McCune, said he views the motto as universal.
"It is our national motto," he said. "It is not religious. It is not a church-state issue. It has been settled in the courts."
The divisiveness prompted another council member to propose the substitution of an earlier national motto, "E Pluribus Unum," which is Latin for "Out of many, one." Finally, a council majority, with a 4-to-3 vote, decided to prominently display both.
A California-based nonprofit group called In God We Trust~America promotes that motto's display. It lists nearly 400 city and county councils as having joined its movement in recent years. Until this week, none on that list were in Oregon, Idaho or Washington.
