The Virginia Senate spurred a rash of controversy when it voted Tuesday in favor of requiring all public schools to post the nation's motto, "In God We Trust," in a prominent place.
The bill passed by a vote of 30 to 10, but debate still rages over its constitutionality.
"If this is where patriotism is coming from, then we're headed for trouble," State Sen. Richard L. Saslaw, D-Fairfax, said.
He argued that the bill, rather than giving students inspiration and relief, forces the beliefs of its supporters upon others unwillingly.
Saslaw said he sees the dispute as attempting to cultivate patriotism through the promotion of a religious idea.
"We have no business putting the official motto of the United States in schools," he said.
State Sen. Nick Rerras, R-Norfolk, sponsor of the bill, pointed to the unique background of the nation's motto as the primary reason for its posting.
The motto first appeared on coins during the Civil War in response to a call for support and recognition by Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase.
It faded out several times, only to be brought back by general demand as a congressional law. Upon formal declaration of the motto, the U.S. Congress declared that it would be a great source of psychological and spiritual aid to have something written in plain popular English for all to see.
"In days of terrorist attacks, when we're at war, we as a nation need to remember God," Rerras said.
The motto is a means of fostering patriotism because it has served as a symbol of strength and unity in the past, he said.
Approximately 10 years after the first amendment was in place, Thomas Jefferson lobbied in favor of having key books of the bible as material to be taught in school. This indicates that the founding fathers never intended for the complete exclusion of religion from the government and those institutions under its control, Rerras said.
"If it's good enough to be posted in the House of Representatives and the Senate, then it's certainly good enough to post in our nation's schools," he said.
Similar legislation is set to follow close on the motto bill's heels, such as the act to require posting of the Ten Commandments and other historical texts in public schools.
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