Isn't the fact that "In God we trust" is on money, violating the first Amendment?

You could certainly argue that it does. The statement didn't appear on American currency until the late 1950s and the time of the Red Scare.

People who argue that it doesn't violate the first amendment usually say that the "God" mentioned is not specified. That is to say, it's not specified whether it's the Christian God, the Jewish God, the Muslim God, etc, and since because it's generic, it's not a violation.

There is considerable room for debate against their point, of course.

No:

FYI

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

"In God we trust" as a national motto and on U.S. currency has been the subject of numerous unsuccessful lawsuits. The motto was first challenged in Aronow v. United States in 1970, but the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled: "It is quite obvious that the national motto and the slogan on coinage and currency 'In God We Trust' has nothing whatsoever to do with the establishment of religion. Its use is of patriotic or ceremonial character and bears no true resemblance to a governmental sponsorship of a religious exercise." The decision was cited in Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow, a 2004 case on the Pledge of Allegiance. These acts of "ceremonial deism" are "protected from Establishment Clause scrutiny chiefly because they have lost through rote repetition any significant religious content." In Zorach v. Clauson (1952), the Supreme Court also held that the nation's "institutions presuppose a Supreme Being" and that government recognition of God does not constitute the establishment of a state church as the Constitution's authors intended to prohibit

Technically it probably doesn't, because the establishment clause of the First Amendment prohibits the government from supporting, mandating, or sponsoring the views of a PARTICULAR religion. The "God" in "In God We Trust" is not associated with a particular faith, denomination, or sect.

An established religion is an official religion in a given nation, such as the Church of England in the UK. We don't have one here because of the First Amendment, and a reference to a God who could be associated with any religious faith really doesn't qualify as evidence of an "established" faith.

The U.S. Constitution is a secular document. It begins, "We the people," and contains no mention of "God" or "Christianity." Its only references to religion are exclusionary, such as, "no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust" (Art. VI), and "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" (First Amendment). The presidential oath of office, the only oath detailed in the Constitution, does not contain the phrase "so help me God" or any requirement to swear on a bible (Art. II, Sec. 1, Clause 8).

The government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion."

John Adams

Well, technically 'god' can man any deity, and that is the argument people make when others bring up this thought. The cost of taking out all the money from circulation and reprinting it all would be tremendous. Who would pay for this?

Does the motto "In God we Trust" somehow impede peoples freedom of religion?

I know people of many faiths, and even atheists who live in the United States. I don't know any of them who have an aversion to using US Currency because of the motto printed on it.

The Supreme Court has rejected ‘In God We Trust’ lawsuits, but I think it does violate the first amendment.

nope--the supreme ruled that this a generic god--as long as the currency doesn't push one god--then it's okay. I always get a kick out of Christians who don't realize the money they carry around also pays homage to Buddah, Vishnu, Allah, Satan, Thor, Zeus, Apollo, Jupiter and others

That charge has been brought before federal court(s) and has been dismissed.

So: legally: no.

I believe the reasoning is this: the motto does NOT favor/benefit any particular religion or religious sect, nor does it restrict the religious practices of any religion or religious sect, and for that reason it does not violate the First Amendment religion clause::

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof"

The word "God" is considered generic. If the money said "in jesus we trust" or "in allah we trust" it would be supporting a particular religion.

The word "God" shows up several times in the Declaration of Independence, but not "jesus."