Rep. Rick Saccone, the lawmaker with an evangelist’s zeal for bringing God back to the public square, led a rousing Capitol rally Wednesday in support of his bill requiring the posting of “In God We Trust” in all Pennsylvania public school buildings.

A state House bill credits James Pollock, a 19th-century Pennsylvania governor, for putting "In God We Trust" on coins while serving as director of the U.S. Mint. The measure would require schools to post it by using a mounted plaque, student artwork or some other form.

The bill, which passed the House Education Committee last month on a 14-9 vote, would require schools to post it in any form, be it a mounted plaque or even student artwork. To read Saccone's bill, click here.

The words "In God We Trust" became America's national motto under a 1956 law signed by President Dwight Eisenhower.

Saccone’s "National Motto Display Act" credits James Pollock, a 19th-century Pennsylvania governor, for putting the term on coins while serving as director of the U.S. Mint during the Civil War.

For those reasons, he argues the motto's presentation would fit well with public schools' local history curriculum, not to mention the teaching of things like the Pledge of Allegiance or respect for the U.S. flag.

But Wednesday’s rally also featured the kind of evangelistic zeal that can give opponents ammunition to fight the bill on separation of church v. state grounds.

“Praise the Lord,” Saccone shouted as he took the rostrum to rousing applause.

"To all here in the halls, God wants to heal this nation," exhorted Matthew Cummings, of the group National Voices to Preserve America. "This motto begins the process."

Others directly tied the motto to the importance of the Christian faith to those who guided America's earliest development, or offered reflections on the importance of personal faith to many soldiers fighting wars, or families enduring hard times.

Saccone, an Allegheny County Republican, argued those historic reference points have little to do with proselytizing today: "Is it proselytizing for it to appear on our currency and our coins for the last 150 years?”

He also pushed back on the argument that this type of issue is a waste of the legislature’s time and effort with a Scripture message aimed at his colleagues who want to focus on more worldly issues.

“Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all other things will be added unto you,” Saccone said, his voice rising. "We’ll get ‘em (other issues) done. We've got to prioritize.”

The rally in the East Wing Rotunda was visited by a handful of self-described atheists who are opposed to Saccone’s bill and are already sizing it up - should it pass - for a potential court challenge down the road.

One of them, Ernest Perce of East Pennsboro Twp., explained he is offended at the idea that his son would have to face “In God We Trust” at his public school every day.

“It means an indoctrination,” Perce said. “It means forcing children to believe in God, and it means forcing them to believe that that’s normal.”

Saccone and his allies countered that the bill's language requires no additions to curricula or classroom discussions.

"There are so many watchdog-type groups out there and the courts pay such close attention to these issues that I don't think there's any realistic fear that this is going to open up a new door to the schools themselves establishing religion in a way that would violate the First Amendment," said Rep. Steve Bloom, R-Carlisle, and a co-sponsor of the bill.

To him, the bill simply tries to stop the trend of erasing all signs of America’s founding heritage in honor of diversity.

In that sense, he hopes, it ultimately encourages diversity.

"It is important to... educate the upcoming generation that we are a nation that historically has trusted in God," said Bloom. "It is part of our national heritage, and my concern is that we are purging or erasing that national heritage."

"Not everyone stands up and puts their hand over their heart for the Pledge of Allegiance… but we don’t stop saying the Pledge of Allegiance because some people disagree with it,” Saccone noted.

Other midstate co-sponsors include Reps. Rob Kauffman, R-Chambersburg, Will Tallman, R-Hanover, Stan Saylor, R-Red Lion, RoseMarie Swanger, R-Lebanon, Todd Rock, R-Waynesboro, and Seth Grove, R-Dover.

Saccone tangled with midstate non-believers in the last legislative session over his successful introduction of a resolution designating 2012 as the “Year of the Bible” in Pennsylvania.

That prompted Perce and others to respond with a billboard depicting a shackled slave that many saw as an offensive, albeit thought-provoking, counter-punch.

A spokesman for House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny County, said later Wedneday that Saccone's current bill is not expected to be scheduled for a vote on the House floor this fall.