Christian license plates in the works.

Christian license plates in the works.

www.cnn.com

The state..[SC] plans to issue plates featuring a Christian cross and the words "I Believe," but a group advocating the separation of church and state says that goes too far...

...Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which includes Christian, Jewish and Hindu clergy, filed a federal lawsuit last month. The group contends that the plates violate the U.S. Constitution's prohibition against government favoring one religion over another religion or non-religion.

(visit the link for the full news article)

I'm all for separation of church and state, but this seems like it might be pushing it a bit too far. Obviously, the points being made by the advocacy group mention that there are no plans to implement other religious plates (Jewish, Hindu, etc.)therefore citizens of other religions would be "second rate". I'm not sure I agree with this. If enough people wanted any type of license plate, I'm sure the state would make it happen for them.

Just as in other smaller special-interest groups have custom license plates including colleges, organizations, and sports teams, it seems like religious plates shouldn't be any different.


www.cnn.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

What difference does it make anyway?

The US currency has the words "In God We Trust" printed on it, so I don't see the treasury can claim separation from church and state.

Let them get their number plates. That way other drivers can identify them for the idiots that they are!

I've never really understood the need to have your car speak for you when it comes to religious or political statements. So now people in SC can have very Christian, self righteous cars to ferry around in. I suppose when the Rapture comes there will only be a few cars in heaven and the rest of us will have to walk from cloud to cloud.

I wonder if Hell has public transportation, anyone who has ridden the subways at rush hour should be able to contend that it does.

I just took a look at all the license plates available in South Carolina. When they are up against stuff like the Elk Club, and Sons of Confederate Veterans, I just don't find having a plate with a cross on it that says "I believe" that big of a deal.

www.scdmvonline.com...

Originally posted by Shadowflux
I've never really understood the need to have your car speak for you when it comes to religious or political statements. So now people in SC can have very Christian, self righteous cars to ferry around in. I suppose when the Rapture comes there will only be a few cars in heaven and the rest of us will have to walk from cloud to cloud.

I wonder if Hell has public transportation, anyone who has ridden the subways at rush hour should be able to contend that it does.

probably because most people are in their car every day, and it is a rather effect and visible means of displaying beliefs

Not that I bother

Originally posted by tezzajw
What difference does it make anyway?

The US currency has the words "In God We Trust" printed on it, so I don't see the treasury can claim separation from church and state.

Let them get their number plates. That way other drivers can identify them for the idiots that they are!

First of all the words "In God we Trust" were not always part of the currency. That was intended as a gesture to make sure people didn't even entertain the notion of communism (which was the 'Godless' red menace in those days).

Also, call it US currency is pretty lame -They are Federal Reserve Notes - property of the privately owned Federal Reserve Bank - NOT the US. When it used to be US currency you could trade it for gold or silver at any national bank. Now you got paper diddly!

The idea of stamping ones license plate with an identifier of your faith should be a private decision - a vanity plate - which is what that represents anyway - vanity - like the world has to care about what YOU believe.

(not YOU personally - I mean the editorial 'YOU')

WHO CARES?

Just because I dislike poodles, doesn't mean I care that the car in front of me has a sticker that says "I love my poodle!" Let people declare what they have a passion for; what does it hurt? Really?

[edit on 7-7-2008 by acissej]

I don't see the big deal in it to be honest. If they allowed all religions to do the same. I think people need to relax. It's a god dam license plate on a car. You could get the desired effect with stickers if you wanted to. REEEELAAAAX.

To me this is a big deal. Not because of my religious beliefs, but because of the separation of church and state. License plates are part of the 'taxation' of the people in regard to their automobile use, and charging extra fees on behalf of the state in the name of any religion is against the Constitution of the United States.

I personally have a hard time already with the fact that churches are allowed tax exempt status, but if this comes to pass, I will never again set foot in the sate of South Carolina, or any other state that follows suit. I will not buy product manufactured there. I will not support any companies that are owned or operated there.

I am sure some of you Born Agains and Evangelicals will think I acting the fool, but how would you feel if the Muslims living in Michigan or Minnesota passed a 'I Believe' license plate but not any other religion? Would you feel offended? What about the Jewish peoples in New York or Florida getting a Star of David plate, but no other options?

Maybe if South Carolina was not being bigoted about their religious license plate choice, then there could be a Spaghetti Monster plate, or even a Scientologist plate with the words I Believe. I might still buy products from South Carolina if they came out with a Spaghetti Monster plate.

I mean, does one really need a Christian license plate if they already have a fish on their trunk and a WWJD license plate frame? With all the idolatry going on already in their faith, why cloud the issue even more by disrespecting your saviour by representing your faith on a license plate?

I am sorry if I came off as harsh, but this is one of the more asinine ideas I have heard lately. On several levels.
DocMoreau

Not that important. If people are allowed to get vanity plates of their favorite football team or favorite college or whatever, what does this matter? Like a post earlier said, look at our currency and you will see the words "In God We Trust" so apparently separation of church and state does not apply to anything other than tax exempt churches talking politics and teaching creationism in public schools.

I see this in another light.

If Christians want some form of religious symbology on their license plates, why the heck should the government have to fork out the cash for it?!

Seriously, get a plate frame, and place your symbols on that.
Use YOUR OWN money and time to promote your religion.
Quit wasting government funds and time with religious symbol crap.


The license plate should be just that, a license plate. Not some advertisement for your religion.

Just stick with the original plates.

reply to post by johnsky

The license plate should be just that, a license plate. Not some advertisement for your religion.

I agree totally, but nonetheless, there are many license plates, including ones promoting homeless animal shelters and the protection of endangered species. Most of these plates cost an extra of anywhere from $30 to $100 which proceeds going to different causes.

If the money went back to the state and actually brought in minor profits, would you still have a problem with it?

Isn't this something akin to the jews being made to wear a gold star in germany as identification hmmmm?
We are living in a time of dissension. People are being pitted against each other on the basis of religion and race. I don't think this is a good time to advertise your beliefs.
I see this as a negative thing sort of like wearing a bull's eye shirt on a rifle range.

I don't have a problem with this. Anything that helps me identify zealots at a distance so I can stay far away from them is helpful.

If they allow other religious groups, including atheists to do it as well, then it's fine. As long as they don't force others to also display their faith on the plate, or force non-Christians to use the Christian plate, then that's also fine.

You can already customize the letters on your plate, and I have seen some religious ones, but there would be no difference if the image was changed too.

[edit on 7-7-2008 by DJMessiah]

When will they be making a plate that says "God Doesn't Exist"?

I won't be holding my breath.

Originally posted by Azurus
I just took a look at all the license plates available in South Carolina. When they are up against stuff like the Elk Club, and Sons of Confederate Veterans, I just don't find having a plate with a cross on it that says "I believe" that big of a deal.

www.scdmvonline.com...

Just curious if you are saying or implying that the Elk Club and/or the Sons of Confederate Veterans are a bad thing or maybe an ignorant thing?

reply to post by please_takemyrights

Just curious if you are saying or implying that the Elk Club and/or the Sons of Confederate Veterans are a bad thing or maybe an ignorant thing?

Not at all. I really don't know much about either of those organizations. My point in bringing those up was that even very small special interest groups have license plates. It's hard to claim that one "group" it's okay for and another isn't. I think that if enough people want something, then they should make it happen, regardless of whether it's a religious plate or not.

I have also wondered that if the scenario was different and there was a muslim who decided that the state should have a license plate that professed Muslim faith, and many other muslims in the state backed this idea; would the Christians complain about that? Would this be the same issue? I wonder. Sometimes it seems like Christianity gets singled out.

[edit on 8-7-2008 by Azurus]

reply to post by Maxmars


The motto 'In God We Trust' has its origins in the Coinage Act of 1864, well before the threat of communism was known. That only mandated its appearance on 2 cent coins, but it was allowed on virtually any coin afterward (it appears on many non-gold coins from the late 1800s and early 1900s, for example). All of the coins I have from the early 1900s bear the motto. Granted, it was not officially recognized by Congress until the 1950s, but again, it was in use long before that.

en.wikipedia.org...

As for the license plate issue...I don't really care. As long as its not forced (and I'm sure it isn't), I don't think its violates the 1st amendment.