I’m sure most of you have heard that the Florida Legislature is considering allowing people to buy (from the state) Christian themed license plates. There are two new novelty plates being proposed, one depicting Jesus being crucified and another depicting a cross in front of a stained-glass window.
The main problem I have with this is that if they are going to offer plates for Christians, there ought to be plates for Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and Pastafarians alike. Of course there are not, so I’m firmly against it. But my question is, what if you could get a plate with any religion on it? Should that be allowed? Is that more acceptable, or am I being too soft on the issue? Are these plates blurring the line between church and state? How about this, you can get any religion or a plate professing non-belief? Clearly any religious license plate would be so tacky that only a Floridian would want one, but since this is a rare occasion where I don’t have a strong opinion on it, I’m curious to know where other atheists come down on this.
I agree with you. If Florida wants to have these license plates, then they should offer non-christian ones as well. Otherwise the govt is obviously endorsing one faith and there is no separation of church and state.
ReplyDeleteSeparation of Chrurch & State FAIL
You atheists are so angry. Let it go man it doesn't hurt you at all. You just want to tell other people what to do.
ReplyDeleteFind Him
Ideally one of two approaches should be taken - plates depicting all religious denominations (or atheism / humanism) should be available, or none. Any other solution is both unfair and divisive.
ReplyDeleteI don't see what the big deal is...it's a marketing strat. that doesn't really work anyway...lol. I don't think I'll be driving down the road and stop behind a "christian" plate and all of a sudden have an epiphany or anything...do you? I'm not a big fan of manatees, but they're on plates too...lol.
ReplyDeleteVery silly - that's my first thought. Second thought is that this should be quite the money maker for the state. Thirdy - is it Indiana that has "In God We Trust"? On their plates - so long as they don't make them mandatory - then I'd have to deface Gov. property................I'm joking, I'm joking! I kid the gods - and the Gov.
ReplyDeleteSouth Carolina tried the same shit, this is not going to pass. Soon as this starts happening they've got to make atheist plates available
ReplyDeleteAmericans United for the Separation of Church and State opposed this in S. Carolina, so I guess they'll do the same in Florida. Here's (link below) some background on it. Plaintiffs for Americans United included a Baptist Minister, a Rabbi and a Unitarian Minister. They won the case on the basis the proposed plate was unconstitutional on so many levels.
ReplyDeletehttp://tinyurl.com/6z3w6e
Pro: Unlike some other states, they weren't going to offer them cheap/free (AFAIK) compared to other "vanity" plates. Some states actually wanted to offer their religious plates cheap/free where other "vanity" plates had an extra fee. Then they wonder why people debate the constitutionality of the plates and accuse the state of favoritism.
ReplyDeleteCon: There were no plates for Satanists, Buddhists, Muslims, Jains, Atheists, Zoroastrians, Hindus, etc. Accordingly the state was advancing and supporting one religion and the plates were unconstitutional.
If people want to declare their religious insanity they can go to many of the purveyors of bumper stickers, plate-frames, etc and purchase something that suits their needs. They don't need the state to provide them with something that caters to their need.
This is just so wrong on so many levels I thought it was a joke. Do these halfwits think that if they drive round with christian symbols on their cars instead of making even the slightest stab at actualy living as their bible tells them to they will get to heaven?
ReplyDeleteThe stupidity and hypocrisy is quite stunning.
If they are going to do it, they HAVE to offer a plate for EVERY religion. This is a government agency after all, so providing only Christian plate is implying that they sponsor Christianity only.
ReplyDelete+++++ +++++ +++++ +++++ +++++
From January 2009: Federal Court Blocks Issuance Of South Carolina’s “Christian” License Plate In AU-Sponsored Lawsuit (1)
From Monday: Americans United Warns Legislature Not To Mandate Car Tags Featuring Cross And Crucified Head Of Jesus - The Warning.(2)
1 http://www.au.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=10210&news_iv_ctrl=0&abbr=cs_
2 http://www.au.org/site/News2?abbr=pr&page=NewsArticle&id=10417
This battle has be fought and won already; it unlikely the outcome will be different if it goes to war again. Fortunately!
And its illegal and these morons drive round with these plates on their cars stuffing their fat stupid faces with enough food to feed a family of six for a week.
ReplyDeleteI like Buffy's comment! ;-)
ReplyDeleteI want to see other religious license plates (and anti-religious) released at the exact same time. Maybe they should just bypass all of this and sell bumper stickers with christian themes. It will be cheaper, at least, when it's overturned. You'd think with the economy they'd find a better way to waste the state's money.
If the state wants a monopoly on it, having religious plates is predatory at best, and a breach of the first amendment at worst. On the other hand, if the state was willing to let everyone contract out custom plates of their choosing to separate businesses, I don't think it would matter.
ReplyDeleteJust stop fighting it, and order a personalize one... Here's some ideas...
ReplyDeleteFrom Happy Jihad's House of Pancakes:
1BIG LIE
ATHE IST
WWJD OH
IZOM BIE
MEDA MIT
ROFL LOL
NAIL DME
OUCH MAN
DAD SUX
OMG WTF
GOT WOOD
DEAD GUY
CROW BAR
EAT ME
IRN ALRG
HOLY CRP
TTNS NE1
STIL DED
LOL @ STIL DED
ReplyDeleteDAR "christ pic" WIN
ReplyDeleteJEW "christ pic" ISH
666 ''christ pic'' HAH
COR "christ pic" PSE
SME "christ pic" LLS
ZOM "christ pic" BIE
I could have fun with this all day long.
I live in Florida (sigh!). More religious idiocy, unfortunately. I think they should nix this and ALL vanity plates of any sort. Why do people need to personalize their gas-guzzlin', air pollutin' infernal internal combustion buggies anyway?!?! What we need here is MASS TRANSIT! There is virtually none worthy of the name.
ReplyDeleteI live in SC. If that "I believe" license plate had passed, I was going to get a vanity plate that said, "I believe...Druidry"
ReplyDeleteI have seen some plates from SC that say "In God We Trust" at the top on I40 in NC.
ReplyDeleteThe Incans called Him "the little man on a stick". They should try that—crucifix, I mean. Why settle for a lousy fish?
ReplyDelete"I believe... Druidry" -- That is hilarious! I'm somewhat inclined to support it just to see this plate...
ReplyDeleteAgain we get into the whole debate about why it is important to keep state-funded/state-run things religiously NEUTRAL. As several of you have mentioned, if they were going to do this they'd have to start making Muslim or Buddhist plates too, which we all know damn well is never gonna happen. That state would shit their pants if there were a Muslim plate offered, and with good reason. They should be offended at the state promoting a religion, it's just unfortunate that they can't apply the same standard to their own faith.
ReplyDeletewhat about church ad state? even your bills says "in god we trust".
ReplyDeleteI am in favor of the religious license plate. Even at that it shows a faith in the Lord and GOD. Our entire nation of America was built on this belief. This is our nation. Not the nation of foreigners. Yes let them practice their own religion. I am in favor of that. But they, like you people who believe in nothing, need to respect that with out the Christian faith, you would not have all that you do. We built America, it is our land, and we have the right to tell others the same. If you don't like it than leave.
ReplyDelete"We built America, it is our land, and we have the right to tell others the same."
ReplyDeleteI will venture a guess that you were not a part of this construction of America personally, and you have no idea what the founding fathers were founding this country on. If Madison would have stood up and said 'Hey guys I know we all have different beliefs but at least half of us are Christian so let's put crosses on all our buggies' he would have been laughed out of the room.
America was founded as a religiously free state, so no group should have the upper hand, regardless of their population size.
"Not the nation of foreigners."
You seem to think that only foreigners don't believe in your Christian God, and you also seem to have a whole lot more national pride than anyone should have- do some traveling, it's good to leave Alabama every now and then.
"need to respect that with out the Christian faith, you would not have all that you do."
ReplyDeleteWithout atheists we you wouldn't have all that you do either. Worthless statement from either side.