Federal Court Rules Against South Carolina's 'Christian' License Plate
Score one for the good guys! Americans United for Separation of Church and State sponsored litigation in Federal Court to stop the state of South Carolina from issuing specialty Christian themed license plates featuring a cross, a stained-glass window and the words "I Believe." Yesterday U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie issued a preliminary injunction forbidding the state to issue or manufacture the plates.The measure that authorized the special plates was passed unanimously by both houses of South Carolina's legislature, despite the fact that some of the legislators openly admitted that they would not vote for similar plates for minority faiths.
But even that sort of misses the point. The crux of the matter is not really whether or not all churches are represented, although even that issue could become troublesome. The specialty license plate looked like this:
Which clearly depicts a Christian image. Now, if you were going to start making licence plates for all religions, you would eventually have to make license plates for everyone...
The Flying Spaghetti Monster...
The Church of the SubGenius...
Scientology...
The Church of Dick Cheney...
But that's not the point. The state of South Carolina is not supposed to be promoting any religion, because of federal laws that are based on the Constitution of the United States. The state is not supposed to be advocating any religion.
If a citizen wants to put a message of some sort on their car, they can buy a bumper sticker, but it is against the founding principals of this fine country for the DMV to put religious symbols and messages on your license plate.
For more information on the subject, visit the Americans United for Separation of Church and State website, or I found this great video of Rev. Lynn discussing the subject on the O'Reilly Factor. Hee hee!
If a citizen wants to put a message of some sort on their car, they can buy a bumper sticker, but it is against the founding principals of this fine country for the DMV to put religious symbols and messages on your license plate.
For more information on the subject, visit the Americans United for Separation of Church and State website, or I found this great video of Rev. Lynn discussing the subject on the O'Reilly Factor. Hee hee!
Hmm... No, it's still wrong!
21 Comments:
Boy&Howdy! Bless this Blog!
I would score one of those last license plates in Miracle Minute!
..but I am in Wisconsin and they only let us put 'Holy Cows' on the plates.
I saw that last plate on a schoolbus full of moleish humans leaving the Forbidden Zone a time ago...But the blurb at the top of the plate read 'There is no contradiction between faith and science', if memory serves.
;>)
I'm glad that this ruling was made, those plates are an outrage.
Hilarious! This is my first visit, via Blue Gal ...
I wonder what my own licence plate would have on it. Probably a picture of my cats. What hell, eh ... They're home every day with me, they love me, they purr, they are gorgeous no matter what they are doing, they love good music (Diana Krall and Ella Fitzgerald are favourites), they are my fave playmates in the world, etc. etc.
Yep, I'd go with my cats. ;-)
P.S. On a somber note ... Cheers to the SC federal court for their decision. Sometimes, sanity wins the day. Bollocks to the whackos who wanted those plates!!
P.S. How can I do the licence-plate thing?!
Well, the 2nd and last plates do get style points, though.
So why is it that the wingnuts want government out of everything except every personal aspect of our lives?
While I'm at it, has anyone ever noticed the link between our troops at war during Xmas and Republicans in the White House? I think that is the ACTUAL "War on Christmas"
Or not...
I might get one if they put Kthulu on it...
That´s why in Mexico all the plates are with the same design and no can have "special" one.
And you say we are "Subdesarrollados"
I'll take the spaghetti monster plate.
Mmmmmm, plate of spagehetti monster...
All hail Zaius! It is by far the most attractive of those plates.
Add this to the list of really great posts from you. Thanks.
hallelujah, and aMEN.
is that spaghetti a blue plate special?
(sometimes i just can't help myself...)
I believe these people are extremely misguided.
You are the lawgiver and I do believe.
Whew! That was a close one. Still, I might've considered moving to SC if I could've gotten one of those Zaius plates.
okjimm: Perhaps, but there is also the holy cheese factor...
darkblack: Your memory of the simian Lawgiver serves you well...
CDP: Indeed! These plates serve as an outrage stopgap placard, if you will.
Jaliya: kitties are more important than people and apes, as you well know... but chocolate cake is best! and ice cream, of course.
Jaliya: merely add a sprinkle of DMV-motivation, of course!
Batocchio: style points are meaningless, it's the Jesus factor that counts!
N: The wingnuts merely want what is best for you! Their way, their way... No unions!
Sunandheir: Ooo, I forgot the tentacle bretheren...
Odile: Ha! Like we are able to say that with a straight face. ;o)
Karla: Your stir-fry was alway better than your spaghetti monster plate. :o)
Jon the Intergalactic Gladiator: Tasty!
Utah Savage: Thank you, Utah Savage! The Lawgiver abides.
Catnapping: We will be having the Blue Plate Special for at least 2 years! I hope it's good...
Comrade Kevin: Indeed! Only my way is the best way, I always say...
Dean Wormer: I am not the Lawgiver! We are totally different action figures, I will have you know...
dguzman: It's mot me! It's the Lawgiver. I am so handsome that I can understand the error though... :o)
Oooooh. Nicely done. I'm so glad this madness went down in the courts.
No, no. It's not the state shouldn't be advocating any religion because there's a footnote next to any - which says any religion but ones devoted to eating Pecan Sandys to celebrate Pecana - Goddess of Pecans and Overnight Parking.
It would have been fun to mass produce these samples as stickers and apply them to license plates in South Carolina church parking lots.
I want one that says "I be leavin'". Of course that would be only for the rear of the car. The one on the front would have to say "I be comin'".
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