Lawsuit Filed Over Christian License Plate In South Carolina

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[url="http://www.au.org/site/DocServer/I_Believe_License_Plate_Complaint_REVISE-19-07_SC.pdf?docID=2781"]The complaint: [/url]

How is it that the Expressions of religion are unconstitutional and expressions of vulgarity are somehow guaranteed by the same document?

(how do you have yes/no answers on the pole?) can someone fix?

Edited June 20, 2008 by homeschoolmom

[Socrates]

[quote name='apparently' post='1576669' date='Jun 19 2008, 08:08 PM'][url="http://www.au.org/site/DocServer/I_Believe_License_Plate_Complaint_REVISE-19-07_SC.pdf?docID=2781"]The complaint: [/url]

How is it that the Expressions of religion are unconstitutional and expressions of vulgarity are somehow guaranteed by the same document?

(how do you have yes/no answers on the pole?) can someone fix?[/quote]
The complaint is absolutely ridiculous imo - but based on the typical post-1960s leftist-secularist (mis)"interpretation" of the "establishment of religion" clause of the first amendment.

The first amendment says only that the U.S. [i]Congress[/i] "shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." It says nothing about the respective states. An "establishment of religion" meant an official national church supported by the state and financed with tax money, like the Church of England.
And an optional generic "we believe" Christian license plate hardly qualifies as a "law respecting an establishment of religion" anyway.
Whether to print such a plate is a decision properly left to the state of South Carolina or the people respectively, as guaranteed by the tenth amendment. The federal government has no right to step in here.

And, I might add, anyone "offended" at the existence of such a license plate seriously needs to get a life.
The modern liberal "sensitivity" to even the smallest, most generic expression of religious sentiment keeps reaching new heights (or depths) of absurdity.

To answer the poll questions:
1) No, they should not.
2) Not on general principle. The license plate as described seems a tasteful, simple expression of belief.
But I guess some secularist types find any expression of religious belief whatever outside of church "tacky."

Edited June 20, 2008 by Socrates

[Autumn Dusk]

Its beyond tacky to make a lisence plate of christian beliefs when you can already have bumper stickers, crossses on radio intennas, and christian music blairing from any given car. However, if people want to spend $4000 getting an immage to be a lisence plate when that $4000 could of been used to feed the poor or buy 10,000 bumper stickers then let them do it, its there money.

Of course if wiccans, buddists, moslems, want plates you'd better be aware that they can get them too.

I think plates are best left plain, and if not plain then to social causes such as stopping domestic violence, child abuse, respect for life, national/state forrests, teachers and things like that. Issues that span the board and have atleast one point everyone can agree on.

My view...let them do what they want. However, i don't think its prudent (financially)or worthwhile(socially).

[Alycin]

I read the link and from what I can grasp they were supposedly upset that other religions' equivalent license plates were not offered.

[Autumn Dusk]

[quote name='Alycin' post='1576775' date='Jun 19 2008, 10:56 PM']I read the link and from what I can grasp they were supposedly upset that other religions' equivalent license plates were not offered.[/quote]

Its the money problem...this group used money to buy there way into getting the plates. Anyone with $4000 can buy their way in. The other religions have the opportunity, but not the funds or interest to accumilate the funds, to buy plates for their particular brand of religion.

[Justin86]

Fist of all the poll has the worst set up I've seen on phatmass (who knew a poll could be set up worse than diarygirl's?) , so I'm not voting in it. Secondly, the issue with the license plate is ridiculous. Why would anyone be offended by someone's religious preference on their license plate?

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[quote name='Justin86' post='1576789' date='Jun 19 2008, 09:09 PM']Why would anyone be offended by someone's religious preference on their license plate?[/quote]

that' what i was wondering

[Socrates]

[quote name='Autumn Dusk' post='1576784' date='Jun 19 2008, 09:05 PM']Its the money problem...this group used money to buy there way into getting the plates. Anyone with $4000 can buy their way in. The other religions have the opportunity, but not the funds or interest to accumilate the funds, to buy plates for their particular brand of religion.[/quote]
It's a free country. People can use their money for what they want - including free speech.

I know, at least in Virginia, they have "Freemason" license plates. I'm not a Mason, nor, as a Catholic, do I support Freemasonry. However, I don't get all "offended" at these license plates. If Masons want to have Mason license plates, that's their right; if Christians want Christian plates, it's their right.

There are plenty of plates expressing beliefs, organizations, or hobbies one is proud of - a way of taking pride in one's identity - whether it's as U.S. Marine, a Freemason, a Christian, or a "horse enthusiast" (another one popular in my state - should that one be offensive to those of us who aren't horse owners?).

Though I do realize atheists apparently do seem to be quite a bit more thin-skinned than normal folks.

Edited June 20, 2008 by Socrates

[Socrates]

[quote name='Justin86' post='1576789' date='Jun 19 2008, 09:09 PM']Fist of all the poll has the worst set up I've seen on phatmass (who knew a poll could be set up worse than diarygirl's?) , so I'm not voting in it. Secondly, the issue with the license plate is ridiculous. Why would anyone be offended by someone's religious preference on their license plate?[/quote]


[quote name='apparently' post='1576805' date='Jun 19 2008, 09:20 PM']that' what i was wondering[/quote]
Some people seem to have made careers out of being "offended" by Christianity.

For all their self-touted "rationality," many atheists have an aversion to any Christian symbols that seems downright superstitious - reacting to such things as crosses as a vampire would.

There was recently an atheist campaign to get rid of the crosses along highways commemorating the deaths of highway patrolmen on duty.

[TeresaBenedicta]

People are waaaaay too easily offended.

I can recall only one time in my life being seriously offended. There have been a few, smaller things that have kind of offended me at first, but then when I realized that it was a stupid thing to be offended about, I just let it go.

[rkwright]

I think some people are missing some important facts here...

First off, its not simply an "I believe" written across the license plate. Its "I believe" with a large cross set on a stained glass window. I don't think its a simple 'generic' 'I believe' on a license plate.

Secondly, I understand the First Amendment states that Congress shall not... but the first has long been incorporated to the states (in the 40's not some 60's liberal agenda BTW). Flip the coin; do we really believe that California as a state has the right to establish a California-state religion? I hardly think so, and I'd much prefer a state that establishes no religion than living in one that established any non-Catholic one. I believe the Federal Government does a role to step and protect the establishment of a religion because I fear the day when the Muslims have a majority and want to start imposing Islamic law as a 'state religion'.

[rkwright]

Just for the record, I don't agree with the elimination of religion from society, or the move to completely separate Church and state.

However, I do believe that the 1st Amendment, however it is read, applies equally to the local state governments as to the federal government.

[Autumn Dusk]

[quote]Though I do realize atheists apparently do seem to be quite a bit more thin-skinned that normal folks.[/quote]

Hey if you're fine with masons having liscense plates than its fine. I just made the point those people literally buying this priviliage have to be aware of what they are opening themselves up to.

There is NO need to attack my lack of religion

[Justin86]

[quote name='rkwright' post='1576858' date='Jun 20 2008, 12:05 PM']First off, its not simply an "I believe" written across the license plate. Its "I believe" with a large cross set on a stained glass window.[/quote]
Well, that just changes everything then.

[quote name='Autumn Dusk' post='1576874' date='Jun 20 2008, 12:18 PM']Hey if you're fine with masons having liscense plates than its fine.[/quote]
I am fine with it.

[quote]There is NO need to attack my lack of religion[/quote]
Or you the presence of it in us.

[Alycin]

Now I'm just confused.

I thought the problem was that the state was manufacturing it... but if someone paid for it... who even cares? Like, I thought that is was that ALL of the state's plates would have that print on it....

lol.