The state of South Carolina passed a bill to authorize the production of a new license plate that includes a Christian cross over a stained glass window and the words, "I Believe." The state has more than 200 specialty license plates to choose from but with this new plate, becomes the first state in the U.S. to display a cross. The New York Times has the story. What do you think?
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The astounding thing is that every single legislator was willing to pander without shame. It is almost certain that there are closet atheists among them. It is almost certain that there are those among them who believe in absolute separation of church and state. Yet not one was willing to say no. Sad.
Don, I could not have put it more succinctly. Here in Australia, there would be a huge outcry. What about multiculturalism and the rights of non christians.
One of the many reasons I moved away from South Carolina a few years ago. A one of it’s own politicians once said . . . Too small for a nation, too big for an asylum.
Well… I do not believe. But to be politically correct we sometimes refuse the right to say what people believe. It is not the State Plate, it is a personal choice. Here in Australia everybody has a car plate with the name of their football team or their sailing club. WHy not their church?
Yep, I agree with Vittore. I read it as one new option out of 200. Purely a voluntary choice by whoever. What’s the problem?
HOWEVER … would the legislative body allow a (for instance) Islamic version if requested?
There could be the rub ………..
Yes, I agree withVittore and Alan, it is a personal choice. I personally think that God has been taken out of too many things that is why the world is like it is. When things go wrong who is the first person people turn too??? I am form Canada and I know both Canada and the USA formed their constitutions based on Christian beliefs. So people who come need to adjust, because if we went thier country you know we would have to adjust to theirs!
It’s one choice of 200 choices… why the outcry?
The state is majority Christian and I’m sure they will sell tons of those plates. As a Jew, I’m far from offended.
There is no problem here.
There are many choices for personal license plates in South Carolina, and this is one choice. Offended by a Christian Cross on the plate on the car in front of you? Too bad. Offended by the Clemson Tiger mascot on the next car’s plates? Too bad. Want a Star of David on your South Carolina plate next to the palmetto tree? Great! Go get 200 ( I think that is the minimum number required) fellow believers and go for it.
The only limit on expression for public license plates that I can see is offensive language. As they say, freedom of expression only ends at the other person’s nose – and, with the Cross on the plate, no one’s nose has been punched yet.
I think it’s great that they are allowing christians to have a christian official liscense plate. If there are 200 designs that a person can chose from, than why is it so important that there is a Christian plate. There might be a Jewish, Hindi, Muslim, Buddist, athiest, or any other belief system plate and as a christian I believe they have the right to display what they believe. I don’t agree with it always, but that’s their choice. It’s like if somebody gets a tattoo. I may not agree with what they got on their body, but It’s not my body so I shouldn’t have an issue.
When our founding fathers created the separation of church and state thing way back when it was to prevent what happend in England where religion became a major issue that tore it apart. The Protestants vrs. the Catholics. Religious affiliation messed up England (UK nowadays), and the founding fathers wanted to prevent that. However Separation of Church and State does not mean that the Government can’t allow religion, and can’t have anything remotely to do with religion. Allowing a Christian liscense plate to be made isn’t a violation of our rights, is the fulfillment.
Racist idiots
South Carolina is racist
Given how the first comments seem to be moving in one direction, I’m glad these most recent comments have emphasized another side of the question. Why should anyone who sees a cross on a license plate be offended? (Thank you, David) Why should anyone think they have the right to exclude Christian expressions? As a Christian, if I saw a Star of David I wouldn’t be offended. Quid pro quo, David. One of the great things about America is the right to believe or not believe, to express one’s belief or lack thereof, and to interact in the realm of exchanging or even debating ideas rather than stifling expression.
Let me further clarify — by “recent” I meant comments 6-9.
I am from South Carolina.While I almost always vote opposite the majority of the state’s residents,I see nothing wrong in allowing people to choose what they want on their car tags.Nor do I object to the tags being manufactured and sold by the state..But there is the rub..If the state does this for Christians..then they should also have to povide the same services to Buddhists,Muslims,Hindus,Athiests,Jews,Gays,Democrats,Women etc.When do we learn? ….Democracy means a right extended to one must be extended to all….
I don’t want Brian’s comment that the US Constitution is based on Christian beliefs to stand unchalanged. Perhaps the most unique feature of the constitution is that it is deliberatley and pointedly secular. At the time revolutionary. It would be hard to find any among the Founding Father leaders who could be considered Christain. Certainly not Washington, Jefferson, John Adams, Ben Franklin, James Madison. Yes,Patrick Henry was a Christian, made a macho speech, but he didn’t actually do anything to help during the war he helped incite.
Isn’t time in our country to stop worrying about offending everyone and being so PC? It is a choice for goodness sakes’! Why doesn’t anyone worry about offending Christians? That is offensive in itself. In trying to please everyone, we offend everyone. I am Christian, but I am not offended by Muslims or Jews or their right to practice their religion. I don’t shove my religion down anyone’s throat, but I don’t intend to stop practicing mine because I may “offend” someone. Get a life people. If we would spend more time on getting along beside each other, accepting our differences, instead of pointing out everyone’s faults and suing people because we don’t take responsibility for our own actions, we might finally achieve world peace…sorry, I got off on a tangent…
Bravo, J.K…you are right on the money. This P.C. business is so out of hand.
BTW: I was wrong. It takes 400 people, not 200 people in South Carolina to cause the plates to become available for purchase.
So, my redundant-from-above point is: if the Wickens and the Animists and the You-Name-Its want their own plates in SC nad there are at least 400 of ‘em and they got the $$$ …then go for it!
While we are at it…why don’t we argue here about our National Motto, “In God We Trust?” That’ll line up the secularists on one side and the people of faith on the other. Then, if we all say where we live, we could do a very nice geography place study about where such people live!
Joe T, you could hardly be wronger about the US motto.
In 1782 a committee comprised of Benjamin Franklin, Johm Adams, and Thomas Jefferson was assigned the task of creating a national motto. They produced E Pluribus Unum (from many one).
This was our officail motto through all our trials, tribulations and wars until 1956. As a result of the hysteria: USSR threats, extreme religious lobbying, senator Eugene McCarthy’s Catholic supported scare campaingn, and pandering wimpy members of congress, our motto was changed to In God We Trust. Our Founding Fathers surely did flip flops in their graves. (The same congress destroyed the Pledge to the Flag by inserting the words “under God.)
Correction to my previous message: It was Senator Joe McCarthy, not Senator Eugene McCarthy. Sorry.
what a bunch of hillbillys maybe mississippi will be next
Karen, You have maligned an entire State by your genealized denigration of Mississippi.
Don Hirschberg, I very much appreciate your comments. True, nearly none of the Founders were what today would be labeled “Christian”, even though some of them included references to God in speeches and letters (particularly Washington, but surely not Franklin).
Adams (born Congregationalist; converted to Unitarian, which rejects divinity of Jesus) thought that religion was actually good for the masses (his term), but not for educated, rationalist thinkers like himself (and Jefferson, with whom he corresponded in many letters). Ironically, Adams today just might think license plates with crosses would be good for the uneducated rabble to help keep them in line!
Seems to me, though, that a cross on a license plate, since it is a free choice not promoted by government; and the practice does not establish a religion, since all religions are free to do the same–then the cross-on-license-plate practice would be protected exercise, according to th First Amendment.
For my personal plate, I would like to design a symbol for the Pagan-Buddhist-Baptist, for which I am!