What’s Okay, And Not Okay, When ‘God’ Shows Up On License Plates Religiously-themed license plates are generally not an issue in the separation between church and state. But there is one Texas plate that could fall into a gray area.
A new batch of specialty license plates for Texas drivers is coming in 2016. Among them, one that reads “In God We Trust.” That plate is the fourth state license plate that prominently mentions God. Back in 2004, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles <http://www.txdmv.gov/motorists/license-plates/specialty-license-plates> began selling plates that read “God Bless America” and “God Bless Texas. <http://www.txdmv.gov/motorists/license-plates/specialty-license-plates/itemlist/filter?taga%5B%5D=Patriotic&moduleId=185&Itemid=145> ” The U.S. Supreme Court ruled this past June <http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/walker-v-texas-division-sons-of-confederate-veterans-inc/> that license plates are state-sponsored speech. But one constitutional law expert says God-themed plates are not considered a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. “Generic references to God that are part of our traditions of government, like ‘God Bless America’ or other invocations, which are not specific towards a sectarian belief system, have been upheld by the Supreme Court as not constituting an establishment of religion,” says Charles “Rocky” Rhodes <https://www.stcl.edu/faculty/Rocky_Rhodes.htm>, a professor at South Texas College of Law. The new license plate lawmakers approved this past legislative session — “In God We Trust” — is, according to Rhodes, another example of acceptable state speech. “It’s the same reason we have ‘In God We Trust’ on coins. That’s been upheld by a lot of lower court decisions. There’s nothing wrong with that, because that’s ceremonial deism again – something that has historically been done in America,” Rhodes said, adding that “In God We Trust” started appearing on U.S. currency during the Civil War. However, there’s another Texas license plate that Rhodes says gets very close to the line of separation between church and state. It reads “One State Under God <http://www.myplates.com/Images/Plates/PLPC236?plateText=CROSS>” and includes a depiction of the Calvary Mount — the scene where Christians say Jesus was crucified. [image: One State Under God license plate]Texas DMV/myplates.com <http://www.myplates.com/Images/Plates/PLPC236?plateText=CROSS> The Texas license plate that reads “One State Under God” and includes a depiction of the Calvary Mount — the scene where Christians say Jesus was crucified. Rhodes says that plate might be acceptable, since drivers can choose whether to have it on their cars. However, the state could run into trouble if it later rejected a license plate with a symbol of a different sect — such as Islam or Judaism – because he says that would be an instance of the state preferring one religion over another. The Department Of Motor Vehicles says the three existing plates that prominently mention God have sold a combined total of around 6,300 sets. The DMV is still waiting on a design and sufficient funding for the new “In God We Trust” plate before it can go on sale. --- For the second time in as many years, a New Jersey resident has been denied a customized license plate with an atheist message. In August 2013, a man was denied <http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2013/08/nj_reverses_stances_says_man_can_gets_athe1sts_license_plate.html#incart_river> the licence plate “ATHE1ST” because a Motor Vehicle Commission clerk found it “offensive.” And last week a woman was denied <http://www.nj.com/cumberland/index.ssf/2014/04/new_jersey_woman_files_lawsuit_over_atheist_license_plate.html> her requested for an “8THEIST” plate on the commission’s website <http://www.nj.com/cumberland/index.ssf/2014/04/new_jersey_woman_files_lawsuit_over_atheist_license_plate.html>. The former request was eventually granted, and the current one almost certainly will as well, especially since the woman has filed a federal lawsuit <http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/2014_0418_shannonmorgansuit.pdf> . While the 2013 denial was an explicit in-person objection, Shannon Morgan’s request of “8THEIST” was only denied by the automated online system. Morgan said she “attempted to contact the state Motor Vehicle Commission in November and March, according to the lawsuit, but received no response or explanation”, while the commission says it reviews “every request personally.” It is unclear whether the initial request of “8THEIST” was reviewed “personally” since it appeared to be immediately rejected by the online system, or whether the personal reviews are only of *appealed* requests. Also unclear is whether Morgan’s request has actually been appealed through the proper channels and/or reviewed by the commission. Regardless, after several months of no response from state officials, she has decided to file suit instead. Almost more frustrating than the denial of a simple vehicular use of speech is the reaction of some to the case. The headline of the story at the conservative *Daily Caller* <http://dailycaller.com/2014/04/21/devout-angry-atheist-finds-new-thing-sue-angrily-about-vanity-plates/#ixzz2zWWQ1Dwu> drips with smarm: *Devout, angry atheist finds new thing to sue angrily about: VANITY PLATES* Really? If it had been a rejected “BAPTIST” licence plate, would the person denied have been “angry” apparently both innately and actively in suing? We’ll never know, since Morgan attempted to test that plate to see if it was available after being denied “8THEIST” and found that the state had no problem with that particular expression. The “education editor” at the DC doesn’t limit his disdain to the headline. In the story he describes Morgan as an “ardent atheist” and mocks the attorneys suing on behalf of Morgan for their desire to get paid for their services. The horror! The DC attempts to undermine Morgan’s claim by noting the previous rejection and eventual issuance of the “ATHE1ST” plate. Except that case *supports* Morgan’s claim, not undermines it. Whether they get approved after appeal or not, New Jersey now has a questionable process that more than once has denied innocuous atheist messages on its license plates, at least at first. And that may be enough to deny most, since not everyone will bother trying to appeal or sue. This is literally a case of chilled speech and denial of religious liberty (yes, one necessarily has the liberty to have no religion if one has the liberty to have one too). But because it’s about atheism instead of Catholicism, Judaism, or Methodism, conservatives sit back and chortle at the silly heathens and their denied liberties. You don’t have to agree with atheists or even like them to respect their right to express their non-belief. --- On Tuesday, February 23, 2016 at 7:42:45 AM UTC-6, Travis wrote: > > > > BareNakedIslam posted: " State officials were scrambling Monday to figure > out how they issued a personalized license plate with an alleged slur > against Muslims. A photo taken recently in the St. Cloud area and posted on > social media shows a pickup truck with a plate that reads “" > > New post on *BARE NAKED ISLAM* > <http://www.barenakedislam.com/?author=1> MINNESOTASTAN issues great > license plate, then tries to revoke it when Muslims get their panties in > a wad > <http://www.barenakedislam.com/2016/02/22/minnesotastan-issues-great-license-plate-then-tries-to-revoke-it-when-muslims-get-their-panties-in-a-wad/> > by > BareNakedIslam <http://www.barenakedislam.com/?author=1> > > State officials were scrambling Monday to figure out how they issued a > personalized license plate with an alleged slur against Muslims. A photo > taken recently in the St. Cloud area and posted on social media shows a > pickup truck with a plate that reads “FMUSLMS.” MPR News Minnesota > Department of Public Safety spokesman Bruce Gordon issued […] > > Read more of this post > <http://www.barenakedislam.com/2016/02/22/minnesotastan-issues-great-license-plate-then-tries-to-revoke-it-when-muslims-get-their-panties-in-a-wad/> > *BareNakedIslam <http://www.barenakedislam.com/?author=1>* | February 22, > 2016 at 9:51 pm | Categories: Islam in America > <http://www.barenakedislam.com/?taxonomy=category&term=islam-in-america> > | URL: http://wp.me/p276zM-1lxw > > Comment > <http://www.barenakedislam.com/2016/02/22/minnesotastan-issues-great-license-plate-then-tries-to-revoke-it-when-muslims-get-their-panties-in-a-wad/#respond> > > See all comments > <http://www.barenakedislam.com/2016/02/22/minnesotastan-issues-great-license-plate-then-tries-to-revoke-it-when-muslims-get-their-panties-in-a-wad/#comments> > > > Unsubscribe > <https://subscribe.wordpress.com/?key=1d26f3d2707c7345915d8b297361ecf7&email=bovinescatologists%40gmail.com&b=L2z1QImqin6p%2CGcZ%25XH9ZGv5Oekz8bZVTHaHdtJcU_rFY%268Z0Az> > > to no longer receive posts from BARE NAKED ISLAM. > Change your email settings at Manage Subscriptions > <https://subscribe.wordpress.com/?key=1d26f3d2707c7345915d8b297361ecf7&email=bovinescatologists%40gmail.com>. > > > > *Trouble clicking?* Copy and paste this URL into your browser: > > http://www.barenakedislam.com/2016/02/22/minnesotastan-issues-great-license-plate-then-tries-to-revoke-it-when-muslims-get-their-panties-in-a-wad/ > > > > > -- -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. 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