SC OKs Cross License Plate; Gov Objects

Jeers to SC’s legislature, but cheers to their governor for recognizing that allowing statements like that on license plates can lead to other issues; and double cheers for him not allowing the sales of such vanity plates to benefit any particular group(s).

Still questionable. The state is still promoting the palte even if they are truthful in saying they aren’t making money…then why would they make it? I’ll bet they wouldn’t manufacture a “Goddess Bless” plate with a pentacle, or a Laughing Buddah plate. Hmph.

It’s so nice to see that SC has found yet another way to piss all over the First Amendment.

And the award for most blindly fundamentalist state goes to….

Cool! Makes me want to move to SC just to buy the plate. I like the photo in the article.

“Representatives of the American Civil Liberties Union and the American Jewish Congress said they were considering suing the state over the plate.”

Bring it on!

Friend: Bring it on.

Seriously?

You sound like another fundamentalist lacky I know.

If ‘believers’ want to purchase the license plate, why not? their freedom. In my state, we have specialized plates for violence against kids, veterans, wildlife protection, breast cancer, and half a dozen others. I would figure this new plate in S.C. ranks right up there with them. Are they going to offer any other symbols of faith? would be interested to know, but not enough to sue over it! what a ridiculous waste of funds! Let the ‘believers’ believe and show it how they choose…and MAYBE having that on your their car will REMIND them they are Christians and will encourage them to behave like one!

There are days when I want to move to SC just to fight the ignorance. IF this gets done, then the state is going to have to produce plates for any bona fide religion that asks. We get military headstones now, so they can’t say we are legit!

I agree with wingsmajik. If they want to show their faith in that way, let them. So long as I’m able to buy a witchcraft or a Goddess plate as well.

The problem with this whole “controversy” is that SC already has plates that state “In God We Trust” so what’s the difference between that and ones with crosses? I live in SC and am pagan but there are different plates, one with just the design as seen on our flag, one for vets, one for POW, one for teachers, etc. So it is an OPTION to get the cross plate and not a requirement. As long as I am not forced to have a plate with a cross or GOD mentioned on it I don’t care. And if enough interest is generated for a Wiccan/Pagan plate, that they consider making one.

I had to sit and think on this a bit just to get my brain around the whole topic. I knew there was something in the bible that would pertain to this. There always is. I was raised in traditional Native American beliefs which means I have always been pagan. But I wanted to know about others so I read. Anyway I digress. Here is the quote from the bible that always runs threw my mind when I hear about this sort of topic.

Matthew 6:6 KJV
But thou, when thou prayest , enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly .

I’ll have to remember the Matthew 6:6 for the Jehovah Witness kids at my son’s school who love to preach at them.

I was raised that religion is a private matter between you and your god(s) and that more harm had been done in promoting it and suppressing it, than with any other topic in the world.

Faith is ALWAYS going to hit somebody’s hot button.

This is dismal. I’ve lived in SC. I can tell you there will be NO support for other faiths to have their own plates. While I applaud the gov. for his decision, charging $5-6 for the plate will just mean they will proliferate. As if the fundamentalists down there weren’t oppressive enough!

As a Wiccan in South Carolina, it is appaling as to what our legislature is doing these days. But then again…being Wiccan and living in South Carolina is an every day challenge…that just might get your house burned down. I have had dealing with our Governor Mark Sanford before on other issues, and have found him to be a fair mainded person.
When we went last week to get our car tag, we were asked if we wanted the plain one or the one that has something about God on it, my husband said the plain one.
At least the DMV is giving every one a choise.

Blessed Be
In Her Service
Aibell

In Georgia special license plates were costing $25.00 last time we renewed. I’m not sure who gets a cut. It’s nice to hear of a Governor with scruples, or one scruple anyway. I want a Pentagram on both my vehicle tags, if we’re going that route.

Whats the big deal? . . . Seriously? Hows this affect anyone? Arn’t there more pressing issues in the world than vanity licence plates? Or are Pegans just naturally petty?

Okay, Other than the “petty” comment from Justin, I have to agree with him on this. I am a Pagan living in the bible belt as are many of you, but I have to ask…who is this tag hurting? Who cares if they “believe”. I “believe” too but mine has a pentacle behind it instead of a cross. How does that make me any more right or wrong then them?

Spirituality is a very personal thing between you and the gods. I understand it is something that fills you up and makes you want other people to feel the way They make you feel, but ignorance gets in the way. If we go cramming our Gods and beliefs down everyones throats that don’t believe the same way we do then how are we any better than they are?

Let them have their silly little plate. See if you can accomplish getting a “Proud Pagan” plate issued too…but if not…get a bumper sticker…..who cares. Thats what I do living in Oklahoma….and I’m not ashamed of it either.

Some people just love going through life with blinders on. It makes them feel that they don’t have to answer for their actions…who am I to convince them? But eventually, they WILL find out the TRUTH.

Blessings all
Athena Ravenmoon

I am dismayed.I have yet to see any posts about seperating Church and State….if I am not mistaken, the DMV is a branch of State Government.Putting I believe on a plate endorses a particular religion.The lines are being blurred here.

Exactly, Wendy. It has everything to do with the separation clause, and the notion that the state shall not endorse one religion over any other. It’s a matter of Constitutional law, and it saddens me to see people saying it’s no big deal because it’s such a small thing.

Apathy seems harmless, until you realize that allowing a small violation of your freedom paves the way for a larger one.

patti

Pentacles next, please.

Someone stated, “At least the DMV is giving every one a choice”
True, but…
Here in Indiana, people are often just handed the Christian plate at the DMV. You then have to ask for the “regular” plate.
Subtle, but annoying.

Bigoted fundies are in some ways worse than the mad arabs. When, one wonders, are the fundies going to rise up on their hind legs and start toting guns and killing people over small breaches of their ‘faith?’
‘You WILL believe or you will die!’
No, wait. Thats the moslems, right?

Actually, being petty isnt the idea here. Its about there being another way for those that oppress to continue to do so and very openly.

I live in the bible belt and my daughter is about to go to school for the first time, since I’ve home schooled her up to this point.

We’re openly pagan. That can get us killed or worse. I really prefer to NOT have to deal with it.

I learned long ago that I am who I am. I dont hide anything anymore. And I will talk about what I believe. I’m not the type to sit idly by either. I’m a staunch constitionalist and I will fight for that with my dying breath. My children tend to be the same way.

Lets look at this another way perhaps.

The Vets of our country are NOT allowed to have the religious symbol on their grave stones if they are Pagan. Did you realize that? Maybe you should look at it all. The whole picture is rather nasty if you ask me.

We have many vets who do not have symbols on thier grave stones or worse, they have NONE due to the fact that the families will not allow them to have one until they can have a pagan symbol on it.

Where it took only 3 days for a Sikh symbol to be approved, its been well over 3 years for the pagan one to gain approval and i’m sorry, but that is just wrong.

So we have license plates with crosses but nothing for other religions or beliefs, same with other areas of our lives that most people are unaware of.

Give us the same consideration and respect as is given to others of other faiths. THAT is the main message here folks. There really isnt anything else that matters on this subject. Its called respect and consideration. Lets start showing it ourselves and maybe, just maybe the rest of the population will follow suit.

Justin says:
Whats the big deal? . . . Seriously? Hows this affect anyone? Arn’t there more pressing issues in the world than vanity licence plates? Or are Pegans just naturally petty?

Well where to start…. Pagans are not all petty any more than christians all christians are judgemental. Indiana also has a christian themed license plate. The point I feel is important is that government is promoting one religion. If the plate was a vanity plate that was sponsored by a group I have no problem. The penticle plate is a great idea, I wish we lived in a time when this would be accepted. Lets try it. I can only imagine the problens involved. I purchased a vanity plate this year in Indiana called “Indiana land of the Indians” It is Miami Indian themed, closest you can get ta pagan religion around here.
What
What has happened to separation of church and state and the American Constitution?
You cannot discriminate on the basis of race or religion…. unless it is a pagan religion.
In God we trust. And Goddess too!)O(

*headdesk* A car is as customisable as a person wishes. You could have a pentagram re-spray, or a bumper-sticker, pentagrams etched in your headlamps, pents on the mudflaps… There is no end to what you could do to your own vehicle and all these Christians want is measly license plate to which there is a plain alternative for those who don’t want the Christian one.

This is ridiculous. On both sides. If religion is personal, then who are we to complain that someone is displaying their personal faith? If religion is seperate from the state and the law, why are the politicians (who answer to US) supporting something many people feel is stupid and discriminatory?

In the end, does it truly affect your life if someone has a license plate depicting a symbol of their faith? By all means, press for fairness, press for equality, but don’t start picking on the people who do want this option. How many of us have suffered persecution for openly wearing pentacles? We cannot now turn around and offer the same persecution. We are better than the close-minded fools who hurt us. When we turn the other cheek, and love our neighbours and care for all, no matter what religion they may have, we show we respect Christian teaching a helluva lot more than they do. Show them up with your kindness, not your hatred.

I’m from South Carolina and EVERYBODY here is FREE to practice their religion…as long as your religion is Southern Baptist! Welcome to the Bible Belt folks – where Bob Jones rules, Christianity is a social club and Catholicism and Judaism are considered cults. This is a last gasp of the ultra conservatives to convince themselves that they are still the majority. There are many practicing pagans here (most are solitary practioners) who proudly proclaim their beliefs in “Born Again Pagan” bumper stickers. Things are changing as the state becomes more diversified – even those who are former Bob Jones University students. My best friend is a BJU alumni and he loves to tell people he enrolled as a straight Baptist and graduated a gay atheist. Funny…he doesn’t get invited to many alumni events, wonder why? (Insert sarcastic smirk here)

The point I was trying to make in my previous comment is that we can all sit around whining and b*tching and moaning about how it’s not fair…blah, blah, blah… but nothing is going to get done if we don’t start it. Why don’t those of you that don’t think it’s fair, get up off your butts and DO SOMETHING about it????

I really don’t care one way or another about a license plate. If I wanted a pentacle license plate I’ll have one of those really cool ones with all the airbrushed painting with my magical name across it or something. It doesn’t make me or anyone else here a bad Pagan to not really give a crap about a license plate. I have other more pressing issues to deal with on a day to day basis like making sure my family has food on the table and my loved ones know they are loved no matter what they think of my religion.

We can all say “give us the same consideration” all we want but if we don’t DO something about it then it’s going to continue to persist.

All of us Pagans here have learned (or so I hope) that the Gods don’t just hand us what we want on a silver platter. Magic doesn’t work that way. Never has and never will. So why in the hell do we assume that anything is going to get done about this if we’re sitting on broom-stick-battered butts and just sitting around bawling about it instead of taking the actions necessary to accomplish this amazing little license plate?

Sheesh!
Blessings all
Athena Ravenmoon

I appreciate the comments, all of them. Pagans aren’t petty, but fair is fair in this issue. Choice should be as open as what we should be able to put on out grave markers. I personally would love to have a license plate that says Pagan Pride with a Pentacle or Goddess Bless with the Spiral Goddess symbol on it. But how would one who doesn’t believe in that feel about buying a car with those plates? Paying extra to have other plates put on can be a hassle. I know if I bought a car with a Christian themed plate I could hardly afford to have those plates taken off. At least with stickers those can be removed. The whole church an state thing can become an issue as well. As said before lets be part of a solution and work to get our own plates out. Good luck with that though, look what it took to get a Pentacle put on our grave markers. Those will be ours, that we own forever.

I have read with great interest all the posts regarding this issue with SC about the “I Believe” tags. First comment: the issue is ONLY about the “I Believe” tags… not about other religious tags. People should have a choice to have or not have these tags. I live in Virginia and we have a choice to purchase “No child left behind” tags. I do not believe in this concept, and as such would never buy the tags. I am a believer, but do not know if I personally would purchase these “Believe” tags, but why shouldn’t someone who wants to purchase them has that choice? That’s the whole concept of this free country. The freedom to chose. If ya don’t like the tag, don’t like the design…don’t buy it! Second issue: if you want equality, then go out and fight for it. Don’t sit and say no to something someone HAS gone thru that fight for. Learn from them and try to get your own design passed. This is just but one more issue that is bringing this country down. First we’ve lost our ability to discipline our children; our judicial system is a joke where the accused have more rights than victims; our school systems stink because poor Johnny can’t read (and doesn’t want to) but we don’t want to hurt his feelings so we keep pushing them thru to the next grade; a few people don’t like “in God we trust” in the Pledge and want it removed…then don’t say the pledge and just be silent; others want crosses taken off headstones and other issues with headstones. When I was in school, each morning we said the Pledge, we had a moment of prayer and if someone didn’t want or believe in those 2 things…they just kept their mouth shut and said their own prayer in their minds. But I am worried about this country going to “hell in a hand basket” if we keep suing and fighting about OTHER