The picture above is a specialty plate being considered in Florida. It would be the first specialty plate in the US to promote a specific religion.
I think it’s fine, so long as other religions are allowed specialty plates, too. I can’t imagine their argument against allowing that, but you know they’ve got one already. Something like “Christian plates are OK because Christianity is the correct religion.”
No surprise, the ACLU’s on top of it:
The problem with the state manufacturing the plate is that it “sends a message that Florida is essentially a Christian state” and, second, gives the “appearance that the state is endorsing a particular religious preference,” said Howard Simon, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida.
Florida Rep. Kelly Skidmore has some common sense:
“It’s not a road I want to go down. I don’t want to see the Star of David next. I don’t want to see a Torah next. None of [those other religions that I am not a part of] are appropriate to me,” said Skidmore, a Democrat who voted against the plate in committee. “I just believe that.”
Fair warning, Florida: If your Christian plate is approved, the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster WILL seek our own plate promoting Pastafarianism.
Pastafarians, let’s start designing the plate now. Please send me your submissions!
Pastafarian DeeLawn’s design:
Pastafarian Kevin’s designs:
I live in florida and I would purchase one of the FSM license plates.
I think that integration of religion into state affairs is horrible.
Lets us know the e-mails of said people who are in favor of it, so we may bombard them with lofty cannonballs made up of e-mail, demanding a FSM plate.
Has anyone taken the poll on AOL’s story and noticed the results? Apparently not all religions should be allowed on a license plate, just Christianity. We looked into it a bit more…:
http://www.skepticalmonkey.com/other-claims-in-question/christian-license-plate/
Wow.
-Ted
That FSM sample plate needs a pirate ship on the horizon, and I don’t think that one noodly appendage under the “SAMPL” needs to be that long. Other than that it looks great.
Now you just need an Alaska plate so I can see them around here.
ya know, i used to think that utah was pretty extreme, religious-wise, but even it has stuck to putting skiers and tourist attractions on its license plates. I can safely say a move to put a Mormon symbol on the plate would go nowhere, seeing as how even the Legislature (90 percent lds) knows there are some lines not to cross.
Or maybe Mormons in utah are just more secure. Constant reinforcement is the realm of the insecure. What scare Florida Christians, one has to ask?
I like Pastafarian Mike’s design.
I would be thrilled to see a FSM plate if anyone from florida comes to my home town to participate in the Tarpon Rodeo this summer.
I can do you one better.
http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0320/SEC08056.HTM&Title=-%3E2007-%3ECh0320-%3ESection%2008056#0320.08056
That’s the link to the Florida statute describing the process for getting a specialty plate in Florida. $60k sounds like a lot, but I think there are probably enough Pastafarians out there to make it happen. Anyone who seriously wishes to pursue the FSM plate, please feel free to email me at estnod at gmail.
Too funny. What will the lunatic fringe think of next? Why stop at license plates? Why not christian images on drivers’ licenses? The older I get the more disgusted I get….
I live in Florida too!!! I WANT ONE! I like Pastafarian Mike’s, but shouldn’t it be mountains and a midget instead of the ocean (or maybe beer volcanoes and a stripper to the side)? Please do send them in, I will go get this plate as soon as it’s available.
I would love to see if you could get those into more places, like ontario Canada or anywhere possible, that would be awesome.
keep up the good stuff.
The sample plate should have said NOODL
Indiana already has a standard-issue religious license plate that was recently upheld as Constitutional in a circuit court lawsuit from the ACLU. They’re appealing, of course.
We could use a push for an FSM license here, too, if anyone’s interested.
I’m in WI and I want a FSM plate too.
I live in Orlando and am planning to push for a FSM plate if any religious plate gets approval. Florida already has an anti-choice specialty license plate (http://www.flhsmv.gov/dmv/specialtytags/miscellaneous/choose_life.html) so there is some precedence for religious intolerance here.
I live in FL, I cannot stand Ronda Storms and all her self-righteous crap. She is constantly pushing her own religious agenda, as you may have seen in the news, she has been pushing a bill in the senate (with a counterpart in the house) called the “Evolutionary Academic Freedom Act” (read: makes it legally ok to teach ID) And when asked if other religions could have a plate, they said they would not support such a bill- oh the hypocrisy of it all.
Cleetus-
I agree. The older I get the more disgusted and cynical I get, and the less hope I hold out for humanity. If it wasn’t for spaghetti and wine on Friday nights, I’d be looking for a nice high bridge to jump off. I’ve been avoiding Florida for about twenty years (ever since a certain ex-spouse moved there), and lately it seems that there is an active campaign to keep thinking people out through sheer revulsion. This license plate idea is absolutely intolerable, and helps to showcase the complete lack of public awareness of the basic tenets America was supposedly founded on.
S-Monkey - good article.
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I could see this leading to sectarian wars. The (certain brand of) Christians put out a license plate, then all the NY Jews who retired to FL get up and demand plates, followed by Catholics, and then with things looking like all the other religions would be pushed out they’d all demand plates, but the certain brand of Christians would say no, so people would start stealing the offending plates, get arrested, claim religious persecution, followed by vigils, and counter vigils, then life-long neighbors would do Jesus donuts in each other’s lawns, swap the battery terminals on their golf carts, throw dish soap in each other’s pools, then Charlton Heston would come back and give everybody guns and the shooting would start, churches would get blown up, militias would form, Jeb would not be able to control the militias, organized crime would exploit the situation and make even more money, and with our troops away saving Iraq and Afghanistan, and trying to intimidate Iran and Syria, He (FSM He) would have no choice but to intervene with a little earthquake that would separate FL from the continent, after which FL would then sue for independence, which all the other 49 state would immediately vote unanimously to allow (mostly because they love their Truck Nutz), but only after we move the space program to Edwards AFB, and then we’d offer FL’s star (on our flag) to Puerto Rico, if they would have us, or maybe we’d just auction it off to the highest bidder. So now the real question is, how much do you think we’d get?
I would MOVE to Florida just to buy and display one!
God, doesn’t the state of Florida have better things to do? Like mess up a Presidential election or something?
Does anybody in Florida remember the First Amendment to our Constitution?