Pass this Plate?
Florida License Plate?
A weekend feature of Why Now.
This does not make me a happy camper, for reasons I’ll explain below the fold.
The beneficiary of the $25 special plate fee is Faith in Teaching, Inc, which, rather obviously, wants to introduce its “faith” and its “religion” into schools. Religion is province of the individual and their family, not the government.
The individual who sponsored this plate, Rep. Edward B. “Ed” Bullard, is not simply a Democrat, he is a school vice principal when the legislature isn’t in session. His wife is Senator Larcenia J. Bullard, so it has a corresponding bill in the Florida senate and is likely to be passed.
While there is a possibility of a B’Nai Brith plate, I would hope that Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, Hindus, Baha’i, Mormons, Wicca, et al. aren’t holding their breath while waiting for their plate. I would think that everyone knows there will never be an “I Don’t Believe” plate.
This is a law suit magnet. The state is broke and shouldn’t be pulling stupid stunts like this that are going to drain limited resources. I’ve been avoiding this, hoping it would go away, but you can depend on the lege to do the wrong thing.
Next week, is the last of the plates that existed when I started, and then I’ll start posting the plates that have been passed since I first initiated this feature.
6 comments
It is universally believed that such programs strengthen moral character
guess that makes me out of this universe then.
I would contribute a bit to the ACLU to see that one of those lawsuits against that plate is in fact filed. No matter how many religions the great state of Florida saw fit to make special plates for, it would still be a violation of Amendment I of the U.S. Constitution for them to do so: multiple establishment is unconstitutional as surely as establishment of a single religion. Sorry; it’s un-American.
Constitutional issues aside, like hipparchia, I’ve never seen a shred of credible evidence that, on average, people who are observant in some religion are in any meaningful sense “better” or more moral than people who practice no religion at all. If your faith is the source of your moral center, well and good (actually I have some reservations), but don’t assume that people who have no faith or a different faith are somehow lacking in that moral center.
The Baptist preacher who had the church down the street before it became a commercial enterprise with a school, day care, and media studio, used to say that “If you have to tell someone you’re a Christian, you’re not.”
I look at this plate somewhat the same way: if it takes a special license plate to advertise your belief, it can’t be very strong.
People should do what is right because it is right. If you only do right because of the promise of heaven or the threat of hell, traditional Christian doctrine would say you are headed to hell because you don’t really believe.
Guess it’s late and still really hot so I’m terribly cranky….If I saw one of those plates, I would try to make it so the driver could go see what he believes in…sooner.
Not the proper Buddhist thought…I know. I’m just tired of having people stuff their religion down my throat and into Government.
What you need is a good air conditioner and locally I could recommend a good Christian dealer, because we have the Christian business directory delivered every years and for some reason it doesn’t burst into flame when it lands on my stoop [although I have noticed that by the time I pick it up, somecat has “baptized” it.]
It seems like half of the business graphics in this area feature a “fish”.
[…] that the Florida legislature didn’t clap loud enough or really have enough faith and the “I Believe” plate won’t get passed this […]