…and this is a 
A sensible federal judge has struck down South Carolina's plan to proselytize with license plates, pointing out that it violates the separation of church and state for the state to not only endorse religion, but a specific religious sect. Good work, except that it would have been such a useful marker for vehicles to avoid on the road — after all, their drivers could be raptured up into heaven at any moment.
I suppose there will be a compensatory over-reaction to help out, though. All the Christian drivers of the state are still welcome to slap on lots of bumper stickers and cover their dashboards with Jebus bobbleheads.
Politics
Comments
Posted by: Nerd of Redhead, OM
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November 13, 2009 7:55 AM
Also the silly sign of the fish. (Which needs legs, of course.)
Posted by: Snarki, child of Loki | November 13, 2009 8:03 AM
Well, you can still use SOME license plates as 'watch out for this driver' markers.
The NJ ones, for example.
Posted by: Scaryduck | November 13, 2009 8:03 AM
Also the silly sign of the fish.
Now recognised internationally as the Universal Sign of Bad Drivers
Posted by: True Bob | November 13, 2009 8:04 AM
As if they don't already plaster their I'm-Holier-Than-Thou adverts all over their rapture-mobiles.
Posted by: Kobra | November 13, 2009 8:05 AM
I want a Prophet Muhammad bobblehead! :D
Posted by: Rev. BigDumbChimp | November 13, 2009 8:07 AM
Yay us. Though I have to agree with PZ, how am I going to be able to spot the crazy people or the cars that may suddenly become driverless at the rapture?
Posted by: OhBilly | November 13, 2009 8:12 AM
Our "In God We Trust" plates here in Indiana are nearly as bad. As if it wasn't bad enough to have it on our money, they flood our roads with it too. Unfortunately lawsuits at getting the plates nixed here have been unsuccesful due to the state stating that "God" doesn't necessarily represent one religion or another. Good grief.
Bill
Posted by: Rob Monkey | November 13, 2009 8:13 AM
Had a friend in high school who added legs to the fish on the car of the girl he liked. They ended up dating for like a year, go figure. Here in SW Michigan, we just look for the "WAY-FM" bumper stickers as our Rapture warning signs. Not to be prejudiced, but they're also our shitty driver warning signs, every single one of these people gets on the highway at like 45 mph. Although I should like that station, I snagged a free ticket from them to see the Passion of the Snuff Film of Mel Gibson's Savior. One of the most unintentionally funny films ever, although you do feel a little conspicuous being the only person snacking on Skittles in that theater ;)
Posted by: Diego | November 13, 2009 8:21 AM
I won't be surprised if South Carolina backs up and punts by either offering a whole spread of different religious plates or just makes the one plate a bit more vague so that either way it doesn't seem to be explicitly endorsing just christianity. Of course if they were to go the first route it would be interesting to see how many Islam plates get used in the state. ;)
Posted by: strangest brew | November 13, 2009 8:23 AM
'The judge, who singled out Bauer, noted that legislators and other state officials have unnecessarily drawn the state into an expensive lawsuit.
"Whether motivated by sincerely held Christian beliefs or an effort to purchase political capital with religious coin, the result is the same," '
Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer replied on his blog...
"For those who say proclaiming 'I believe' violates the constitution by giving preference to Christianity, I think the lawsuit and ruling clearly discriminates against persons of faith."
A little bunny has not quite understood the problem methinks...shame on the electorate to vote such a idiot into power...'ya reap wot ya sow!'
Posted by: Pete Moulton
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November 13, 2009 8:30 AM
@ Rob Monkey: "...although you do feel a little conspicuous being the only person snacking on Skittles in that theater ;)"
Did everybody else bring crackers?
Posted by: Rob Monkey | November 13, 2009 8:36 AM
Ha! I'm a little surprised now that you mention it, shouldn't there have been kegs of grape juice and barrels of crackers? Perhaps they were afraid of PZ showing up? The two girls in front of me brought a box of tissues, went through the whole goddamn thing. I hope they hydrated post-movie, those hyperactive tear ducts gotta dry you out.
Posted by: Somnolent Aphid
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November 13, 2009 8:55 AM
I love the idea of driving with faith. It kind of gives me permission to text or phone, eat, do my hair, whatever.
But seriously, I just finished reading Bright-Sided, and I take exception to her idea that everybody who has faith is an idiot. I have lots of misguided friends of faith, but none of them would use their faith as an excuse to drive badly. They might use their faith as a reason that they survived a horrible collision, but never for enabling their bad driving in the first place.
Posted by: senecasam | November 13, 2009 8:59 AM
Gawd already gets plenty of exposure in South Carolina, with their Gawd Bless America and In Gawd We Trust plates, which are offered with no surcharge added to the regular cost of vehicle registration.
Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer is incensed that the Secular Humanists of the Low Country were able to gain sufficient support to obtain an In Reason We Trust plate, which is now available to anyone in South Carolina, but with a surcharge added.
Bauer says this plate is an acknowledgment of atheism, but the court didn't agree with him.
If the Palmetto Family Council is able to obtain, as a private group, an I Believe plate, South Carolinians could also see the first Pastafarian license plate in the country?
Now that would drive the fundagelicals wild!
Posted by: Hank Fox | November 13, 2009 9:02 AM
I especially like/hate the cars covered in hand-lettered Bible verses. Of the two versions of this I've seen, one simply proselytizing Christianity and the other specifically opposing abortion (I call them Abort-O-Mobiles), the first type seems more pathetic and mental-ill-y.
One of my older 'Wise Old Sayings I Just Made Up' is
"Every sizable high school graduating class contains at least one young woman who will grow up to be known at 'the Cat Lady.'"
This makes me think of a newer one:
"Every city of more than a million people will contain at least one 'Jesus Guy' who drives a car covered in hand-lettered Bible verses."
Posted by: MRW | November 13, 2009 9:04 AM
Don't worry, PZ, the license plates will probably still happen. They were struck down based largely on the method that they were created (the legislature). The judges ruling seems to leave room for a private organization to apply for their creation, just like sports teams plates and such. Already, an organization has taken the name "I believe" in order to take that route.
Posted by: Hank Fox | November 13, 2009 9:10 AM
As to "driving with faith," don't forget the uber-freaky Carrie Underwood song "Jesus Take the Wheel."
Musically, it's a fairly nice song, but the lyrics suck like a black hole in the Hoover Galaxy:
She was driving last Friday on her way to Cincinnati
On a snow white Christmas Eve
Going home to see her Mama and her Daddy
With the baby in the backseat
Fifty miles to go and she was running low
On faith and gasoline
It'd been a long hard year
She had a lot on her mind and she didn't pay attention
She was going way too fast
Before she knew it she was spinning
On a thin black sheet of glass
She saw both their lives flash before her eyes
She didn't even have time to cry
She was so scared
She threw her hands up in the air
Jesus, take the wheel
Take it from my hands
Cause I can't do this on my own
I'm letting go
So give me one more chance
To save me from this road I'm on
Jesus, take the wheel
Posted by: Treppenwitz
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November 13, 2009 9:23 AM
As has been mentioned, SC drivers can buy In Reason We Trust plates. There is indeed a biennial surcharge, but it's lower than for most custom plates. Oddly, aside from the plates for veterans, which are free, the only cheaper custom plate is the "in god we trust" plate.
Posted by: Lauren Ipsum | November 13, 2009 9:26 AM
@17: Well, there's only one appropriate response to that, isn't there?
Well, I don't care if it rains or freezes
Long as I have my plastic Jesus
Riding on the dashboard of my car
I could go a hundred miles an hour
Long as I got the almighty power
Glued up there with my pair of fuzzy dice
Plenty more verses here:
http://www.guntheranderson.com/v/data/plastic0.htm
and here:
http://www.whitetreeaz.com/plastic_jesus/plasticj.htm
Posted by: Ashley Moore | November 13, 2009 9:30 AM
But of course the people who were behind the idea didn't do it so have Christian license plates, they did it so they would be STOPPED from having Christian license plates in order to feed their persecution complex.
Posted by: Rev. BigDumbChimp | November 13, 2009 9:32 AM
That's correct, the plates were given special treatment in the Legislature.
And if anyone was curious, Bauer is a moron. So much so that I hope our current philandering, lying, idiot of a Governor serves out his full term so that Bauer (the current Lt. Gov.) doesn't get a leg up on the rest of the candidates next election.
And I despise Sanford.
Posted by: ButchKitties | November 13, 2009 9:35 AM
@OhBilly
When I was getting the plate for my new car, it took me forever because the woman at the BMV assigned me an IGWT plate without asking if I wanted one, and then she got very pissed off when I insisted she change it to the non-delusional plate. Rather than just fix it, she kept insisting, "But doesn't cost anything extra!" As if the only possible reason I wouldn't want an IGWT plate would be if it cost more than the regular plate.
Posted by: Joe Bleau | November 13, 2009 9:44 AM
I always thought that demonstrative signs of God-lovin' only serve to demonstrate how little trust the exhibitionists are displaying in their deity of choice. It's as if they feel that God doesn't really have any special insight into their heart or soul, and thus must be reminded or convinced about which of His flock are the worthy ones. Like God can't tell the truly devout from the suck-ups...
Posted by: Joe Bleau | November 13, 2009 10:00 AM
ButchKitties @22,
As a fellow Hoosier, it absolutely sickens me how much revenue that the state is willing walk away from just to placate the smug majority. According to this article, in April '08 there were 1.6 million God plates in circulation - even if we assume that half of these folks wouldn't have chosen the plate if they had to pay for it, that's still $12,000,000 that the state just gave away, assuming that they charged the normal $15 special plate fee.
And to think, our esteemed governor just announced a whole new round of cutbacks and spending freezes due to the ongoing revenue shortfall in the state...
Posted by: Free Lunch
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November 13, 2009 10:18 AM
I assume that Indiana just didn't have enough room on its plate for the entire title of the Jean Shepherd's wonderful Indiana-based short story collection, In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash (though I think they changed the name to A Christmas Story for current printings).
Either that, or Indiana drivers just don't trust other Indiana drivers because they don't have decent drivers' education programs there.
Posted by: nicole | November 13, 2009 10:37 AM
In Alabama some of the license plates say god bless Alabama or something like that. I never knew it would be so different down here than Michigan, but people are right this is definitely the bible belt, for instance I work in a research center with all super Christians who go to church more than once a week and use Christian reviews to judge whether movies are watchable.
Posted by: https://certifi.ca/eean
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November 13, 2009 10:44 AM
Everyone needs a Jesus bobblehead.
Posted by: middlekk | November 13, 2009 10:50 AM
I live 20 miles from the SC border, and I fear that the law of unintended consequences will be in evidence shortly.
Not that we don't have enough fish decals, "we still pray" bumper stickers, and every other bit of religious tripe.
Heck, every week I get to drive on the Billy Graham Freeway. How's THAT for promoting a specific religious sect!
Posted by: bobxxxx | November 13, 2009 10:52 AM
From a recent comment on a Christian blog, a death threat from a Christian for the federal judge in South Carolina: "It's only a matter of time before this judge is struck down."
It's always nice to see another victory for the constitution and another defeat for the Christian theocrats, also known as terrorists.
Posted by: Darren Garrison | November 13, 2009 11:17 AM
Okay, guys-- time to fess up. This tag was my fault. I proposed an "ivy leaf" tag-- but I had a cold at the time.
Posted by: InfuriatedSciTeacher | November 13, 2009 11:44 AM
middlekk>
Yea, but the Asheville area is almost pretty enough to make up for the fundagelicals. Then again, the only people I've hung out with up there are the raft guides, so it's not like I had to deal with many of Graham's minions...
Posted by: Hitek | November 13, 2009 11:51 AM
One big thing down here in SC is to plaster the ten commandments on the back of your car. They usually put two or three of the stickers so they end up with the thirty commandments then!
Posted by: Rey Fox | November 13, 2009 11:53 AM
"All the Christian drivers of the state are still welcome to slap on lots of bumper stickers and cover their dashboards with Jebus bobbleheads."
But don't you see? That's not enough! It's NEVER enough!
""Every city of more than a million people will contain at least one 'Jesus Guy' who drives a car covered in hand-lettered Bible verses.""
I live in a city whose metro area, if you're generous, is about half a million, and I've seen at least two of these.
Posted by: OhBilly | November 13, 2009 12:01 PM
@ButchKitties
It was similar at the BMV for me too. She asked me which plate I wanted and I told her I just wanted the standard Indiana plate. She came back with "Or you can have the In God We Trust plate, it doesn't cost any extra!" My response was "Oh no, no thanks" and she was appalled that I REALLY didn't want it. These God-fearing Americans really do think we atheists are about as low as they come.
Bill
Posted by: Roadtripper
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November 13, 2009 12:25 PM
Having traveled all over the CONUS, mostly by highway, I've actually found that bad driving is pretty much universal. It cuts across religions and state lines, wherever you go. I don't look at license plates or religious stickers to ID bad drivers. However, I've also found it's possible to identify probable bad drivers by noticing trends in which vehicles they prefer.
A few I've learned to be especially wary of, after countless instances of extreme rudeness, road-rage and near-misses: (With apologies to *good* drivers who own these....)
Buick: completely clueless, especially the white ones. Most often seen doing 45mph in the fast lane. Do not park next to them, ever.
Oldsmobile: gone but not forgotten. They can't drive, and their car is getting old. Be afraid...very afraid. Those that could afford to trade-in have mostly switched to Buick.
Cadillac: bad driving and too much money -- the killer cocktail. (Sub-category: Caddy SUV = testosterone-addled!)
Lincoln: can't quite afford a Caddy/doesn't like GM. They expect everyone else on the road to watch out for them when they charge blithely into traffic. Can't imagine why anyone would hit them, ever.
German luxury sedan: of course they're entitled to that fine car...their husband is an excellent doctor!
Toyota Celica: an apparently normal vehicle which, for reasons I will never understand, seems to attract more than its share of hyper-aggressive jerk-wipes. Mostly OK, but I steer clear of 'em just in case. (YMMV)
Posted by: JThompson | November 13, 2009 12:26 PM
@OhBilly: Don't feel too bad, Alabama has those stupid plates too. And gleefully responds with obstructed tag tickets ($300+ bucks) to anyone that covers the "God Bless America" line...even though it doesn't obscure the numbers, state name, or issue date.
We also have those stupid "Choose Life" plates that give money to religious fanatics for every plate people buy.
Of course I realize how small a comfort "Don't feel bad, you're no worse than Alabama!" is.
Posted by: Ashley F. Miller | November 13, 2009 12:39 PM
The somewhat disturbing thing is that Andre Bauer is generally considered an openly closeted homosexual and so his whole I
Of course, the "Choose Life" plates are allowed.
Posted by: JustaTech | November 13, 2009 2:04 PM
Wow. I know I live in a bastion of atheist-commie-hippie-liberalism when I realized I have seen exactly 1 religious bumper sticker (with words) in the past ... year? (It seemed to be on a church car, about 2 feet high and said essentially "repent to Jesus or got to Hell".)
For ever Jesus fish I see there's at least one Darwin fish or FSM.
The downside? It rains three-quarters of the year and there are hippies everywhere.
Posted by: OhBilly | November 13, 2009 2:50 PM
JThompson@36:
I was just thinking that same thing. Actually I've never been there, but I imagine it's about the same as I'm imagining it to be. I'd imagine anyway. Cheers.
Posted by: tsg | November 13, 2009 4:11 PM
*We* know how to drive just fine. The rest of the country doesn't.
Posted by: jolly | November 13, 2009 4:20 PM
Maybe a license plate that says, No God To Trust
Posted by: Anonymous | November 13, 2009 4:42 PM
http://www.rr-bb.com/showthread.php?t=116103
Posted by: tsg | November 13, 2009 4:48 PM
It surprises me not that Rapture Ready would see this as an infringement on their rights.
Posted by: 'Tis Himself, Quel Dommage
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November 13, 2009 5:08 PM
I want a Kaiser Wilhelm II bobblehead. Don't ask why.
Posted by: tsg | November 13, 2009 5:10 PM
It's getting close to that time of year when the idiots come out with their "It's OK to say 'Merry Christmas' to me" buttons because they know everybody really wants to say that but isn't allowed to.
It's the same delusion that makes them think we aren't Christians only because we haven't heard the word of Jebus and not because we have and rejected it.
Posted by: B.T. Murtagh | November 13, 2009 6:13 PM
The South Carolina "In God We Trust" plates are supposed to cost $24 more than regular plates, but I keep hearing people say they weren't charged anything extra.
There are no extra requirements for the IGWT plates, so maybe that's the confusion; the "In Reason We Trust" not only cost a few dollars more ($30) but require you to be a member of the Secular Humanists of the Low Country. That's not such a burden to me, but it does seem like the playing field isn't entirely level here...
Posted by: Kaleberg | November 13, 2009 7:13 PM
I always did have a warm spot for those "Jesus would have used his turn signals." bumper stickers.
Posted by: homostoicus | November 13, 2009 8:01 PM
I wonder if my insurance will cover damages my abandoned car does after I'm raptured. Oh, wait... Acts of God. But then, what do I care? Oh, wait... maybe that whole atheist thing disqualifies me anyway. Never mind.
Posted by: Stardrake | November 13, 2009 11:11 PM
Somewhat OT, there is some hope for Arkansas...
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/11/13/arkansas.evangelist.trial/index.html
Tony Alamo sentenced to 175 years for kiddy-diddling.
One down, way too many to go.....
(And TypePad is returning a very large error message when I try to use it...)
Posted by: bassmanpete | November 14, 2009 12:33 AM
@Stardrake #49
That's what I like about the US; none of this 'sentences to run concurrently' crap as is the case in the UK and here in Australia!
Posted by: homework helper | November 14, 2009 6:14 AM
Government must never be allowed to express favored treatment for one faith over others. There must be uniform license plate all over the state irrespective of any religion.