To me, this raises a couple questions. Assuming the legislature approves this plate, would they also approve ones that say "I Don't Believe" or "I Believe in Plural Marriage" or "Allahu Akbar"? Probably not, barring court intervention. It's dismaying that the Florida legislature would open this can of worms when there are so many other issues they could attend to.
But beyond that, the proposed plate brings to light something that's been concerning me of late. Why is it that public symbolic expressions of faith and patriotism have become so important. Why does it matter whether or not a politician wears a flag pin? Why is it so vitally important that one's religious affiliation needs to be broadcast on a license plate?
Turning lapel pins and license plates into litmus tests on faith and patriotism only serves to cheapen faith and patriotism. The sponsor of the bill to create the license plate put it best:
Rep. Edward Bullard, the plate's sponsor, said people who "believe in their college or university" or "believe in their football team" already have license plates they can buy. The new design is a chance for others to put a tag on their cars with "something they believe in," he said.
-- Associated Press
Rep. Bullard clearly doesn't intend to suggest that his faith is the moral equivalent of an alumni association or a football fan club, but that is in effect what he is doing in sponsoring a Christian license plate. By backing the measure with the support of the state, it cheapens the state as well as religion. Our efforts as citizens and the faithful are better spent elsewhere.
One's faith and one's patriotism should be self-evident, and to allow such virtues to be reduced to a piece of tin (either on your car or on your lapel) is, well, sacrilege.
1 comment:
*sigh*
Tributaries of the river Crazy.
I'm liking the blog...keep it up, one more thing to do at work :)
Dean
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