GUEST COMMENTARY: No license plate needed to say `I Believe’

COLUMBIA, S.C.-A federal court recently told South Carolina officials to halt the production of special license plates bearing a bright yellow cross, a stained-glass window and the words, “I Believe.” I am a Christian minister, and I hold respect for the symbol of the cross, the beauty of stained-glass windows and the celebration of belief […]

(RNS1-JAN05) The Rev. Thomas Summers is a retired United Methodist minister. He lives in Columbia, S.C. For use with RNS-SUMMERS-COLUMN, transmitted Jan. 5, 2009. Religion News Service photo.

(RNS1-JAN05) The Rev. Thomas Summers is a retired United Methodist minister. He lives in Columbia, S.C. For use with RNS-SUMMERS-COLUMN, transmitted Jan. 5, 2009. Religion News Service photo.

COLUMBIA, S.C.-A federal court recently told South Carolina officials to halt the production of special license plates bearing a bright yellow cross, a stained-glass window and the words, “I Believe.”

I am a Christian minister, and I hold respect for the symbol of the cross, the beauty of stained-glass windows and the celebration of belief and faith. Because of all that, some might assume I would be offended by the court’s order.


Not so; I applaud the decision. In fact, I helped bring it about as one of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit brought by Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

Ever since the ruling was issued, some people have asked me how a Christian minister could not be in support of such a plate. My response has essentially been: How could a Christian minister not be against this governmentally sponsored license plate?

The promotion of a faith group, and the honoring of its symbols, are activities that should be taken by that faith group-not the government. When lawmakers chose to single out one religious group on a state-sanctioned license plate to the exclusion of all others, it showed an unfair and unconstitutional preference. What’s more, this action trampled on a core value resting at the heart of Christianity: equality.

History shows us, through often bitter experience, that government attempts to “help” religion-even in ways that may seem benign-usually end up sapping the strength and vitality from our houses of worship. A free church in a free state has worked well for more than 200 years. Such a successful formula need not be harmed.

Some legislators publicly made it clear that there would be no similar “I Believe” plates available for other faiths. No Muslim would get a tag featuring a star and a crescent; no Wiccan would receive a license plate with a pentacle. Shutting the door to other faiths creates second-class citizens and runs counter to any fair-minded sense of inclusiveness.

As a clergyman, it has been my privilege to help foster interfaith appreciation, dialogue and cooperation. Just as Christians do, my brothers and sisters of other faiths hold dear their own treasured histories, cultures, symbols and rituals. So it was excruciating for me to hear a legislative attempt to push the ascendancy of Christianity in my state.


Even though South Carolina happens to be overwhelmingly Christian, the state-sponsored “I Believe” license plate represents a form of disrespect and religious bullying.

All faiths deserve equal footing. Indeed, James Madison indicated that government occupies a critical role in “protecting the minority from the tyranny of the majority.” South Carolina lawmakers vacated that important function when they decided to promote, advance and favor one religion over all others.

The production of the “I Believe” license plate would suddenly make it appear that Christians in the state have special rights. The government would be co-opting the symbols of Christian faith and treating them differently from those of other religions. I find it intolerable that any law or government action would convey to my friends of other faith groups (or even no faith): “Sorry, but you’re not as important to the government as these Christian believers are.”

The message behind such a plate is not subtle: South Carolina has a state-favored religion. Drivers in the Palmetto State and across this country should pause as they consider the legitimate fear that some future public policy decisions might be vulnerable to a similar coercion of Christian ideology.

If people want to proclaim their faith on their cars, there are a number of bumper stickers and emblems that can do the job. Just don’t expect the government of South Carolina-or any government, for that matter-to help you spread the message. It’s not the government’s job, and none of us should want it to be.

(The Rev. Dr. Thomas A. Summers is a retired United Methodist minister. He lives in Columbia, S.C.)


KRE/CSW END SUMMERS

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