In God We Trust on license plates? Next move to rally fundies?

[NewJeffCT]

I was trying to listen to Air America out of NYC this morning in the Hartford, CT area. It's not always very clear, but this morning, it was blown away by newstalk WOWO 1190, which I think is out of Ft. Wayne, Indiana. But, before I changed the channel to local news in frustration, I heard something like, "and after the break, we speak with so & so about the move to put "In God We Trust" on license plates"

I heard that and it hit me that it could be the next move of Rove, and his ilk, in order to get the "whackos" out there voting in mass numbers in 2006 and 2008.

Anybody else heard this?

[0rganism]

1. Hell, it's already on all the money, let it go

At best, most people just don't care, and think people who complain about it are wacky secular fascists. And of the ones who do care, most of them care in the other direction and stand to benefit politically from any legal challenges.

Myself a weak atheist, I used to get really annoyed by this crap. But over the last couple years, I've been seeing just how firmly entrenched people are about their displays of "faith", no matter how ridiculous. 90% of America believes in one or more specific gods of some sort, and about 90% of that 90% are Christians, slightly less than half of whom think secularism is part of the gay agenda forced on their schoolchildren and atheism is tantamount to Stalinism. When it comes to running for political office, a Satanist has less negatives than an atheist.

Let it go, we can't win this fight, and the best way to get the "whackos" voting in mass numbers is to try.

[ClintonTyree]

2. Really, it's not worth a fight........

if the Reich-wing Nazis want to wallow in their stupidity, let them. Blind faith and uber-nationalism isn't something to be proud of, in my opinion.

[Tactical Progressive]

5. Nope, keep it off license plates

and get it off the currency.

My progression has evolved in the opposite direction of yours. For decades I never cared about 'In God We Trust' on the money. If it made somebody else feel good, and didn't bother me, then no big deal, right?

Well, now that that we've seen the level of entitlement that these people believe they have to define our country, our laws, our freedoms, etc into being subjugant to their theocratic whim, I've changed my mind. It's kind of the tough-on-crime approach; you let them get away with the small stuff and they think they can get away with the big stuff. They don't get any slack from me any more.

It would be one thing if modern Christianity followed Christ's true ideals to espouse and effect humility and compassion. I'd give them that slack if they did. But they don't. They do just the opposite and they are as a group self-righteous and committed to making our democracy live under their theocratic rules. I say their theocracies live under our democracy.

Getting religion off of the currency will help them to understand the larger picture.

[BushOut06]

6. As a quasi-religious person, I have to agree with you

I guess I still consider myself a Christian, was raised in a very religious household, although I haven't been to church in years. But I have to agree, religion belongs in the home, not in government. I wonder what the RWers would say if you suggested putting "In Gaia we Trust" on currency and license plates? I bet they'd get pretty pissed off. So why should it be any different?

[Tactical Progressive]

14. Exactly

they don't want 'Our Faith in Allah' on the money. They're not looking for religious freedom for anyone but themselves. They want to promote their own dominance and project it into the state based on demographics. Sorry, but the state isn't about demographics, it's about Constitutional protection of individual and minority rights.

[0rganism]

16. I'd agree, IF we had a solid chance of winning the legal case

As it is, what's more likely is that the SCOTUS (and you can bet it would go all the way up just like Newdow v. United States Congress, Elk Grove Unified School District, et al) would uphold the slogan by at least 6-3, and the religious zealots would gain even more leeway in pushing their agenda. Worse yet, if by some miracle the Supreme Court declared "In God We Trust" to be a violation of the constitution, I'd wager the religionists would have zero difficulty getting a constitutional amendment ratified to allow it. If you think being cast as "weak on defense" is a political disadvantage, try getting elected on a platform opponents can practically construe as "anti-God".

We're in a tiny minority on this one. There are some battles we just can't afford to fight at this time.

[Canuckistanian]

3. This is on vanity plates, isn't it?

So if the fundies want to pay for them, so much the better. More revenue for the government.

[SmokingJacket]

8. Yep, no problem with vanity plates,

as long as they offer other slogans, such as "Straight, but Not Narrow" and "Visualize World Peace."

What, they're not offering them?? Oh, well.

Anyway, keep God off my car, thanks. I think it's really tempting fate. How long before you see on the front page of the paper a picture of a totalled car with "In God We Trust" on the license plate?

I knew a woman who wrecked her car that bore a "Jesus is my Copilot" bumper sticker. Seems that Jesus didn't drive so well. Nature is an ironic bitch.

[Canuckistanian]

15. LOL

Well, Jesus is used to donkeys.

[NewJeffCT]

9. the way they phrased it

made it sound like they were going to put it on all license plates, sort of how Florida has "The Sunshine State" or NY has "The Empire State"...

[Rocknrule]

4. They think

if they can't tattoo the 10 Commandments on the ass of every American, they are persecuted

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

7. Make them pay for it.......

....and put the money towards the social programs that feed the little babies the fundis claim to care about so much. It the LEAST they could do.

[upi402]

10. i got laid off for Darwin plaquard on my car

Religious zealots are sick control freaks.

It's a symptom of the insecurity and fear with their fairy tale spirituality.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

11. Ehhh. No Problem With This. There are bigger fish to fry.

[NewJeffCT]

12. I don't think they were talking vanity plates

at least what I recall.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

13. Still Voluntary Though. As I Said. Ehh, I Don't Have Problem With It.

There are bigger fish to fry.