Honk, If You Love Jesus: Florida Extends State Advancement of Religion to License Plates
jonathanturley
Florida is continuing its struggle against the separation of church and state with a new promotion of religion: special license plates for the faithful. The legislature is considering a plate featuring a Christian cross, a stained-glass church window and the words “I Believe.” The sponsor of this unconstitutional measure is Rep. Edward Bullard who sees absolutely no difference between vanity plates and divinity plates. This is no doubt an effort to close the license gap with Iran, which has a “Honk if You Love Allah” plate.
Bullard insists that there is no difference between his religious plates and plates supporting a university or football team — missing the minor point that the first amendment is not written to prevent the entanglement of the state and the Dolphins. It is merely, he says, “something they believe in.”
The state already has a plate with the motto “Family First,” which funds Sheridan House, a Christian organization prompting aspects of faith.
