# JOHN316 License Plate Opinions wanted, especially from Athiest or Anti-theist Dopers **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 18, 2005, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john316-license-plate-opinions-wanted-especially-from-athiest-or-anti-theist-dopers/304473 "2005-05-18T20:44:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john316-license-plate-opinions-wanted-especially-from-athiest-or-anti-theist-dopers/304473/21 "2005-05-18T22:32:31Z")
I’m merely a neutral atheist and not an evangelical anti-theist: my two cents I get a little riled up by the ‘no Jesus know Peace’ ones, Jesus-eating-Darwin (once a joke is recursive twice it’s no longer funny), Calvin praying at the cross, and the “rapture” ones especially strike me as the most self-congratulatory, smug things I’ve ever seen on this here planet, but the licence plate doesn’t bug me very much-- I’d merely roll my eyes. In my eyes it’s much preferable to any of the above (I mean, if you’re going to evangelize, just get on with it-- don’t try to be clever. It’s usually not clever to anyone but yourself and it pisses off rather than speaks to The Heathen). ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john316-license-plate-opinions-wanted-especially-from-athiest-or-anti-theist-dopers/304473/22 "2005-05-18T23:09:14Z")
> [@capybara](#): > > Calvin praying at the cross The irony of that one is that Bill Watterson never gave permission for ANY marketing of his characters, so the person with that decal is stealing, or at least contributing to theft. Pretty sure there’s a commandment against that. (And yeah, I know they probably don’t realize it, it’s still ironic that they’re contributing to the theft, even unwittingly) ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john316-license-plate-opinions-wanted-especially-from-athiest-or-anti-theist-dopers/304473/23 "2005-05-18T23:41:11Z")
I would love to have a couple of biblical quotes/number thingies that basically are not the nice parts of the bible. Y’know: Bob 3;32-33.5 :Thou shalt not be a hypocrite bunghole. Too bad I find reading this book as dull as a tax form. ---
**Author:** ![sj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@sj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sj2)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john316-license-plate-opinions-wanted-especially-from-athiest-or-anti-theist-dopers/304473/24 "2005-05-19T00:15:42Z")
Sardonic anti-theist here…and I don’t care. Have your plate. It helps weed out the people I don’t want to talk to…or do business with…or think about. Wait, now I’m thinking about it and getting :mad: …thankfully I don’t drive much so I won’t see her. Oh, and you can’t have [GOTMILF](http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0721041plate1.html) – don’t get me wrong, I’d rather talk to the 3:16 lady than this dude at my local grocer… ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john316-license-plate-opinions-wanted-especially-from-athiest-or-anti-theist-dopers/304473/25 "2005-05-19T01:13:21Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > I would love to have a couple of biblical quotes/number thingies that basically are not the nice parts of the bible. Y’know: > > Bob 3;32-33.5 :Thou shalt not be a hypocrite bunghole. > Too bad I find reading this book as dull as a tax form. I think you misquoted, **Shirley** How’s Mark 13:40 grab you? > [@](#): > > “They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext, recite lengthy prayers. They will receive a very severe condemnation.” Or the classic exerpt from Luke 12:1 > [@](#): > > “Beware the leaven - that is the hypocracy - of the Pharisees.” ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john316-license-plate-opinions-wanted-especially-from-athiest-or-anti-theist-dopers/304473/26 "2005-05-19T01:44:16Z")
[slight hijack] What does MILF stand for? I’ve seen it here several times, but don’t know what it means. [/slight hijack] ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john316-license-plate-opinions-wanted-especially-from-athiest-or-anti-theist-dopers/304473/27 "2005-05-19T01:49:18Z")
It’s an acronym, and slightly off color, so I’m putting it into a spoiler box. MILF = Mother I’d Like to Fuck ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john316-license-plate-opinions-wanted-especially-from-athiest-or-anti-theist-dopers/304473/28 "2005-05-19T04:00:22Z")
> [@6 6 6](#): > > (The Bible reference was meaningless to me until I read the [story](http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/4874741p-4471616c.html) . > > …but I _am_ surprised that she got away with painting the colon. I hadn’t read the story until the “painting the colon” line gave me a really strange mental image and raised the question “inside or outside?” :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john316-license-plate-opinions-wanted-especially-from-athiest-or-anti-theist-dopers/304473/29 "2005-05-19T04:28:09Z")
As a motorcyclist, I often reley on the “not so obvious” clues as to the shittyness of the driver. Clinton and Kerry stickers, dents, rust, general unkemptness of an automobile can all give you clues as to the degree of braindead-ness of the driver, and the likelyhood that they will do something stupid and attempt to kill me (all the while never even knowing I was there, due to self-indulgance and general ignorance). Cell phones, Garfield cats in the rear window, blocking vision, indicate that the driver is a moron, and I take extra caution. Huge spoilers on Hondas also tip me off to the less than cerebral operators. Really, there is a stupid bitch I pass every day that has a “Jesus is Love” sticker on her piece of shit Hyundai, talking on her cell phone, that never has seen me once! Hell, a big disclaimer of “I’m an Idiot!” right on the license plate just might save my life. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john316-license-plate-opinions-wanted-especially-from-athiest-or-anti-theist-dopers/304473/30 "2005-05-19T05:36:38Z")
50% Agnostic, 50% Athiest here (even and odd days) I would be extremely upset if the plate was revoked. I care very much about free speech, and in the case of a license plate, unless it quite obviously crosses the line of community standards (like a plate that says F\*CK YOU), it should be allowed. P.S. I love the Darwin fish and Jesus fish battle. I keep trying to think of a new one that would be funny but I’m stumped. ---
**Author:** ![LissyLou](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5daacb/32.png) [@LissyLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LissyLou)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john316-license-plate-opinions-wanted-especially-from-athiest-or-anti-theist-dopers/304473/31 "2005-05-19T06:29:12Z")
Atheist here, not offended, could care less really. However, was I crazy, or did Benfield mention that one of the things the guidlines prohibited was blasphemy, and then say that the guidlines don’t mention religion? I’m confused. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john316-license-plate-opinions-wanted-especially-from-athiest-or-anti-theist-dopers/304473/32 "2005-05-19T06:36:46Z")
> [@OtakuLoki](#): > > In my mind I can understand why some people would find it annoying, but that’s different, to me, than being offensive. I think that’s well said. I don’t like seeing junk like this on the road - here I’m lumping the plate in with many bumper stickers - but I can’t think of a good reason it should be banned. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john316-license-plate-opinions-wanted-especially-from-athiest-or-anti-theist-dopers/304473/33 "2005-05-19T07:46:42Z")
This godless poster doesn’t mind. Having said that… on to my marginally related anecdote! A friend of mine got a fancy German performance sedan. He thought, and I agree, that ‘SCHNELL’, German for very fast would be a cool plate. He was rejected on the basis that ‘foreign words are not permitted’ in Illinois…even though I see non-English plates all the time. Anyway, I saw the exact plate on a BMW in Wisconsin. Yep, that’s the anecdote. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john316-license-plate-opinions-wanted-especially-from-athiest-or-anti-theist-dopers/304473/34 "2005-05-19T11:13:44Z")
Atheist checking in here: No problem at all with the plate. However (you knew there’d be a “however”, right?) in today’s world of road-ragers, stalkers, and general weirdness, I question the wisdom of putting ANYTHING on your car which makes you easier to remember. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john316-license-plate-opinions-wanted-especially-from-athiest-or-anti-theist-dopers/304473/35 "2005-05-19T15:52:18Z")
I don’t care one way or the other. I want to know who cared enough to complain. Bible quotes on plates may be a good idea. Can I get a Matthew 23:15 plate? > [@](#): > > Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. That ought to be good to put some self rightous bastards in their place. ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheValley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@LilyoftheValley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheValley)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john316-license-plate-opinions-wanted-especially-from-athiest-or-anti-theist-dopers/304473/36 "2005-05-19T16:48:04Z")
Doesn’t bother me. I see a ton of god-related plates around here, almost on a daily basis. I do think they’re pretty dumb (Wouldn’t it be more godly to spend that $35/year on a charitable contribution than the plate “PRAZHIM”? Yeesh, bumper stickers are only $2 if you must prostelytize on your car.), but they don’t bug me in the least. I’m also 100% behind the woman in NH who was denied the license plate HEMP. (I forget the final outcome of the case; it happened about 8 years ago when I lived in Concord NH.) ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john316-license-plate-opinions-wanted-especially-from-athiest-or-anti-theist-dopers/304473/37 "2005-05-19T17:02:53Z")
> [@LissyLou](#): > > Atheist here, not offended, could care less really. > > However, was I crazy, or did Benfield mention that one of the things the guidlines prohibited was blasphemy, and then say that the guidlines don’t mention religion? > > I’m confused. No, you’re not. From the story > [@](#): > > They used guidelines barring vanity plates that are “offensive to good taste and decency,” “blasphemous,” “vulgar, profane or sexually suggestive in nature,” or “a racial, ethnic, lifestyle or gender slur.” The guidelines don’t mention religion. The issue of separation of church and state would be a matter for courts to decide, Benfield said. So if I wanted a NO GOD plate I couldn’t get it. I wonder if a PAGAN or WICCAN plate would be OK. ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheValley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@LilyoftheValley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheValley)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john316-license-plate-opinions-wanted-especially-from-athiest-or-anti-theist-dopers/304473/38 "2005-05-19T17:14:57Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > I would also have no problem with a SHIVA plate, or a GAIA (Have a spelled that right?) plate. Whoops, forgot to comment on this one earlier. I actually _saw_ a SHIVA plate about a month ago. The reason I remember this is that my first thought was of “sitting shiva” and I thought, “What an odd choice for a plate.” :smack: ---
**Author:** ![jimpatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9e5f3/32.png) [@jimpatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimpatro)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john316-license-plate-opinions-wanted-especially-from-athiest-or-anti-theist-dopers/304473/39 "2005-05-19T18:24:25Z")
**RaftPeople** > [@](#): > > P.S. I love the Darwin fish and Jesus fish battle. I keep trying to think of a new one that would be funny but I’m stumped. How about a Darwin Fish humping a jesus fish? And next to them little baby Darwin/jesus fish scurry off. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![infamousmom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/d6d6ee/32.png) [@infamousmom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/infamousmom)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john316-license-plate-opinions-wanted-especially-from-athiest-or-anti-theist-dopers/304473/40 "2005-05-19T18:48:47Z")
Too bad there’s no license-plate way to abbreviate Matthew 15:10-11. ``` Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen and understand. What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean.' " ``` [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john316-license-plate-opinions-wanted-especially-from-athiest-or-anti-theist-dopers/304473.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john316-license-plate-opinions-wanted-especially-from-athiest-or-anti-theist-dopers/304473.md?page=3)