In Russia, Putin's government is embracing Russian Orthodoxy, while cracking down on all other Christian denominations. Labeled as "sects," churches like the Methodist Church are being outlawed.
Anti-western sentiment is one factor motivating the hostile posture toward US-based Protestant groups. Putin's distrust of groups not aligned with the states could also explain the religious intolerance. In addition to Protestants, the Catholic Church faces opposition, and foreign priests are often denied Russian visas.
Meanwhile the state government in Florida might give one religion its stamp of approval. The legislature is considering specialty plates with a Christian cross, stained glass windows, and the words "I Believe." This would be the first state license plate featuring a purely religious logo.
Do you see any similarities between these two state endorsements of religion, or is Russia a case of oppression, while Florida is a case of expression? By choosing one specific religion to promote on a plate, is Florida effectively oppressing the others? Should other messages, perhaps more controversial, be allowed? Could there be an "I Don't Believe" plate?
Mishumo
In the case of the Florida I would say that is freedom of speech. I dont see any issue with a license plate being offered. I dont see agnostic plates coming out any time soon though.
The fact that churches are being outlawed is a scary thing. Putin is a scary thing. This is a interesting blog, I had no idea this was happening.
Do we have another Hitler on our hands?
1Florida has like 500 license plate choices, I don't think I've ever see them same one twice! If you can support your charity on your license plate, why not your religion? People pay more for it and its their choice to have it. If you don't like it, no one is forcing you to have it... or forcing you to be Russian Orthodox.
2OH, just give me the default plate and let's get on with life.
Putin is a wierd little man! He scares me too. He has beady eyes.
3Cabaker - I was thinking the same thing, like Florida needs another specialty plate?!? Although I think their designs are really cool. If Christians want to jump on the same wagon as "Save the Manatees" and "Save the TaTas" good for them. I'm just wondering where the money will go, because typically you pay extra for a specialty plate, and it goes to a non-profit organization, where will this money go???
4uh oh katybug! I didn't even think of that! Where WILL the money go?
5good point katy, the safest option would have it just go to the DMV, but I would think Christians would want it to go to some kind of church.... Maybe they could agree on UNICEF or something!
6Putin is Satan, I don't care what anyone says that's what the devil looks like. he has the cruelest eyes, I have ever seen.
71) Putin is a crazy little man and makes me proud to live in a free country
2) who cares what people have on their plate. It is their choice, they are paying extra for it, let them do as they please. I am sure if people wrote to them and create a plate for another religion and the demand was high enough, they would create it.
8could you get a default plate and decorate it yourself with stickers, or a sharpie? I would draw a spaceship, and maybe put some rainbows or a unicorn on there.
9You could technically change your plates every day according to the news of the day, or however you feel. you could tape a picture of Putin on there, with antennas coming out of his head and some barf coming from his mouth.
10Florida is insane with their gazillion plates. In the mix of over their 100 plates there are a few that are a bit off-putting so it does not seem like such a bad thing to have this one that is uplifting. Now let's just hope people driving with this plate don't act like jerks behind the wheel.
11ha ha Kia! i can see someone like that having a wreck, and they'd be like "I ASKED Jesus several times to take the wheel, and He didn't hear me!" or "I'm sorry, I really thought it was the rapture this time."
12Ok here's my take on Putin. The people in Russia who keep "electing" this man continue to think that life in the Soviet Union was not "THAT" bad and like to have someone strong willed and decisive leading them. It's sad because they fail to see that Putin and his minions are simply bringing back the dictatorship.
Meanwhile, Russia is also encroaching on the former Soviet States (like Ukraine) and pressuring them in many ways (like cutting off natural gas supplies and rallying against them when they try to join NATO) and some of the people in these countries think, hey life was relatively easy back then, let's just listen to Putin... but meanwhile you have people like my husband's family who are staunchly nationalistic and are tired of having some foreign government stomping all over them. So basically it's a big ole' mess.
To the point brought up in the post - this does not surprise me at all, though it does scare me a little bit. The Russian Orthodox church has a thousand year tradition in the slavic world and won't give that up easily. Tons of missionaries come into Russia and former Soviet states daily to try to "bring the people to Christ", but most of them are very closed minded and think that Russian Orthodox Christianity "doesn't count" (even though the Orthodox church was the original church, but whatev...) So there is this dislike for the missionaries of other denominations for the condescending ways that they treat the Orthodox church. I'm not condoning what they or Putin are doing, but it does bring the situation in perspective.
And no, the license place thing has NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS!
13
kris,, that was a good laugh!!!
14I remember the last time Russia went theocratic and then something happened ... oh yeah, 73 years of communist oppression. Oh well, maybe this time it'll be different.
15Kris: I don't know about anywhere in the country, but here in GA, I got pulled over for having stickers on my lisence plate, and was told it was illegal, and I had to remove it.
16I find it interesting that FL is allowing the religious tags on cars but is outlawing the trucknutz in the same week - coincidence?
What if someone has both on their car? man that would be funny...
Seriously though I think having a religious plate is fine, it's one of those things it's on a person's car it's not like they're trying to convert you (although some people may see it as an evangelization tool), and if any other religion wants to have a tag made up in support of their beliefs I'm fine with that too.
Putin is scary, I don't think the two stories having anything to do with eachother though.
17To have a specialty plate in floridaThe basic requirements are:
The organization must hire an independent survey company to conduct a survey on Florida registered motor vehicle owners, an application fee of $60,000, a long-term and short-term marketing plan, financial analyses and the design of the license plate. The requirements must be submitted to the Department 90-days before the first day of the legislative session.
18Katy, I wondered if it might be illegal. oh well. there goes my idea.
19haha Kim, good point!
20Will Florida make plates for all religions? I think it's a dumb idea to display your spiritual beliefs on your bumper like a baseball team, but if Christians can, they're going to have to allow Muslims, Jews, Scientologists and anyone else who can get an IRS designation to have their plates too.
21Thanks for the info cat! But it doesn't say where the funds from the sales of the plates goes? hmm...
22Is Florida going to make plates for all religions? It seems silly to announce your choice of religions on your bumper like a baseball team.
23What about the Jesus fish steph??
Why not have it on your plate too?
24Well I don't have the constitutional or legal knowledge to know whether having a cross on a (personalized) license plate is a violation of church and state. I guess the question to ask would be when one pays the extra fee for a personalized plate are they actually purchasing it from the state and is the actual plate owned by the auto owner? Or Is it just a fee and the plate still belongs to the state? I guess my answer would is obvious depending on the answer to the question.
25stephley the plates just arent made willy nilly, read my original post for the requirements, its up to the organization to come up with the money for them.
26hypnotic, is that your puppy dog?? he/she is fluffy and precious!
27That's little Toby. My room mates Aunts dog. He comes to visit one weekend a month. He's a riot.
28Putin is looking for ways to shut his country off from the west. This sounds eerily like the Russia in the years after WWII
29Yeah, I saw your post about the requirements after Sugar's tech issue got fixed. As long as they'll allow the plates for anyone who fulfills the requirements, my only problem with the idea is the tackiness. But I'm sure we'll hear one day that someone's objecting to someone else's religious plates.
30But I'm sure we'll hear one day that someone's objecting to someone else's religious plates.
Yep, I thought of that too - it's just a matter of time.
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