South Carolina strikes again.

On November 21, 2008, I mentioned the controversy over a proposed license plate in South Carolina. Many states have specialty license plates promoting some cause - like wildlife preservation - or some institution - like a college. This particular plate was to have a unique message, though, in promoting a particular faith - Christianity. The plate would have included a stained glass motif and a large cross. As you can imagine, folks opposed to such a thing brought suit, and the courts ruled the state could not continue with its plans for the license plate.

That was then. Now, as you can also imagine, the folks supporting the plate have organized. They have launched petition drives to demand their rights to have such a plate and have held at least one rally to pump up their supporters. According to a news article from the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, there was a religious rally last weekend attended by the lieutenant-governor and the attorney general, both of whom appear to be preparing to run for governor, at which the faithful Christians in South Carolina were encouraged to stand firm for their right to have a state license plate that proclaims the Christian message.

The pastor of the church where the rally was held, the Reverend Arnold Hiette, was described in the article in this way: Red-faced and angry, shaking his fist alongside his Bible, Hiette told the congregation that the four complainants - especially the Unitarian - and one judge who took away the people's right to witness via their vehicle tags "along with the ACLU, they're going to burn in hell."

Lt. Governor Bauer was quoted as saying, "There is free speech for every group in this state besides Christians," Bauer said. "Every citizen has the right to free speech in this country. I don't understand why witnessing in public is considered unconstitutional. You don't even have to be a Christian to believe everyone deserves the freedom of speech."

The issue is not about witnessing in public. The issue is not that, somehow, the constitution forbids people from giving witness to their faith. The legal issue is, as always, what entity is expected to provide the witness. Individual Christians can plaster their car, their clothing, their briefcases, and their houses with signs and stickers proclaiming their Christian faith. Christian churches can have billboards and signboards and special events to promote their faith.

It is when the state is expected to be involved that the problems come. The state should make it possible for people of all faiths to gather when and where they desire and to worship according to their conscience. The state should also protect the rights of people who have no faith. Thus, the state should be religiously neutral in the sense that its role is to guarantee the religious rights and freedoms of its citizens, but it should not promote any religion through state means. Just as the state should not produce a license plate promoting Christianity, it should also not produce one for any other religion practiced within its boundaries. The state should stay out of the religion business.