Widgetized Section
Go to Admin » Appearance » Widgets » and move Gabfire Widget: Social into that MastheadOverlay zone
Cash Strapped Red States Raise Money by Violating the Separation of Church and State
I am by nature a suspicious old coot. So when I saw a local newspaper story heralding the arrival of the “I believe” license plate, my curiosity was piqued, especially since the profits from the sale went to www.IBELIEVEsc.net. H’mmmmm.
Of course I high-tailed it to the site. I was greeted on its home page by an anatomically correct version of the new plate. It was certainly eye-catching. Against a gold backdrop with the sun casting its rays in a semi-circular pattern across the entire plate, the sample was replete with 3 crucifixes positioned on a rocky mound. The horizontal letters JC were positioned just in front of the license plate number and the I Believe website address was printed across the top. South Carolina was along the bottom. Dontcha just love separation of church and state.
At the bottom of the home page, I clicked on the heading ‘Our Coalition’. There were 10 pictures of the members of the Board of Directors plastered across the page. Pretty much all of them represented right-wing church denominations. There were the Progressive, Southern and Independent Baptists (forgive me if any are ‘moderate’), a smiling frizzy-haired male evangelical, a representative of the breakaway Anglican AMIA (Anglican Mission in America) and a picture of the Chairman of the Board, a portly fellow from Hilton Head, Stu Rodman of the Evangelical Presbyterian church.
Stu had that look. That “I’ve got an agenda look”. I had to find his bio.
It was impressive. Rodman, who held a Harvard MBA, had served on then Governor Mark Sanford’s Management, Performance and Accountability Commission. You remember Sanford. He once wandered away from the Appalachian Trail and ended up in Boners Aires, banging some married chick named Maria for 6 days. Mrs. S. did not take kindly to that kind of wanderlust and wandered off herself shortly thereafter.
After leaving his service in the Sanford administration, Rodman got a call from the governor one day about four years ago asking him to consider running to represent Hilton Head Island on the Beaufort County school board.
Stu ran and won. His campaign was endorsed by the right-wing South Carolina Club for Growth. He also continued to conduct his business, an investment firm specializing in turning around manufacturing companies. Again, H’mmmmm! He’s now a member of the Beaufort County Council.
It seems brother Rodman is also the head of the South Carolina wing of the Silver Ring Thing Ministry. More surfing took me to the ‘Silver Ring Thing’ national website. SRT has been around since 1995 and its primary mission is encouraging young ladies to keep their legs together until marriage “centered in a relationship with Jesus Christ.” To that end the Silver Ring home page tells of sponsoring over 870 “keep Susie a virgin” events in 8 countries since their founding.
You can check a map on their site to see if there’s a sexual buzz kill coming near you. If you’re Catholic, for some reason you get in free. If not, you’ll have to ante up 3 – 5 bucks with an additional 3 smackers if you order by phone. Pop, don’t forget to press a $20 bill into Susie’s hand before she leaves. That’s what she’ll have to plunk down for a ‘retro’ stainless steel purity ring. If your lil’ pumpkin’ wants to be an ‘Extra’ virgin (as in Olive oil), you’re going to have to part with an additional ten bucks for the ‘Classic Sterling’ ring. I’m guessing India before you ask. I recommend taking it to your nearest jeweler when Susie gets home (if she can still walk with those legs pressed so tightly together). If it’s not real silver, it may not have real powers and some little pudge will be calling you gramps in a couple of years.
Even with the acquisition of the ring, the site is far from finished pushing all manner of spiritual bric a brac on its visitors. Mommy and Daddy can even have their very own rings. The parent ring package is only $25.95 per. How about a 6 buck study guide or a ‘keep me away from the kid with the motorcycle’ wrist band for 5 smackers. Tees, Buttons, videos, books – they’ve got ‘em all and then some; just keep clicking on ‘Add to Cart’.
There’s money swirling around in them holy hills and I would suspect the investment guy may be getting his hands on some of it. Commercializing God isn’t illegal mind you, it’s just sort of morally icky!
Related Posts :
Former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, a love story: a story that peaked with a non-exis ...
In my last submission, “Let’s Rain Down A Storm Of Protest And Blow Alec Out Of The States”, I wrote of ...
Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC) continues to try to give a rise to his 2012 presidential hopes by waging war agains ...
You remember last year your outrage over North Carolina's "Choose Life" license plates (House Bill 289)? Che ...
Gov. Haley Barbour (R-MS), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Mitt Romney all appeared on Sunday morning talk s ...
10 Responses to Cash Strapped Red States Raise Money by Violating the Separation of Church and State
Public Service Advertisements
Reynardine
Mar. 17th, 2012 at 8:14 pm
I didn’t think any boys under 65 could afford motorcycles any more.
Sally
Mar. 17th, 2012 at 9:11 pm
But those over 65 boys on the bikes have free Viagra, and they don’t plan to waste it on their aging wives. Read somewhere that the fastest growing segment of people with STDs is older men, due to Viagra.
As far as these creepy church license plates, aren’t they illegal? Shouldn’t they be? I guess it is better than a Confed flag or a KKK symbol, but not by much. I beleive too, but I believe that church and state are best seperate…keep your gun loving, lying preacher out of my
pacifist, Christ-loving church, and I won’t tell you where you’re likely to spend the afterlife.
pcinsc
Mar. 17th, 2012 at 9:58 pm
why don’t these right-wing religious groups have a “zipper lock” ministry to make _boys pledge purity_??
they are always blaming/trying to control the girls.
Ignia
Mar. 19th, 2012 at 4:13 pm
+2 brownie points!
I like the way this person thinks!
justsayin
Mar. 18th, 2012 at 2:53 am
I went to the website. In the FAQ section, the legality is explained. Apparently several years ago SC wanted to produce state-sponsored plates, but that idea was vetoed as unconstitutional. THIS version is legal because an independent group is sponsoring the plates; they followed the same procedure as any other group wanting special interest license plates.
The extra cost for the plates goes to the organization, not to the state.
So – even though sensationalistic headlines grab attention – in this case, the headline is wrong. SC is not benefiting in any way from the sale of the I Believe license plates.
David29073
Mar. 18th, 2012 at 11:38 am
Since I live in South Carolina, I think I need to wade into this conversation…just a little.
To set the record straight, I am a Liberal Progressive Jew who has lived in this Medieval State for over 40 years. I can say that the further North you travel in this state, the more Right Wing Fundamental you will find the population. The exception to the rule is Charleston (Charlie Town). The “Queen City” is a breath of fresh air in this otherwise GOP stronghold of “My Christen Way or YOU’RE WRONG!” philosophy.
To give you a very clear idea of how this State’s population thinks, it goes something like this: Down the road from where I live, there is this sign across the street from the Baptist Church that says…wait for it…”No Trespassing, Your or Anti-Christ”. I have a picture of it to prove it.
Does it surprise anyone in this forum that the very far right fringe (which is exceptionally well organized) would be able to circumvent Separation from Church and State and be successful about it??
This “fringe Christen Movement” group will be more successful as time progresses, because what is happening is this insidious “Biblical policy into our lives” creep into the very freedoms we thought was untouchable.
There is a very well organized amalgamation of Strict Orthodox Christen Policy groups that are slowly but surely gaining control of segments of our society quietly but using “freedom of Speech” laws to push very far right ‘gay bashing” and creationists ideas into our public schools and tearing down the Separation of Church and State and using the Constitution to do it with.
If you listen to the Toxic and very dangerous comments from Santorum and the rest of the GOP goon squad running for president, you will hear the following; We need to re-examine our Federal funding for Public Education, We need to outlaw Abortions and control the use of Birth Control pills so they can only be used for medical reasons, not for what they were originally intended to do, We need to review judicial decisions that go against Biblical interpretation, have these judges appear before a Congressional Panel to explain their decisions, and reverse those decisions that go against what would be considered Judicial Activism. I could go on, but the fact is, there is no longer a hidden agenda to the Christen right, its out there for all to see, and it’s gaining enough traction to be accepted conversation, and its leader is Santorum. This license plate is the tip of a very dangerous iceberg that is waiting to sink the Titanic (Our Constitution)
Wayne A. Schneider
Mar. 18th, 2012 at 12:27 pm
“THIS version is legal because an independent group is sponsoring the plates; they followed the same procedure as any other group wanting special interest license plates.
The extra cost for the plates goes to the organization, not to the state.”
I believe that license plates (tags, if you call them that) on cars are, for all intents and purposes, public documents and should not be used to sell advertising space, even if you have to pay extra to get them.
The Public Square belongs to the public and should not be treated as something that can be sold for some private person’s or group’s profit.
Would you want to attend a town meeting and see a sign advertising General Electric, who made the lights that made it possible to have that meeting at night time? What about conflicts of interest? What if the town officials had to vote on a permit or something involving GE that they wanted to be given?
Speaking of conflicts of interest, what if some group that wanted to abolish the democratically-elected, Constitution-supporting government of the state of South Carolina wanted to buy advertising space on license plates? Should that be allowed?
Now, suppose the Westboro Baptist Church wanted to buy ad space with their signature line, “God Hates Fags”? Even if someone had to pay extra to get those plates and the profits went to WBC, would anyone want to see that on a license plate?
I imagine such a proposal would be refused and rightfully so. But where does it end, and who draws that line?
Anita Meyer
Mar. 18th, 2012 at 5:46 pm
I would say unbelievable except when it comes to S.C., I’d believe anything. It literally makes me sick. However, article is beautifully written & a must read. I read comment by David, who lives there & I, as a liberal, & a Jew, couldn’t imagine kiving in S.C. He’s comment was very interesting . It is frightening what is happening in this country w/the far right. & these are the guys that are always having extra marital affairs & then claim to be so religious. Like Sanford, Coburn, etc. & the people that follow them are like robots & believe everything they say. I have a name for them. They are commonly referred to as bigots!
crystalwolfakacaligrl
Mar. 18th, 2012 at 10:41 pm
Ok, how I see it, is the plates are mandated by the DMV…ever one has to have license plates for their cars…?
I always thoughts ones that were like special interests Parks for one example a percent went to that agency or was considered a “donation”
Something this Blatant…violate church & state. Usually, well last I looked State plates would say something “California the poppy state” (state flower or State animal or state bird) or some catchy slogan.
To have out in out Religious slogans is wrong, wrong, wrong.
A Walkaway
Mar. 19th, 2012 at 9:28 am
The sad thing is that these sort of license plates are already in Florida and I think several other states.
BTW… Florida also solicits funds for Focus on the Family when you go to renew your driver’s license. It’s under voluntary donations to charities.
There are very strong protections in the Florida constitution that the dominionists have been trying to repeal for years and which have been largely ignored in the last couple of decades. I wish some lawyers would get together and go after some of these violations of the separation of church and state. Of course, that might cause them to experience death threats and even violence…