Court Says N.J. Woman Can Sue State Over '8THEIST' License Plate

Veronica Elliot Wednesday, May 20, 2015

An employee yawns as he walks among General Motors' new Chinese-made cars at a parking lot in Shenyang, Liaoning province April 21, 2014. | (Photo: Reuters/Stringer)

A New Jersey woman recently filed a lawsuit against the state for refusing to accept her "8THEIST" license plate suggestion, but allowing her to have the vanity plate that reads "BAPTIST."

Shannon Morgan of Leesburg recently won the right in a local district court to sue the state for rejecting her "8THEIST" license plate in 2013 on the grounds that the vanity plate's lettering was "considered objectionable."

As NJ.com reports, a district court determined this week that Morgan does have the right to sue New Jersey's Motor Vehicle Commission over the license plate incident.

The state's Motor Vehicle Commission had previously argued that Morgan did not have the right to sue because it determined that the "8THEIST" license plate would be approved if she submitted her application request by mail.

Morgan's lawyers argued that the state agency still has not modified its policy regarding the submission of nonreligious license plates via its online forum.

"We're thrilled with the decision," Jon Green, Morgan's attorney, said in a statement regarding this week's court ruling. "We're saying its censorship of viewpoint and Judge Wolfson basically said you can't do that."

According to The Christian Post, although many atheists feel their First Amendment rights are being trampled by those who do not agree with their nonreligious lifestyle, Christian thinkers believe atheists should take a less aggressive approach in communicating their message.

Christian thinkers, such as apologist Mark Mittelberg, said the aggressive nature of atheists like biologist Richard Dawkins isn't helping their cause.

"I would venture to guess that the advice Richard Dawkins gave to atheists at the 'Reason Rally' — to ridicule and mock religious people in public — is not the best way for them to become a more highly loved group of people!" apologist Mark Mittelberg previously told The Christian Post.

"What a contrast to the Apostle Peter, who told us, as Christians, to speak to people 'with gentleness and respect' (1 Peter 3:15). And, of course, Jesus told us to 'turn the other cheek' and to love our enemies," Mittelberg added.