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Ontario Expands Permissible Religious References On Personalized Plates

By Howard M. Friedman

In Canada, Ontario's Ministry of Transportation announced last week that it was revising its personalized license plate program to permit religious titles to be used on personalized plates. The department says it has been guided by a report of a voluntary advisory panel (full text of report). Instead of the current rules that ban all religious messages, the panel urged the following guidelines:

Positive or neutral expressions of religious beliefs and mythology are permissible; including references to religious celebrations, titles, leaders and symbols. All religions and beliefs are permissible.... Negative, pejorative or derogatory reference to any religion whatsoever are not permitted.... Any meaning implying the superiority or exclusivity of one religion or creed over others or proselytizing statements are prohibited....

Full post as published by Religion Clause on March 31, 2009 (boomark / email).