
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, April 1, 1991                   TAG: 9104010194
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

THEOLOGY AND TAGS: A VAIN DISPUTE

FROM Madhouse America (the Theology Ward) comes word that a very sensitive, God-fearing theist - a born-again disciple of the Lynchburg Messiah, maybe? - has won a skirmish against Satan by persuading the Division of Motor Vehicles to withdraw its permission to allow the godless term "Atheist" to appear on vanity license plates.

Quite apart from the paranoia reflected in this whole silly business, one may well wonder what has happened to the sacred principles of freedom of expression and separation of church and government.

Let us suppose that an equally thin-skinned, humorless fanatic, seeing the word "Theist" on a license plate, expresses his/her outrage, demanding that the godly plate be withdrawn. How would the DMV respond?

Meanwhile: Vanity license plate, vanity license plate - all is vanity license plate.

Z.V. HOOKER II\ SALEM

by CNB