Swedish officials ban Christian car registration plate
The Transport Agency said the number plate might be seen as offensive. Photo: Marcus Ericsson/TT ..
The Transport Agency said the number plate might be seen as offensive. Photo: Marcus Ericsson/TT
Swedish transport authorities have denied a car owner's request to have his number plate changed to reflect his religious beliefs.
The Transport Agency rejected the man's application to include the word Kristus (Christ) on his car registration plate. It had already denied his request to change it to Jesus.
"We deny any words that we believe can cause offence. Among other things we say no to everything that has any religious connotations no matter which connotations," Mikael Andersson, press officer for the Transport Agency, told Swedish newswire TT.
Last year the agency rejected 94 licence plates in total.
The man himself told regional newspaper Göteborg Direkt that he did not understand the authority's decision, but would not try to insist on changing his number plates again.
"As a Christian you should not make war on those who make decisions in this country, instead we must pray for them," he said.
Swedish number plates traditionally follow a pattern of three letters plus three numbers, but it is possible to ask for permission to create your own personalized number plate.
But because the currently available combinations are starting to run out, from January 16th new cars in Sweden will use the combination three letters, two numbers and another letter.
