Blair Scott of Huntsville, Ala., a nationally known leader for American Atheists, says he's pretty sure the nasty notes and scratches on his car might have been less-than-Christian reactions to his openness about his own lack of religious belief. Certainly, he said, the tag, photographed here in 2010, has triggered parking lot conversations, both good and bad, with a lot of people. The state of New Jersey, on Monday, Aug. 26, 2013, refused a similar tag in that state. (Eric Schultz / ESchultz@AL.com)

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama – The "ATHE1ST" license tag that the state of Alabama allowed Huntsville resident Blair Scott, founder of of Alabama Atheists, was initially forbidden by the license plate censors in New Jersey, according to a spokesman for American Atheists.



The denial, for "offensiveness," was delivered to American Atheists president David Silverman on Monday.



With the building backlash over that decision, late today, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2013, New Jersey officials contacted Silverman to let him know he could, in fact, have the license plate.



“As it happens, the president of American Atheists, David Silverman, applied for this same plate (as Scott's) here in the state where our national headquarters are,” said Dave Muscato, the national public relations director for American Atheists.

American Atheists is a national advocacy group for the civil rights of people who are non-religious and for the separation of church and state.

"His application was denied because it was called 'offensive,'" Muscato said in an email Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2013, before New Jersey officials contacted Silverman. Muscato contacted The Huntsville Times today, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2013, because he saw the photo of Scott and his license tag in the story about personalized Alabama tags posted at AL.com today.

Alabama has denied applications for tags that hate on Auburn or Alabama, as well as a few that were considered irreligious, including: 0HG0D; DEV1L; DRSATAN; LUCIFER.

In New Jersey, Silverman applied for “ATHEIST.” Blair Scott, who has had the personalized tag for about seven years, said that he had to use “ATHE1ST,” with the numeral “1” for “I” because someone already had the other plate. That tag, Scott said, which was for a white Mazda Miata, was not renewed by that owner.

Muscato noted that New Jersey has already allowed some personalized tags that could arguably be considered offensive, including “IAMGOD,” “BIOCH” and “CLIMAXX.” In fact, as an atheist himself, Muscato finds it hard to see why the simple label of a person’s philosophical orientation should offend anyone.

Richard Dawkins, a scientist also known for his advocacy of atheism, re-tweeted Silverman’s tweet about the denial, “My vanity "ATHEIST" license plate was just refused by the state. Reason: It's offensive. #wronganswer.” Dawkins’ tweet has been re-tweeted hundreds of times.

While initial reactions to Scott's tag were often adamantly hostile, including gestures in traffic, nasty notes on his windshield, and, once, scratches on the car that looked like keying, Scott said that the license plate has also started many interesting parking lot discussions.

Reactions over the years have mellowed, Scott said.

“It’s almost like Huntsville has gotten used to me driving around,” Scott said Wednesday. “And I think it’s because of activism, like American Atheists’’, which has presented atheism in a positive light. It’s kind of like if you work with a gay person, after a while, you realize, ‘Huh, maybe they aren’t all bad after all.’”

Links to the stories about personalized tags, with photo galleries: