Graven image required for driver's license
• Superstitious Folly
God may damn drivers license photos but in paranoid 21st America DMVs demand them.
The Berkeley man's objections stem from his religious beliefs, which he says are based on his adherence to the Molokan Church, a sect that follows strict Biblical interpretation and considers photographs a violation of the Second Commandment outlawing any "graven image."
After a seven-year legal battle two decades ago, a Sacramento Superior Court ruled in his favor and he was issued a photoless identification in 1984.
But nearly 20 years later, Stackler's exempt status, along with recent religion-based challenges in other states, is on a collision course with officials at every level of government whose focus is on heightened security measures since the Sept. 11 attacks.
Chip Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle: DMV pulls religious exemption,Photos now required for all driver's licenses