MORE ON RELIGIOUS OBJECTIONS TO ID PHOTOS

What if the person objecting isn't muslim? In western Pennsylvania, a science teacher named David Sidelinger refused to have his picture taken for a new photo ID system because he sees such pictures as "idolatrous and graven images," according to the Rutherford Institute (scroll down to the description of the case Sidelinger v. Harbor Creek School District; I don't know how far the case has gone and there's nothing else about it on the internet as far as I can tell). I wonder what Eric Peters and the folks at Powerline would say about this case. In particular, I wonder if the vehemence with which they defend "security" and "public safety" would reappear in their commentary on this case. Also check out (again) the Niqabi Paralegal's May 25th post on Sultana Freedman's challenge to the Florida DMV's requirement that she remove her face veil for her driver's license picture. See the ACLU (Florida) press release on the June ruling against Freedman.

It would be pretty easy to link Sidelinger's case with the supposed hostility to Christians that exists in the supposedly brutally secular public school system. That's what I would expect social conservatives to do -- at least when Christians are involved. That could be Rutherford's angle, at least in private moments. (To their credit, they don't just defend Christians, though.) I'm assuming that Sidelinger is a Christian with an idiosyncratic interpretation of the requirements of the second commandment. If I find out otherwise, I'll let you know.