The old bumper sticker slogan may need to be changed. After a series of bizarre events in the UK, "Honk if you'll insure Jesus!" could be the more appropriate choice.
The Rev. Wena Parry, a minister at the Independent Congregational Church in South Wales, was told her religious bumper stickers—with phrases like “Christ is My Lord” and “Christ For Me”—violated her insurance policy.
According to Age UK Insurance, the decals constituted a “modification” on her car and as such, could void her policy. The carrier found out about the problem after Parry submitted an insurance claim when the muffler on her Vauxhall Zafira hatchback was damaged and part of her engine was stolen. She sent in photos, which features the bumper stickers.
Age UK said in a letter that if Parry had informed the company about her stickers when she bought the policy, her coverage would have been rejected.
“The policy may be declared void,” the letter said. “These modifications do not fit our acceptance criteria for motor insurance [coverage] would have been declined if we had been made aware of these at the time of purchasing your policy.”
The company gave her 10 days to explain why she had not disclosed the presence of the stickers in her insurance application.
Age UK said the warning letter had nothing to do with her religion, but Parry isn’t so sure.
“Every opportunity I have I want to tell people about Jesus,” the 75-year-old minister said. “I reckon there must be a million people who have read the texts on my car and no one has had a problem with it before.
“But, there might be somebody within that company that hates Christianity.”
The damage to Parry’s car was so great, she chose to have it scrapped instead of repaired. When she buys her new car and an accompanying new insurance plan, she plans to investigate the terms of her coverage—and its policy on Christian bumper stickers—more fully.
