GoSkippy Insurance told Birmingham motorist Simeon Chandra his car insurance would be voided unless he removed handmade 'Jesus Loves You' stickers from his vehicle.
The 35-year-old driver agreed to take off the lettering from his 2009 Nissan Pixo so he could remain insured, but he is now considering legal action with lawyers at the Christian Legal Centre amid claims that his rights to freedom of religion and expression were breached.
GoSkippy Insurance informed Chandra that its underwriting department "declined the modification done on the vehicle as per stickers added on the vehicle." Chandra had displayed stickers on the doors on each side of his car, with one reading "Jesus Loves You" and the other reading "Jesus Loves You V Much."
GoSkippy Insurance did not give Chandra a reason for the decision, while its underwriter, Somerset Bridge Insurance Services, declined to comment. However, insurers generally feel that any form of vehicle modification, whether cosmetic or performance-enhancing, can increase risk because the car may be seen as more desirable or more likely to face intentional damage.
Email Exchange with Insurer
Copies of emails between Chandra and GoSkippy Insurance show he exchanged messages with the insurer before and after placing the stickers on the car. Chandra said he contacted GoSkippy Insurance in advance to be transparent, sending photos and insisting the stickers were "to spread a positive message that Jesus loves you."
According to his account in correspondence, Chandra was told his policy could proceed if he sent in photos of the stickers, which would then be added to his file. GoSkippy Insurance later told him the policy could not continue unless they were removed.
A worker emailed him stating: "Feedback from the underwriting department declined the modification done on the vehicle as per stickers added on the vehicle. For the policy to continue and be insured, we require the stickers to be removed from the vehicle and send a dated photograph once the stickers have been removed."
The employee also told Chandra to refer to terms of business under quotations stating: "Your insurer has the right to decline your risk, increase the premium or restrict the policy if any errors or omissions are found in the statement of information."
Driver Reaction and Legal Action
Chandra sent further correspondence to GoSkippy Insurance seeking clarification, but this went unanswered. He said: "I was shocked, surprised and upset when they told me I had to take the stickers off. I had tried to do the right thing by telling the insurer about the stickers and sending photographs."
Chandra added: "The message on my car is very simple: 'Jesus Loves You'. It is not abusive, political, hateful or commercial. It is a message of hope. I could not understand why this would mean I could not have car insurance. We see all kinds of messages, flags and slogans in public life. But when a Christian puts a peaceful message on his own car, suddenly it appears to become a problem."
He continued: "I felt sad, and it felt that things are really against the Lord Jesus. I could have cried. I think people with other messages would not have faced the same situation." Chandra said he wanted to put the stickers back on his car to set a precedent for other Christians to know they can do the same.
Background and Legal Support
Chandra, who became a Christian when he was at university, was raised in a family of Indian heritage and his parents were Christian missionaries. His father was raised a Hindu before converting to Christianity, while his mother became a Christian after experiencing healing in an injured leg at a church service.
Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, said: "This case is not about a technical vehicle modification. It is about whether ordinary Christians are free to express their faith in public without being excluded from essential services."
Williams added: "A sticker saying 'Jesus Loves You' is not comparable to a commercial advert, a political campaign or an offensive slogan. It is a peaceful statement of Christian belief. If insurers can refuse cover because a customer displays a Christian message, that should alarm everyone who cares about freedom of religion and freedom of expression."
Previous Incidents Involving Religious Symbols
The case has parallels to another incident in 2015 when a different insurer threatened to void the policy of Christian minister Reverend Wena Parry, from Cymmer in Neath Port Talbot, because she put religious stickers on her car. She was told by Age UK at the time that stickers saying "Christ Must Be Saviour" and "Christ For Me" could be regarded as "modifications" and might invalidate her policy.
Age UK later denied there was a religious motive behind the move, insisting instead that the "modifications do not fit our acceptance criteria for motor insurance."
An earlier incident in 2011 saw Christian electrician Colin Atkinson fear disciplinary action by his employers Wakefield and District Housing for putting a palm cross on the dashboard in his company van following a complaint from a tenant. Mr Atkinson was later told he could keep the cross, but attached vertically to the glove compartment.
