Bush Administration Agrees To Approve Wiccan Pentacle For Veteran MemorialsSettlement In Americans United Lawsuit Comes After Discovery Of A Pattern Of Bias Against Minority FaithThe Bush administration has conceded that Wiccans are entitled to have the pentacle, the symbol of their faith, inscribed on government-issued memorial markers for deceased veterans, Americans United for Separation of Church and State announced today.The settlement agreement, filed today with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, brings to a successful conclusion a lawsuit Americans United brought against the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in November. The litigation charged that denying a pentacle to deceased Wiccan service personnel, while granting religious symbols to those of other traditions, violated the U.S. Constitution.”This settlement has forced the Bush Administration into acknowledging that there are no second class religions in America, including among our nation’s veterans,” said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, Americans United executive director. “It is a proud day for religious freedom in the United States.”
Imagine, here in the land of “religious freedom”, that we still have to sue the government for something this obvious. Bravo Barry!
FWIW, here’s the current list of accepted emblems, newly updated with the pentacle.
http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/hm/hmemb.asp
This whole court case was just weird. There are a dozen emblems that would cause Christians discomfort (including atheist), but the administration decided that they have to draw the line at Wicca.
Good on the Wiccans and AU. I rather wish I was in the military so I could push for an emblem of Shatnerology
Obviously the pentacle makes Christians very uneasy. This is a result of their own religious propaganda deployed against the old faiths that they were in competition with.
The propaganda was very successful, as shown in the widespread belief that the only safe way for someone to summon a daemon from Hell is to trap it with a pentacle.
As recently as 1994, in Pembroke, Wales six men were convicted on charges derived from a satanic witch hunt involving ‘repressed memories’ implanted in children by therapists.
http://www.richardwebster.net/speakofthedevil.html
Christian propaganda and psychotherapists are a very dangerous mix.
I’m from near Pembroke!
I never heard of this story but it doesn’t surprise me. Wales is the “Appalachia of the UK” as I say and has it’s share of hillbillys and backwardness. There are even rumours of inbreeding there. The hilarious new movie “Hot Fuzz” gives you an idea of what life can be like in rural Britain, in this case, England.
This decision is indeed a victory for religious freedom and I for one think it strange that the atheist symbol has been allowed for some time on military memorials but not the pentacle.
I didn’t realize the atheist atom was already included. Neat. And the humanist symbol. Pretty good list I guess. I had never even heard of SEICHO-NO-IE or ECKANKAR.
The atheist symbol is very new and carries no significant baggage of its own. All those American Atheist victories seem to get blamed on the ACLU.
This is the first I knew of the list, so it is only with hindsight that I can say that it makes sense that the atheist symbol got accepted first.
This is a site I found that offers one Wiccan’s perspective on Christianity’s history with pagans.
Atlantis Rising
I had noticed that the common display of the pentagram in horror fiction was upside down compared to the Wiccan’s use.
OK now I believe that html links are not supported.
http://forums.atlantisrising.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=15;t=000497
Zac, a pretty good list, as you say. It would seem that some parts of the US Military are willing to be inclusive.
We usually hear of the opposite.
Yes the Atheist and Humanist symbols are already included (yeah), but we must support ALL religions equally here. The Separation of church and state DEMANDS that ALL religions be included.
Just because we’re covered doesn’t mean we shouldn’t actively support other religious minorities in their quest for equality.
It is pretty odd that they add the atheist and humanist but fight the wiccans. I heard that shrub fought texas national guard acceptance of wiccan prefs on dogtags while governor. Pure superstition about the symbol. They are afraid graveyards won’t be holly or something crazy like that. I don’t want a stone, but it would be fun to have christians uproot ancestors to get them away from the atheist. I could think of some inflammatory inscriptions. I could probably start a court battle with my death that could go on for years. In my state, many would be angry to have a loved one next to me.It sounds like a fun way to go, when the time comes.
I am an environmentalist to some extent. Waste not, want not. I prefer the soylent green body disposal method. Don’t let good food go to waste. lol
david i concur.what is so disgraceful is the wiccans were good enough to help defend the country but not good enough to be given respect in death.shame on the people who fought this.
i thought we saxons had tamed the welsh.
I beleive its hilarious how many different crosses they have on there.
(http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/hm/hmemb.asp)
its not as though christians are the only ones with different denominations…
Hooray! Glad to hear this. It is overdue.
I also found it odd that they could die for the US military but not have their choice of symbol!