Goddess Bless
Over at "My Navy Wife Chronicles", we have a good example of why the Pentacle Quest is so important:
...For those of you who are not aware…I am Wiccan (or I practice Wicca). I do not wish to offend any of my readers…and please, please, please do not email me, leave comments or tags with messages about how I may or may not be a devil worshiper or what not or how God is Great and I will never get into Heaven because I’ve not accepted God as my personal savior...I was happy to see on one of my blogging bud’s sites that she had an News Article from CNN about the debate of the religious emblem on tombstones of soldiers (or any military for that matter) being berried in the cemeteries allowing the Pentacle (The Wicca Star) to be placed on those soldiers (or any military member) who’s military record recorded them as being Wiccan. I’m sooo excited. This was done recently. Previously the Army was prominently responsible for the Wiccan or Pagan religion being recognized in the Military...
When people like this feel they can come out of the broom closet, we have definitive proof of the significance of this campaign.
Showing posts with label roberta stewart. Show all posts
Showing posts with label roberta stewart. Show all posts
Monday, May 7, 2007
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Beltane and the Pentacle
Success in the Veteran Pentacle Quest!
Over at Witchvox, there's a fascinating article by Selena Fox documenting her successful lawsuit against the Veterans Admin. This article is a must-read for anyone interested in church/state issues. The VA's foot dragging turns out to be motivated by bold-faced religious discrimination:
...As part of discovery, the VA was required to turn over additional internal emails, memos, and other documents which it had failed to release to us through our Freedom of Information Act request.
Hmm, interesting that the VA held back documents, but it gets worse:
...The VA turned over more than 30, 000 documents to our AU attorneys...Buried in the "blizzard" of paperwork, our AU attorneys found several documents that were additional evidence that VA officials had blocked Pentacle approval because of prejudice against the Wiccan religion.With this additional evidence of discrimination, our preparations for court intensified...our attorneys...issued a subpoena for the internal documents that the VA still had not turned over to us...
Soon, the VA had to deal with three separate lawsuits! Here's the happy ending:
...Then, in early April, our attorneys drafted an amended complaint that we planned to file in the Federal District Court of Western Wisconsin on Good Friday, April 6. As part of this process, our attorneys sent a draft to the US Department of Justice (DOJ) attorneys representing the VA. Shortly after DOJ attorneys saw this amended complaint draft, they quickly began negotiating a settlement of our lawsuit with us through our AU attorneys...
So, the the actions of the VA were even deemed unconstitutional by the Dominionist bible thumpers over at the DOJ! The entire "Pentacle Quest" episode demonstrates what's best in Wiccans and Pagans: people coming together to correct ignorance and intolerance.
Selena makes a request:
...Please join us and other Wiccans, Witches, and Pagans of many paths around the world in a special day of Quest remembrance and celebration on Tuesday, May 1. Place offerings of flowers on your home altars, at Pagan shrines, and community ritual sites in sacred thanksgiving and joy for this victory, and in remembrance of living and deceased Pagan veterans and their families. Please let the Lady Liberty League know about your victory celebrations you have held and/or will be holding at Beltane, Memorial Day, and other times. Email: liberty@circlesanctuary.org with Quest Victory in the subject line.
Over at Witchvox, there's a fascinating article by Selena Fox documenting her successful lawsuit against the Veterans Admin. This article is a must-read for anyone interested in church/state issues. The VA's foot dragging turns out to be motivated by bold-faced religious discrimination:
...As part of discovery, the VA was required to turn over additional internal emails, memos, and other documents which it had failed to release to us through our Freedom of Information Act request.
Hmm, interesting that the VA held back documents, but it gets worse:
...The VA turned over more than 30, 000 documents to our AU attorneys...Buried in the "blizzard" of paperwork, our AU attorneys found several documents that were additional evidence that VA officials had blocked Pentacle approval because of prejudice against the Wiccan religion.With this additional evidence of discrimination, our preparations for court intensified...our attorneys...issued a subpoena for the internal documents that the VA still had not turned over to us...
Soon, the VA had to deal with three separate lawsuits! Here's the happy ending:
...Then, in early April, our attorneys drafted an amended complaint that we planned to file in the Federal District Court of Western Wisconsin on Good Friday, April 6. As part of this process, our attorneys sent a draft to the US Department of Justice (DOJ) attorneys representing the VA. Shortly after DOJ attorneys saw this amended complaint draft, they quickly began negotiating a settlement of our lawsuit with us through our AU attorneys...
So, the the actions of the VA were even deemed unconstitutional by the Dominionist bible thumpers over at the DOJ! The entire "Pentacle Quest" episode demonstrates what's best in Wiccans and Pagans: people coming together to correct ignorance and intolerance.
Selena makes a request:
...Please join us and other Wiccans, Witches, and Pagans of many paths around the world in a special day of Quest remembrance and celebration on Tuesday, May 1. Place offerings of flowers on your home altars, at Pagan shrines, and community ritual sites in sacred thanksgiving and joy for this victory, and in remembrance of living and deceased Pagan veterans and their families. Please let the Lady Liberty League know about your victory celebrations you have held and/or will be holding at Beltane, Memorial Day, and other times. Email: liberty@circlesanctuary.org with Quest Victory in the subject line.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Pentacle Wins!
Use of Wiccan Symbol on Veterans’ Headstones Is Approved
What a wonderful Beltane gift! From the NYTimes:
WASHINGTON, April 23 — To settle a lawsuit, the Department of Veterans Affairs has agreed to add the Wiccan pentacle to a list of approved religious symbols that it will engrave on veterans’ headstones. The settlement, which was reached on Friday, was announced on Monday by Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, which represented the plaintiffs in the case...It normally takes a few months for a petition by a faith group to win the department’s approval, but the effort on behalf of the Wiccan symbol took about 10 years and a lawsuit, said Richard B. Katskee, assistant legal director for Americans United...A Veterans Affairs spokesman, Matt Burns, confirmed that the “V.A. will be adding the pentacle to its list of approved emblems of belief that will be engraved on government-provided markers...The government acted to settle in the interest of the families concerned...and to spare taxpayers the expense of further litigation.”
Heh, nice to know where their priorities are. Regardless of the VA's motives, this is a great day for Wiccan's and Pagans, the men and women in uniform and their families, and celebrators of religious freedom and tolerance. Congrats to Roberta Stewart and her family, Rev. Selema Fox of Circle Sanctuary, the various veterans groups who supported the effort, and all who blogged or annoyed their Congressional Representatives. AU is to be particularly congratulated (I'm a supporting member of AU; why not do the right thing and join right now!)and so is the ACLU. Many of us have sent out our wishes in this quest during ritual: what a wonderful thing to have happened at Beltane.
UPDATE: great article via AU, Bush Administration Agrees To Approve Wiccan Pentacle For Veteran Memorials.
Saturday, March 3, 2007
Pentacle strikes back!
Army Secretary Ousted: Second Firing Follows Walter Reed Revelations...
Remember fallen soldier Patrick Stewart, and the continuing fight of his widow to get a pentacle affixed to his memorial! For some non-Wiccans/Pagans, this may have seemed a small issue. On the other hand, even some people on the more conservative side of things--who frequently have not been our allies--lent their support.
Who can think of a better administration for this whole Veterans Affairs/ Walter Reed issue to have exploded under? After all the screaming of "SUPPORT THE TROOPS"! What hypocrites!
If the VA lets a good chunk of our wounded suffer in squalor and neglect, would they ever give a damn about the spiritual feeling of one of their fallen? Nice to know they would perpetrate their neglect and abuse beyond death. I just have a feeling, whoever has been stopping approval of the Pentacle, is soon to be out of a job.
Remember fallen soldier Patrick Stewart, and the continuing fight of his widow to get a pentacle affixed to his memorial! For some non-Wiccans/Pagans, this may have seemed a small issue. On the other hand, even some people on the more conservative side of things--who frequently have not been our allies--lent their support.
Who can think of a better administration for this whole Veterans Affairs/ Walter Reed issue to have exploded under? After all the screaming of "SUPPORT THE TROOPS"! What hypocrites!
If the VA lets a good chunk of our wounded suffer in squalor and neglect, would they ever give a damn about the spiritual feeling of one of their fallen? Nice to know they would perpetrate their neglect and abuse beyond death. I just have a feeling, whoever has been stopping approval of the Pentacle, is soon to be out of a job.
Saturday, December 2, 2006
Pentacle Quest: The Right Wing Meltdown
American's United for Separation of Church and State is an organization I am proud to be a member of! Their e-zine (and print zine) has two excellent articles relevant to witches and scientists everywhere:
Right-Wing Meltdown
"The tone of the evening was set early...Rick Santorum (R-Pa.), the number three man in the Senate and a great champion of Religious Right causes, was soundly beaten... Religious Right-backed candidates in Ohio, Missouri, Florida and other states were soon to follow....A slate of candidates who favor teaching evolution in public schools won election to the Ohio Board of Education, after being endorsed by a pro-science group. As the Cleveland Plain Dealer put it, 'Ohio's scientists laid down their test tubes and flexed some political muscle Tuesday as four pro-evolution candidates they backed were on their way to capturing or retaining seats on the state Board of Education.'"
Pentacle Quest:Americans United Brings legal Action To Halt Discrimination Against Wiccans By Veterans Administration:
The fight of war widow Roberta Stewart has received a good deal of deserved coverage. There's been a concerted effort by the Religious Right to rid the US military of again and Wiccan influences. Mrs Stewart says: "I have had reporters and friends ask me why I continue to be prominently involved in this battle, now that I have indication that I'll receive the proper marker," Stewart said. "I choose to stay on the forefront for humankind, for America and the Constitution of the United States."
The State of Nevada agrees Stewart should have her marker. This Saturday (12/2/06), an interfaith ceremony commemorating the placement of the marker and sacrifice of Patrick Stewart will take place.
Right-Wing Meltdown
"The tone of the evening was set early...Rick Santorum (R-Pa.), the number three man in the Senate and a great champion of Religious Right causes, was soundly beaten... Religious Right-backed candidates in Ohio, Missouri, Florida and other states were soon to follow....A slate of candidates who favor teaching evolution in public schools won election to the Ohio Board of Education, after being endorsed by a pro-science group. As the Cleveland Plain Dealer put it, 'Ohio's scientists laid down their test tubes and flexed some political muscle Tuesday as four pro-evolution candidates they backed were on their way to capturing or retaining seats on the state Board of Education.'"
Pentacle Quest:Americans United Brings legal Action To Halt Discrimination Against Wiccans By Veterans Administration:
The fight of war widow Roberta Stewart has received a good deal of deserved coverage. There's been a concerted effort by the Religious Right to rid the US military of again and Wiccan influences. Mrs Stewart says: "I have had reporters and friends ask me why I continue to be prominently involved in this battle, now that I have indication that I'll receive the proper marker," Stewart said. "I choose to stay on the forefront for humankind, for America and the Constitution of the United States."
The State of Nevada agrees Stewart should have her marker. This Saturday (12/2/06), an interfaith ceremony commemorating the placement of the marker and sacrifice of Patrick Stewart will take place.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)