Freedom on Conscience

From Pam's House Blend, some commentary on the Veterans' Administration's attitude toward religious freedom. Here's a release from Americans United for Separation of Church and State:

Americans United’s attorneys uncovered evidence that the VA’s refusal to recognize the Pentacle was motivated by bias toward the Wiccan faith. President George W. Bush, when he was governor of Texas, had opposed the right of Wiccans to meet at a military base in that state. Bush’s opinion of Wiccans was taken into consideration when making decisions on whether to approve the Pentacle.

“Many people have asked me why the federal government was so stubborn about recognizing the Wiccan symbol,” said AU’s Lynn. “I did not want to believe that bias toward Wiccans was the reason, but that appears to have been the case. That’s discouraging, but I’m pleased we were able to put a stop to it.”

This should have been a no-brainer for the VA -- Wicca is among the religions included in the Army Chaplain's Handbook. The fact that the VA has to approve symbols of faith on grave markers is itself appalling.

My bad -- this one fell off my radar, and I should have been tracking it for a couple of reasons: religious freedom is one of our basic liberties, and I'm a First Amendment nut. And since I'm a devout Witch, this one is close to home.

The real news -- if it can be considered "news" any more -- is the degree of politicization --and Christianization -- of the entire executive branch. As I said, this should not have been a question, and now we see why it was. The fact that it had to go to court is simply unbelievable -- or would be, if liberty weren't under assault by Bush and his base.

For those who are wondering, this is one of the best summations of Wicca -- and most neo-Pagan religions -- I've seen:

Wicca is a nature-based religion grounded in pre-Christian beliefs. Circle Sanctuary says the Wiccan religion honors the Divine as both Mother and Father, encompasses love and respect of Nature, celebrates the cycles of Sun and Moon, and encourages adherents to live in harmony with other humans and the greater Circle of Life.

I should point out that Wicca is one of a number of -- denominations? -- of neo-Pagansim. For an excellent overview and history, see Margot Adler's Drawing Down the Moon.