Tolerance????
About the Fort Hood Wiccan group:
The Fort Hood Open Circle is a Wiccan coven formed by military personnel at Ft. Hood near Killeen TX. They negotiated with the base's chaplains, and obtained approval to conduct study classes and rituals on the base. They agreed to:
bullet Not use their athames to cut anything. These are double sided, black handled, ritual knives, that Wiccans never use for cutting.
bullet Wear clothes during their rituals. Some Wiccans prefer to be skyclad (ritually nude; clad only by the sky) during their services.
bullet Keep their personal Wiccan jewelry unobtrusive (e.g. wear a small ring or a pentagram on a necklace).
bullet Not use candles in the barracks; presumably because it would be a fire hazard.
bullet Not be tattooed. 4
The coven has been recognized by the army since 1997-AUG. 1 They have held twice-weekly evening classes to study Wiccan theology and practice. They have celebrated rituals at full moons and on eight Sabbats each year. At first, the only reaction by non Wiccans were a "handful of letters from irate fundamentalist Christians in nearby Killeen." 4 In 1999-MAR, the Wiccans invited a photographer to witness their Vernal Equinox rituals. The American-Statesmen, a newspaper in Austin TX, ran the photos a few weeks later. "Within days, Christian groups were calling the base and threatening to stage a march in town and disrupt the rituals, forcing the army to beef up security around the campsite." 4
"Since they were approved, similar groups have been sanctioned by the military at Fort Wainwright in Alaska, Kadena Air Base in Okinawa and Fort Polk in Louisiana." 10
http://www.religioustolerance.org/boy_arm3.htm
The Fort Hood Open Circle is a Wiccan coven formed by military personnel at Ft. Hood near Killeen TX. They negotiated with the base's chaplains, and obtained approval to conduct study classes and rituals on the base. They agreed to:
bullet Not use their athames to cut anything. These are double sided, black handled, ritual knives, that Wiccans never use for cutting.
bullet Wear clothes during their rituals. Some Wiccans prefer to be skyclad (ritually nude; clad only by the sky) during their services.
bullet Keep their personal Wiccan jewelry unobtrusive (e.g. wear a small ring or a pentagram on a necklace).
bullet Not use candles in the barracks; presumably because it would be a fire hazard.
bullet Not be tattooed. 4
The coven has been recognized by the army since 1997-AUG. 1 They have held twice-weekly evening classes to study Wiccan theology and practice. They have celebrated rituals at full moons and on eight Sabbats each year. At first, the only reaction by non Wiccans were a "handful of letters from irate fundamentalist Christians in nearby Killeen." 4 In 1999-MAR, the Wiccans invited a photographer to witness their Vernal Equinox rituals. The American-Statesmen, a newspaper in Austin TX, ran the photos a few weeks later. "Within days, Christian groups were calling the base and threatening to stage a march in town and disrupt the rituals, forcing the army to beef up security around the campsite." 4
"Since they were approved, similar groups have been sanctioned by the military at Fort Wainwright in Alaska, Kadena Air Base in Okinawa and Fort Polk in Louisiana." 10
http://www.religioustolerance.org/boy_arm3.htm