Veterans Affairs add Pentacle as a symbol of faith
This has been a long time coming. So today when I got an email from my friend Kathryn, I thought it'd be awesome to share. To some this isn't such a big deal, but to me it's a huge deal. Not only because I'm a military wife/daughter, but because I'm a Pagan. I could never wrap my brain around the idea of "freedom of religion" that excluded certain soldiers whos religious beliefs weren't considered mainstream. If they fought and died for their country, or even if death took them at an old age and they chose to be buried in a Veterans Cemetary, don't they deserve the same respect and honor of their Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, etc comrades? Surely a symbol of their faith on their tombstone isn't too much to ask. So I say it's about damn time the VA settled this.
AF Times Link
By Scott Bauer - The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Apr 23, 2007 12:43:10
EDT
MADISON, Wis. - Wiccans will be allowed to have the symbol of their
religion placed on grave markers in national cemeteries under a lawsuit
settlement with the Department of Veterans Affairs announced Monday.
The
settlement calls for the Wiccans’ pentacle, a five-pointed star representing
earth, air, fire, water and spirit to be placed on grave markers within 14 days
for those who have pending requests with the VA.
There are 11 families
nationwide that are waiting for grave markers with the pentacle, said Selena
Fox, a Wiccan high priestess with Circle Sanctuary in Barneveld, Wis., and a
party to the lawsuit.
“I am glad this has ended in success in time to
get markers for Memorial Day,” she said.
The agreement settles a lawsuit
filed in November by veterans’ widows and others alleging that the VA has
stalled for more than nine years in recognizing the pentacle. The case, which
will be dismissed under the settlement, was scheduled to go to trial in June in
federal court in Madison.
The pentacle joins 38 religious symbols the VA
already permits on gravestones. They include commonly recognized symbols for
Christianity, Buddhism, Islam and Judaism, as well as those for smaller
religions such as Sufism Reoriented, Eckankar and the Japanese faith
Seicho-No-Ie.
The pentacle was already listed as an acceptable symbol
Monday morning on the VA’s Web site.
“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 Rev. Barry W. Lynn,
director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which brought
the lawsuit on behalf of the Wiccans. “It is a proud day for religious freedom
in the United States.”
The VA sought the settlement in the interest of
the families involved and to save taxpayers the expense of further litigation,
VA spokesman Matt Burns said. Under the settlement, the VA agreed to pay
$225,000 in attorneys’ fees and costs.
The government also agreed to
settle when it became clear the Wiccans’ application to have the pentacle
recognized would be “favorably considered” under new rules the VA was working
on, Burns said.
A nature-based religion, the Wiccan faith is founded on
respect for the earth, nature and the cycle of the seasons. Wiccans have argued
that the pentacle has gotten a bad reputation because people don’t understand
the religion or its imagery. Variations of the pentacle not accepted by the
religion have been used in horror movies as a sign of the devil.
The
lawsuit argued that the VA’s refusal to act on requests to permit the symbol on
veterans’ grave markers violated Wiccans’ constitutional rights of freedom of
speech, religion and due process.
The lawsuit also said it made no sense
for Wiccan symbols to be banned from grave markers when Wiccan soldiers can list
their faith on dog tags, Wiccan organizations are allowed to hold services on
military installations, and the Army Chaplains Handbook includes an explanation
of the religion.
The lawsuit was filed by Circle Sanctuary; Isis Invicta
Military Mission, a Wiccan and Pagan congregation serving military personnel
based in Geyserville, Calif.; Jill Medicine Heart Combs, whose husband is
severely ill; and two widows of Wiccans - Roberta Stewart of Nevada and Karen
DePolito of Utah.
AF Times Link
By Scott Bauer - The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Apr 23, 2007 12:43:10
EDT
MADISON, Wis. - Wiccans will be allowed to have the symbol of their
religion placed on grave markers in national cemeteries under a lawsuit
settlement with the Department of Veterans Affairs announced Monday.
The
settlement calls for the Wiccans’ pentacle, a five-pointed star representing
earth, air, fire, water and spirit to be placed on grave markers within 14 days
for those who have pending requests with the VA.
There are 11 families
nationwide that are waiting for grave markers with the pentacle, said Selena
Fox, a Wiccan high priestess with Circle Sanctuary in Barneveld, Wis., and a
party to the lawsuit.
“I am glad this has ended in success in time to
get markers for Memorial Day,” she said.
The agreement settles a lawsuit
filed in November by veterans’ widows and others alleging that the VA has
stalled for more than nine years in recognizing the pentacle. The case, which
will be dismissed under the settlement, was scheduled to go to trial in June in
federal court in Madison.
The pentacle joins 38 religious symbols the VA
already permits on gravestones. They include commonly recognized symbols for
Christianity, Buddhism, Islam and Judaism, as well as those for smaller
religions such as Sufism Reoriented, Eckankar and the Japanese faith
Seicho-No-Ie.
The pentacle was already listed as an acceptable symbol
Monday morning on the VA’s Web site.
“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 Rev. Barry W. Lynn,
director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which brought
the lawsuit on behalf of the Wiccans. “It is a proud day for religious freedom
in the United States.”
The VA sought the settlement in the interest of
the families involved and to save taxpayers the expense of further litigation,
VA spokesman Matt Burns said. Under the settlement, the VA agreed to pay
$225,000 in attorneys’ fees and costs.
The government also agreed to
settle when it became clear the Wiccans’ application to have the pentacle
recognized would be “favorably considered” under new rules the VA was working
on, Burns said.
A nature-based religion, the Wiccan faith is founded on
respect for the earth, nature and the cycle of the seasons. Wiccans have argued
that the pentacle has gotten a bad reputation because people don’t understand
the religion or its imagery. Variations of the pentacle not accepted by the
religion have been used in horror movies as a sign of the devil.
The
lawsuit argued that the VA’s refusal to act on requests to permit the symbol on
veterans’ grave markers violated Wiccans’ constitutional rights of freedom of
speech, religion and due process.
The lawsuit also said it made no sense
for Wiccan symbols to be banned from grave markers when Wiccan soldiers can list
their faith on dog tags, Wiccan organizations are allowed to hold services on
military installations, and the Army Chaplains Handbook includes an explanation
of the religion.
The lawsuit was filed by Circle Sanctuary; Isis Invicta
Military Mission, a Wiccan and Pagan congregation serving military personnel
based in Geyserville, Calif.; Jill Medicine Heart Combs, whose husband is
severely ill; and two widows of Wiccans - Roberta Stewart of Nevada and Karen
DePolito of Utah.