Sorry have had some technical difficulties, and a few personal probs, but i have posted a few filler articles to make up for the delay. For once I might have actually bitten off a little more than I could chew. LOL
But I think things are in swing again.
But I think things are in swing again.
The Ongoing Battle for Pagan Rights in the USA
Many Americans may not realize that Pagans have been fighting for their rights in recent years. July 4th or Independence day is a holiday for all Americans.
There are many members of the armed forces that are Pagans who are still fighting for the religious rights and freedoms, yet are still true and patriotic members of the United States military.
It was on July 4th of 2007, Pagans to Rally for Religious Rights held ceremonies at the White House.
For the first time on that date, a group of Pagan religious leaders from diverse denominations gathered in Lafayette Square Park on the Fourth of July to advocate for Pagan military chaplains, and request for more approved Pagan religious symbols from the Department of Veterans Affairs and call for universal freedom of religious expression.
Currently there are no Pagan chaplains in the U.S. Armed Forces, although other minority religions with similar, or fewer, numbers of devotees in the military have one or more chaplains.
Pagan Elder Diana L. Paxson led the first public Pagan ritual performed outside the White House. Paxson's ritual will invoke the Founders of our Nation: "We will honor those who established our fundamental freedoms, especially Washington and Jefferson, and those who built on their ideas, such as Lincoln and FDR, offering our energies to preserve the liberties they fought for and the land they loved. We offer our will to carry on the work of our Founding Fathers and Mothers, to help America become what they hoped it would be."
Since then the Pentagram has been added to the approved military symbols for burials of military personnel that have fallen in duty to the armed forces. Attorneys from Americans United facilitated a settlement with DOJ lawyers representing the Department of Veterans Affairs to end a ten-year struggle over displaying the Wiccan pentacle on veterans' memorial markers and plaques.
Several religious and pagan leaders spoke for not only Wicca but Paganism as a whole.
Rev. Selena Fox of Circle Sanctuary, plaintiff of the federal religious discrimination lawsuit which settled the case, said "The Veteran Pentacle Quest victory has demonstrated the power Pagans can have when we work together, and with those of other paths, to uphold religious freedom. United we stand. United we win!"
Rev. Barry Lynn of Americans United for Separation of Church and State addressed the crowd. "Until Pagans have the same rights as Presbyterians and Pentecostals, religious liberty is not safe in America. The Framers of our Constitution mandated no preference for any one religion over another or for all religion over secularist beliefs."
Rev. Michael Akins of the Military Pagan Network, a retired Army Chaplain Assistant, talked about the need for a Pagan chaplain in the U.S. Armed Forces. He said: "Certainly those who protect the freedoms of all of us deserve freedom of religion for themselves."
Rev. Marcia Drewry of Sacred Well Congregation will speak about leading the first Wiccan Open Circle in Iraq in 2003, and her years of leadership here at home. Rev. Drewry currently leads the Tidewater Open Circle in southern Virginia. She said, "A lay leader is unable to fully minister to the military Pagan community due to regulatory restrictions. So our military members do not have equality of religious rights currently."
Steve McNallen of the Asatru Folk Assembly spoke about Thor's Hammer: "Modern-day Asatru has a very high percentage of veterans. We've worn the hammer amulet into combat. It's only right that the same symbol be on our headstones."
Rev. Skip Ellison, Archdruid of Ar nDraoicht Fein, spoke about the Druids' Awen symbol. He said, "It is important to remember that freedom of religion means freedom for all religions to worship as they choose."
Immediately following the ritual, a Spirit Drum Circle lasting until 5pm that evening was held.
This is likely to be an ongoing fight for rights in the new Pagan America.
Read more:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5671096/patriotic_and_pagan_in_america.html?cat=37
There are many members of the armed forces that are Pagans who are still fighting for the religious rights and freedoms, yet are still true and patriotic members of the United States military.
It was on July 4th of 2007, Pagans to Rally for Religious Rights held ceremonies at the White House.
For the first time on that date, a group of Pagan religious leaders from diverse denominations gathered in Lafayette Square Park on the Fourth of July to advocate for Pagan military chaplains, and request for more approved Pagan religious symbols from the Department of Veterans Affairs and call for universal freedom of religious expression.
Currently there are no Pagan chaplains in the U.S. Armed Forces, although other minority religions with similar, or fewer, numbers of devotees in the military have one or more chaplains.
Pagan Elder Diana L. Paxson led the first public Pagan ritual performed outside the White House. Paxson's ritual will invoke the Founders of our Nation: "We will honor those who established our fundamental freedoms, especially Washington and Jefferson, and those who built on their ideas, such as Lincoln and FDR, offering our energies to preserve the liberties they fought for and the land they loved. We offer our will to carry on the work of our Founding Fathers and Mothers, to help America become what they hoped it would be."
Since then the Pentagram has been added to the approved military symbols for burials of military personnel that have fallen in duty to the armed forces. Attorneys from Americans United facilitated a settlement with DOJ lawyers representing the Department of Veterans Affairs to end a ten-year struggle over displaying the Wiccan pentacle on veterans' memorial markers and plaques.
Several religious and pagan leaders spoke for not only Wicca but Paganism as a whole.
Rev. Selena Fox of Circle Sanctuary, plaintiff of the federal religious discrimination lawsuit which settled the case, said "The Veteran Pentacle Quest victory has demonstrated the power Pagans can have when we work together, and with those of other paths, to uphold religious freedom. United we stand. United we win!"
Rev. Barry Lynn of Americans United for Separation of Church and State addressed the crowd. "Until Pagans have the same rights as Presbyterians and Pentecostals, religious liberty is not safe in America. The Framers of our Constitution mandated no preference for any one religion over another or for all religion over secularist beliefs."
Rev. Michael Akins of the Military Pagan Network, a retired Army Chaplain Assistant, talked about the need for a Pagan chaplain in the U.S. Armed Forces. He said: "Certainly those who protect the freedoms of all of us deserve freedom of religion for themselves."
Rev. Marcia Drewry of Sacred Well Congregation will speak about leading the first Wiccan Open Circle in Iraq in 2003, and her years of leadership here at home. Rev. Drewry currently leads the Tidewater Open Circle in southern Virginia. She said, "A lay leader is unable to fully minister to the military Pagan community due to regulatory restrictions. So our military members do not have equality of religious rights currently."
Steve McNallen of the Asatru Folk Assembly spoke about Thor's Hammer: "Modern-day Asatru has a very high percentage of veterans. We've worn the hammer amulet into combat. It's only right that the same symbol be on our headstones."
Rev. Skip Ellison, Archdruid of Ar nDraoicht Fein, spoke about the Druids' Awen symbol. He said, "It is important to remember that freedom of religion means freedom for all religions to worship as they choose."
Immediately following the ritual, a Spirit Drum Circle lasting until 5pm that evening was held.
This is likely to be an ongoing fight for rights in the new Pagan America.
Read more:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5671096/patriotic_and_pagan_in_america.html?cat=37
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