Religion

Army sez: The Only Authorized Pagan Is A Dead Pagan!

Azathoth.

Posted to Religion on Fri Apr 27, 2007 at 08:26:10 AM EST (promoted by port1080). RSS.

On Monday, after nearly a decade of stonewalling and foot dragging, the US Department of Veterans Affairs has finally given its approval to the pentacle for use as an emblem on military headstones of Wiccan soldiers.  The announcement came as part of a settlement in an ongoing lawsuit filed by Americans United for Separation of Church and State on behalf of military families and Wiccan organizations.  

Despite this victory for religious freedom, there are still no Wiccan chaplains in the armed forces, although the number of Wiccans in the military is greater than that of some other groups that do have chaplains.  An incident earlier this year may also demonstrate a certain resistance on the part of the military to allow the appointment of the first Wiccan chaplain.

Sacred Well Congregation, a Wiccan church, has been working with the military to become a sponsoring body for chaplains.  Over the past nine years, they have completed all of the requirements but one: produce a viable candidate.  Earlier this year, it finally seemed as though the gods had answered their prayers.  An Army chaplain serving in Iraq had had a crisis of faith and wished to convert from his Pentacostal faith to that of the Sacred Well.  It should have been a matter of paperwork to change from one endorsing institution to another, but instead Chaplain Don Larsen was recalled from Iraq and removed from the chaplain corps.

The exact series of events is more complicated, but the end result is in no doubt.  The Army claimed to be unable to find Larsen's sponsoring document from Full Gospel Churches.  A senior chaplain phoned the church to ask for a copy and incidentally mentioned Larsen's plans to switch to Wicca.  In the wake of that announcement, Full Gospel Churches revoked their endorsement, effectively de-chaplainizing Larsen in the military's eyes.  Since Sacred Well was not yet an official endorsing institution, they could do nothing to stop this from happening.  Presumably, they could again endorse Larsen as a chaplain candidate, but it appears the experience has taken its toll on him: "I got to come home and resume my career in the [National] Guard. I'm very thankful for that. Understand, it's all I've got left. . . . This was a big blunder. I barely survived it. I don't have another one in me."

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Tags: edited by Port1080, written by Azathoth, pagan, Wicca, Army, religion (all tags)
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2

You can't spell Wicca without W

Azathoth.

Fri Apr 27, 2007 at 04:12:45 PM EST

5.00 (astute)

It's in the last article, but didn't merit being in the main story, but then-Governor Bush had this to say when he was informed that military Wiccans were carrying out services on base:
"I don't think witchcraft is a religion, and I wish the military would take another look at this and decide against it."

Unrelatedly, I'm almost surprised that we haven't heard (well, I haven't anyway) the usual religious blowhards making a big deal about how this country is going to hell in a handbasket.

The cosmos contains nothing of greater importance for the negligible atoms called human beings than the condition of being elegantly amused. --HPL

3

^ 2

Re: You can't spell Wicca without W

skeptic.

Sat Apr 28, 2007 at 08:41:05 AM EST

5.00 (interesting)

It's fascinating how people such as Bush, who don't really believe in freedom of religion but cannot openly say that, will resort to such strategies as saying, well, Wicca is not really a religion.  Obviously it is a religion.  Whether it is a TRUE religion would be very debatable, but then, there is only one true religion, right?  The only problem is, we don't all agree about which one is true.  In my own case, I believe that secular humanism is the only true religion, but I still recognize the need to be tolerant of other religions.  That is a practical necessity, because people care too deeply about their religions, and the conflicts are too destructive when you try to interfere with people's freedom of religion.  --  skeptic

1

Man, I'd Forgotten About That

thefadd.

Fri Apr 27, 2007 at 02:25:29 PM EST

none

I just got the reference in the last poll answer.

make it rain you nappy headed ho's

4

^ 1

Re: Man, I'd Forgotten About That

rEvolution inAction.

Sat Apr 28, 2007 at 04:01:49 PM EST

none

I need to write up a sub about that (burial). People kept on asking me how I expected to pay for my burial after I repeatedely refused to sign papers that would get me on the company's life insurance plan. I kept telling them, just dump my body on the side of a road, as I won't be needing it anymore. Everyone is shocked by my callous disregard for my corpse, as if it somehow deserves veneration or respect... and these are the same people who believe in the immortal soul. Recently, I read an article on an environmentalist that was saying the same thing as I, that our ritual honouring of the dead is bad for the environment. Anyways, I'm going to write it up now.

Tipping Sacred Cows

5

^ 4

Re: Man, I'd Forgotten About That

skeptic.

Sun Apr 29, 2007 at 01:30:57 PM EST

none

I'd like to suggest that if you do not want your body to be buried or to receive costly funeral observances, the best solution (that I know of) is to donate your body to a medical school.  Medical students always need bodies to work on.  Such donated bodies are eventually buried anyway, after they are too used up to be of further educational use, but such burials are minimal in nature (no coffins, etc.) and are done at the medical school's expense, so it doesn't become a problem for you or your family.  It's the strategy that I intend to use.  

6

^ 5

Re: Man, I'd Forgotten About That

rEvolution inAction.

Sun Apr 29, 2007 at 02:15:53 PM EST

none

That seems not too bad, can I get a guarantee that they'll plant a tree above it?

Tipping Sacred Cows

7

^ 6

Re: Man, I'd Forgotten About That

skeptic.

Mon Apr 30, 2007 at 09:39:26 AM EST

none

If you want the medical school of your choice to guarantee that they will plant a tree above your eventual burial site, you'll have to ask them about it.  Considering that they are greatly in need of donated bodies to study, they might be willing to give you that concession.

8

^ 7

Re: Man, I'd Forgotten About That

rEvolution inAction.

Mon Apr 30, 2007 at 02:19:02 PM EST

none

I think I've just been converted.

Tipping Sacred Cows

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