| 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.
Pagans to Rally for Religious Rights at the White House on July 4th
A group of Pagan religious leaders from diverse denominations will gather in Lafayette Square Park on the Fourth of July to advocate for a Pagan military chaplain, request more approved Pagan religious symbols from the Department of Veterans Affairs and call for universal freedom of religious expression. Rev. Barry Lynn of Americans United for Separation of Church and State
will also address 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."
Earlier this spring, 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. Rev. Selena Fox of Circle Sanctuary,
plaintiff of the federal religious discrimination lawsuit which settled the
case, says "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!"
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. Rev. Michael Akins of
the Military Pagan Network, a retired Army Chaplain Assistant, will talk
about the need for a Pagan chaplain in the U.S. Armed Forces. He says:
"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 says, "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."
Other speakers will outline the next steps in obtaining freedom of
religious expression for all Pagan denominations. Steve McNallen of the
Asatru Folk Assembly will speak 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, will speak about the
Druids' Awen symbol. He says "It is important to remember that freedom of
religion means freedom for all religions to worship as they choose."
And acclaimed author and Pagan Elder Diana L. Paxson will lead 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."
Immediately following the ritual, Mz. Imani, shaman of the drum, will
lead a Spirit Drum Circle lasting until 5pm.
Chesapeake Pagan Community is sponsoring this event in collaboration
with Caroline Kenner, a Washington Witchdoctor.
For more information, call Caroline at 301-412-1760, or go to
http://www.paganreligiousrights.org or email mythkenner@aol.com.
©Copyright
2007 by AlternativeApproaches.com
|
Printer Friendly Page