[Vision2020] A New Witch Hunt
Tom Hansen
thansen at moscow.com
Wed Jul 5 11:44:51 PDT 2006
I have ABSOLUTELY NO QUALMS with anybody practicing any religion they
believe in.
It is the concept that everybody else must change their rules to satisfy the
wants and desires of any specific church, less they be accused of religious
persecution, that chaps my hide.
Certainly people can understand that.
Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho
****************************************************************************
"A bad cause will ever be supported by bad means and bad men."
- Thomas Paine (English Writer, 1737-1809)
****************************************************************************
_____
From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]
On Behalf Of Ellen Roskovich
Sent: Wednesday, July 05, 2006 10:52 AM
To: rvrcowboy at clearwire.net; vision2020 at moscow.com; deco at moscow.com
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] A New Witch Hunt
What I personally am "embracing" is a persons right to practice the religion
of their choice (or no religion) in peace within our community.
And, NO, I do not like Bush.
Ellen A. Roskovich
_____
From: "rvrcowboy" <rvrcowboy at clearwire.net>
To: "Vision2020" <vision2020 at moscow.com>, "Art Deco" <deco at moscow.com>
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] A New Witch Hunt
Date: Wed, 5 Jul 2006 10:39:21 -0700
>It is so amusing to see how so many of the libs here in the venom are
>embracing Wicca while admitting they know little, or nothing, about it. It
>is always the same with you people: Any President but Bush and any
religion
>but Christianity.
>
>You are so very translucent.
>
>Dick S.
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Art Deco" <deco at moscow.com>
>To: "Vision 2020" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>Sent: Wednesday, July 05, 2006 8:40 AM
>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] A New Witch Hunt
>
>
> > Debi writes:
> >
> > "Wicca does not have a Central Authority, it does not have Pastors,
> > Preachers, or Popes. It doesn't seek converts, doesn't proselytize,
>doesn't
> > reject other religions as non-valid."
> >
> > Holy Jesus! Are you daring to say that a person can be religious,
> > spiritual, kind, loving, concerned about humankind/animalkind etc
without
>an
> > organized church to provide detailed instruction and to suck away their
> > money?
> >
> > I am sorry but your egregiously perverted view has now placed you among
> > other major perverts of the past: Buddha, Confucius, Christ, Plato,
> > Aristotle, Bertrand Russell, Jean Paul Sartre, etc.
> >
> > Why, if what you say has any truth at all, then a whole lot of
>egomaniacal,
> > megalomaniacal, and/or just uncritically dumb parasites would be
instantly
> > unemployed.
> >
> >
> > Art Deco (Wayne A. Fox)
> > deco at moscow.com
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: <debismith at moscow.com>
> > To: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
> > Sent: Tuesday, July 04, 2006 9:17 PM
> > Subject: Re: [Vision2020] A New Witch Hunt
> >
> >
> > > Thanks for posting this, Tom. Also to all of you who have taken enough
> > > interest in Wicca to do
> > > a bit of research.
> > >
> > > While approximately 1,900 in the military are *out of the broom
> > > closet*, many more do not identify themselves as Wiccan simply to
>protect
> > > themselves.Unless
> > > a base has a fairly large contingent of Wiccans (as did Fort Hood), it
>can
> > > be dangerous to let
> > > others know this religion is the one practiced.
> > >
> > > Wicca does not have a Central Authority, it does not have Pastors,
> > > Preachers, or Popes. It
> > > doesn't seek converts, doesn't proseletize, doesn't reject other
>religions
> > > as nonvalid. What
> > > it has is a belief that Diety is imminent, not transcendent, and a
focus
> > > on care for the Earth
> > > and all that inhabits Her. It has one basic tenet: And It Harm None.
>This
> > > means anything one
> > > puts out into the Universe will return thrice-fold. If it is good
deeds,
> > > there is a return. If, as in my
> > > case, it is snarky e-mails to those I feel it necessary to confront, I
>get
> > > three equally snotty e-
> > > mails back. I'm sometimes willing to take the *karmic hit* and just
push
> > > *send*, knowing full
> > > well Dick, Lame-o Doug, Donovan, or one of the over-aged juvenile
>Kirkers
> > > will attempt to insult
> > > me or even start cyber-stalking again.
> > >
> > > I am open about my spiritual beliefs. I am open about my political
>agenda.
> > > I am open about
> > > just about everything, because when one attempts secrecy it leaves one
> > > open to blackmail.
> > > One of the v2020 posters, in the not so distant past, attempted to
*out*
> > > me (I was already out,
> > > so BFD), attempted to *report* me to a higher authority (there isn't
>one,
> > > so he just annoyed
> > > people who didn't care), and attempted to *shame* me for my out-spoken
> > > behavior (I save
> > > feeling ashamed for when I have inadvertantly caused someone pain--I'm
>not
> > > ever ashamed of
> > > calling it like I see it).
> > >
> > > It breaks my heart when I hear that others who share my religious
>beliefs
> > > are disrespected in
> > > the
> > > way Patrick Stewart and his family have been disrespected. While I may
>not
> > > agree with the
> > > religious perspectives of some others, their right to belief is never
in
> > > question. Somehow,
> > > Wicca is different than all other faiths?
> > >
> > > It is particularly poignant that Wiccan beliefs are likely the most
> > > inoffensive of just about any
> > > religion, yet, through misunderstanding and prejudice, many people
still
> > > think Wicca is devil
> > > worship or casting evil spells. These ideas don't have any application
>to
> > > Wicca. We don't even
> > > believe in *the Devil*, and (remember Harm None?) just don't do
> > > imprecatory prayers or evil
> > > spells. We spend our time recycling, growing organic food, taking
care
>of
> > > others, sharing what
> > > we have with those who have less, volunteering in our community, being
> > > involved in politics,
> > > and paying attention to the changing seasons (both real and
> > > metaphorically).
> > >
> > > I am hopeful that the VA will get some sense, stop listening to those
>who
> > > act out of prejudice
> > > rather than information, and allow Roberta Stewart to honor her
husband
> > > with the symbol of his
> > > faith. Blessed Be, Roberta.
> > >
> > > Debi Robinson-Smith
> > >
> > > "Never retract, never explain, never apologize, just get the job done
>and
> > > let them howl."
> > > -------Iron Jawed Angels
> > > (Thanks to Lois Blackburn, a true Iron Jawed Angel!)
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > From: "Tom Hansen" <thansen at moscow.com>
> > > To: "Joan Opyr" <joanopyr at moscow.com>,
> > > "'Moscow Vision 2020'" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
> > > Date sent: Mon, 3 Jul 2006 16:37:17 -0700
> > > Copies to:
> > > Subject: [Vision2020] A New Witch Hunt
> > >
> > > [ Double-click this line for list subscription options ]
> > >
> > > An editorial from the July 10, 2006 edition of the Army Times -
> > >
> > > For you Wiccans out there. You know who you are.
> > >
> > > ----------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > > A New Witch Hunt
> > > Search for recognition falls victim to misconceptions about Wicca
> > >
> > > By Charles C. Haynes
> > >
> > > The current flap involving Wiccans in the military is a conflict that
> > > should
> > > never have happened. But years of foot-dragging by the Department of
> > > Veterans Affairs have turned an easy case into a major controversy
> > > complete
> > > with charges of discrimination and threats of lawsuits.
> > >
> > > All VA needs to do is announce that the pentacle - a five-pointed star
> > > that
> > > symbolizes the Wiccan faith - has been added to the list of 38
"emblems
>of
> > > belief" approved for placement on government headstones and memorials.
>No
> > > big deal, end of story.
> > >
> > > Instead, VA keeps saying that it is "reviewing the process" - and will
> > > make
> > > a decision at some indeterminate time in the future.
> > >
> > > Roberta Stewart has been hearing this bureaucratic mumbo jumbo for the
> > > past
> > > eight months. She just wants to honor her husband, Patrick, a soldier
in
> > > the
> > > Nevada National Guard killed in combat last September in Afghanistan.
>Sgt.
> > > Stewart, who was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and Purple
Heart,
> > > among other honors, was a Wiccan.
> > >
> > > But Stewart's request to have a pentacle engraved on her husband's
> > > memorial
> > > plaque has been repeatedly denied pending review of the VA policy. His
> > > space
> > > on the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial wall remains blank.
> > >
> > > Eventually, VA will have no choice but to allow the pentacle. Nevada
> > > politicians from both parties, as well as advocacy groups from the
left
> > > and
> > > right, are demanding the change.
> > >
> > > Then there is the small matter of the First Amendment: It's clearly
> > > unconstitutional for the government to deny the Wiccan symbol while
> > > permitting symbols of many other religions.
> > >
> > > If approval of the pentacle is inevitable, why is VA taking so long to
> > > make
> > > a decision?
> > >
> > > For Roberta Stewart, it has been a long and frustrating eight months.
>But
> > > other Wiccans have been pushing for VA recognition of the pentacle for
> > > more
> > > than nine years. (According to the Defense Department, some 1,900
> > > active-duty service members identify themselves as Wiccans.)
> > >
> > > At first blush, the years of VA stonewalling doesn't make sense. A
>glance
> > > at
> > > the 38 approved emblems suggests that any religion can make the list.
In
> > > addition to all of the world's major faiths, a number of obscure sects
>are
> > > represented, such as Eckankar, a New Age group that espouses
out-of-body
> > > travel. Atheists have a symbol, too. If VA is applying some kind of
> > > religious test to keep out the Wiccans, it's hard to fathom what it
>might
> > > be.
> > >
> > > Before last fall, VA blamed the rules. Applicants had to provide
> > > documentation from a central authority certifying a symbol as
> > > representative
> > > of that religion. Because Wiccans have no recognized head or
hierarchy,
> > > their applications were rejected. Rules are rules.
> > >
> > > Bipartisan outrage over Sgt. Stewart's case inspired a new set of
rules.
> > > Now, applicants are required to provide historic background and
> > > documentation of use to get a symbol approved. Roberta Stewart has
>filled
> > > out all of the forms. But she's still waiting.
> > >
> > > So what's the problem? VA isn't talking. But the delay may have to do
>with
> > > the fact that Roberta Stewart went public. Putting atheists on the
list
> > > when
> > > no one is paying attention is one thing, but announcing recognition of
>the
> > > Wiccan pentacle in the glare of the media spotlight is another.
> > >
> > > Few people have even heard of Eckankar, but almost everyone has an
>opinion
> > > about Wiccans. Unfortunately, most of what people think they know
about
> > > Wicca is false. Wicca is a nature-based religion centered on a belief
>that
> > > the divine permeates all life. Wiccans have nothing to do with black
>magic
> > > or satanic worship, but try explaining that to a misinformed public.
> > >
> > > VA is probably remembering the last time Wiccans in the military made
> > > headlines. About six years ago, news reports of Wiccan ceremonies at
>Fort
> > > Hood, Texas, and other bases provoked some conservative Christian
groups
> > > to
> > > call on Christians not to enlist or re-enlist in the Army.
> > >
> > > Under the First Amendment, the Army had no choice then, just as VA has
>no
> > > choice now, but to accommodate Wiccans in the same way it accommodates
> > > other
> > > religious groups. But any "acceptance" of witches - who have long been
> > > demonized in Christian history - is certain to stir up trouble for the
> > > military.
> > >
> > > It's also possible that VA lawyers are beginning to realize that any
> > > guidelines for government-sanctioned "emblems of belief," however
> > > carefully
> > > crafted, are unworkable. In a nation where people are free to choose
in
> > > matters of faith, the government should stop trying to figure out
which
> > > symbols are "acceptable" and instead allow each family to choose
>whatever
> > > symbol best represents their convictions.
> > >
> > > In other words, cut through all of the bureaucratic red tape and
>jettison
> > > the "emblems of belief" list entirely.
> > >
> > > Meanwhile, however, VA should act immediately to honor Roberta
Stewart's
> > > request and fill in the blank space reserved for Sgt. Stewart. After
>all,
> > > if
> > > we can't live up to religious freedom at home, we have no business
>asking
> > > soldiers to die for religious freedom abroad.
> > >
> > > ----------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > > Seeya round town, Moscow.
> > >
> > > Tom Hansen
> > > Moscow, Idaho
> > >
> > > "Patriotism is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion but the
> > > tranquil
> > > and steady dedication of a lifetime."
> > >
> > > --Adlai E. Stevenson, Jr.
> > >
> > >
> > > =====================================================
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> > > http://www.fsr.net
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> > > ------- End of forwarded message -------
> > >
> > > ------- End of forwarded message -------
> > >
> > > =====================================================
> > > List services made available by First Step Internet,
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> > > http://www.fsr.net
> > > mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
> > > ====================================================
> > >
> > >
> >
> > =====================================================
> > List services made available by First Step Internet,
> > serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
> > http://www.fsr.net
> > mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
> > ====================================================
> >
>
>=====================================================
> List services made available by First Step Internet,
> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
> http://www.fsr.net
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