Spring 2000 Lady Liberty League Report Published in CIRCLE Magazine Purdue Lists Pagan Affiliation Fertility Statue Stays Officer Responds to Misunderstanding Papal Apology Update Pennsylvania Witches Awareness Day Military Pagan Issues Updates Loggers Sue Deep Ecologists Witch Loses Job First Amendment Issues Update Witch Depiction Debate Ancient British Monuments Protected Stonehenge Construction Update Religion Editor Writes on Paganism Winter Solstice Issues Goddess Billboards Arise Pagans Run for Political Office Use this list to link directly to the article you wish to read, or simply scroll down for all articles Purdue Lists Pagan Affiliation Due to the efforts of Lyle Janney, Purdue University in Indiana will begin including “Pagan” under its list of religious affiliations from which students can choose during their registration process. Janney, a Pagan and the staff advisor of the Purdue Pagan Academic Network, a student group at the university, explained his request to change the available religious affiliation options and gave background information on Paganism to the university's data steward. About a month later, Janney received a simple email telling him that his request had been granted and that Pagan would be added to the list of options beginning with the Summer 2000 semester. The religious affiliation data, which is used mostly for demographics and by student organizations sending mailings to target groups, previously listed mostly Christian denominations, leaving Pagans to choose between “other” or “none.” Fertility Statue Stays A two foot tall, bronze “Venus” statue is causing controversy in Seattle, Washington. Sporting dreadlocks and a nose ring, Venus, created by artist Steve Anderson, is also holding her naked pregnant belly while squatting in the birthing position. She has been installed in a city owned, community garden as part of the city's plan to refurbish the area. Some have covered her up in garbage bags and complained that she is a Pagan idol that shouldn't have been paid for with government funds. Others, who think she is a tasteful representation of fertility, are referring to her as a garden Goddess and are leaving flower and vegetable offerings at the base of her pedestal, which holds a sign reading “Dedicated to Gaia.” Local press has pointed out that Gaia is often invoked in “Wiccan or other Pagan ceremonies.” A vote of 74 of the 217 people who garden in the plot determined, however, that the statue would stay in its current location. Her proponents plan to build a trellis and plant jasmine around her. A picture of the statue and article about the controversy can be seen at: http://www.seattletimes.com/news/local/html98/venu_20000125.html. Officer Responds to Misunderstanding An Indiana University Southeast Police Officer, Janice Moore, responded positively to feedback she received from Pagans who expressed their dismay over an article that appeared in a December issue of the Corydon Democrat of Corydon, Indiana. The article, entitled “Witchcraft's real, officer tells group,” made no distinction between Witchcraft and Satanism when describing a talk Moore gave about Satanism to a local Christian group. After receiving feedback from some Wiccans who read the article, Moore wrote a letter in response to these complaints that appeared in a later column in the newspaper, stating that she certainly did not “want a 'witch hunt' to break out because of a mere misunderstanding.” She claimed that the terminology she used in her talk was vocabulary correctly understood by those Christians in attendance, which she supported with several Bible quotes that clearly viewed Witchcraft negatively. She did, however, concede that her terminology may have been misunderstood by those reading the article and went on to explain that Wiccans are worshipers of Nature who are not involved in Satanic or illegal activities due to their belief that if you do harm to someone, it will come back to you. She ended her letter with, “We can choose not to agree with someone else's ideas, but to scare, threaten, or abuse another person simply because they don't agree with our belief system is a violation not only of that person's rights but of the law,” and stated that she was in favor of our constitutional right to religious freedom. Papal Apology Update More Pagans and their supporters have signed onto a letter requesting an apology from the Pope for the atrocities of the Inquisition. The letter, which calls for the inclusion of Pagans in the Pope's upcoming apology for the past sins of the church to be read during his penitential procession scheduled for March, 2000, includes 1,641 signatures from Pagans and non-Pagans from 26 countries world wide, including 14 Christian clergy, 41 academic scholars, and 91 Pagan organizations. The main Hindu organization of Trinidad, the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha, which represents over 300,000 Hindus in the Caribbean, has also lent their support and signed the letter. The international committee that is helping to circulate the letter has released it to US newswire services that go out to major media contacts. No response to the letter has yet been received from the Vatican. Reports from The Sydney Morning Herald, of Sydney, Australia, state that the Vatican is deeply divided over the proposed apology, which is currently reported to include Jews, Muslims, and other “heretics” persecuted during the Crusades and the Inquisition. In contrast to this division, recent remarks made by Cardinal Arinze, a spokesperson for the Vatican who was interviewed at the World Conference for Religion and Peace in Aman, Jordan, support religious freedom. He stated that “Authentic religion cannot promote violence...The human person must never be pressured in matters of conscious: freedom of belief is an established right....humanity expects this right to be recognized and put into practice.” For more information on the letter sent to the Pope, visit the website: http://www.lafonds.net/pagans/Papal_Apology/index.htm. Pennsylvania Witches Awareness Day The Pennsylvania Pagan Council is sponsoring a Witches Awareness Day on Saturday, June 10, 2000 at the State House in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. This peaceful rally is intended to educate politicians and the public about Witchcraft and religious freedom issues. Guest speakers, workshops, and a ritual are planned. It is also hoped that the event will serve as a catalyst for Witches to become more politically active and to let politicians know that Pagans do vote. Petitions will also be circulated at the event in hopes of changing current anti-fortune telling laws and other legislation that negatively affect Pagans in Pennsylvania. Plans are also being considered to make this an annual, nation wide event. For more information about this contact: http://www.homestead.com/witchesawareness/Home.html; W_A_D_@hotmail.com; Pennsylvania Pagan Council, PO Box 83, Oxford, PA 19363, attn: Witches Awareness Day. Military Pagan Issues Updates A Military Pagan Picnic was held at the Museum of Aviation at Robins Air Force Base in Macon, Georgia on November 14, 1999. The event organizer, Hawk, reported that it was a great success, with 55 adults in attendance, 20 of whom were military Pagans. Gorgeous weather, good food, a Pagan Trivia game, and door prizes contributed to the event's success. Each military person present received a goodie bag that included a t-shirt, a button, a spirit bag donated by LLL, and a letter of support from SilverDrake Fey, Circle Sanctuary's Military Support Minister. The picnic was intended to let Pagans in the military know that they are appreciated by non-military Pagans, in light of recent attacks on their status within the military by certain members of Congress (see the special LLL report in the Fall, 1999 issue of CIRCLE Magazine). On Wednesday, January 5, 2000, SilverDrake Fey and Dr. David Oringderff presented a well received talk to the Humanists of Fort Worth, Texas, entitled Wicca and the U. S .Military, that also discussed the recent attacks. SilverDrake, who is an active-duty Air Force psychologist, discussed the delicate balance maintained by the military chaplaincies between promoting the free exercise of religion among all military members on the one hand and dealing with the instinctive prejudices dividing military members of different religious groups on the other. Dr. Oringderff, who is the Executive Director of the Sacred Well Congregation, a clinical psychologist, and ex-Army intelligence officer, spoke about the unique dilemma faced by military Wiccans who feel caught between the suspicions of conservative Christians critical of military accommodation of Wicca and the occasional denigration of military Wiccans by other Pagans. He also highlighted important events during the Pagan response to Rev. Harvey's “March Against Wickedness” this past September (see the LLL report in the Winter, 1999 issue of CIRCLE Magazine). The presentation generated an enthusiastic question and answer session during which several other important issues concerning Pagans in the military were discussed. Loggers Sue Deep Ecologists A lawsuit filed by the Associate Contract Loggers against two environmental organizations, the Superior Wilderness Action Network (SWAN) and the Forest Guardians, was thrown out by a federal judge on February 9, 2000. The Loggers were suing the environmental groups on the basis that their philosophy of Deep Ecology is a religion. They further claimed that these groups' actions to convince the US Forest Service (USFS) to curtail logging in Minnesota therefore consists of a violation of the separation between church and state. The complaint filed by the loggers compared the environmental groups' beliefs to the “Neo-Pagan religions of Druid practices, Wicca, and Gaia worship.” It further alleged that the USFS has allowed itself to be used as a tool to promote “religious purposes” by environmental groups that believe that the Earth should be considered sacred. Pagans have had mixed reactions to these allegations, pointing out that on the one hand the logging industry has recognized Nature religions as legitimate, while on the other hand they have attempted to use Pagan religions to argue for the further destruction of Nature, even though neither of the environmental organizations named in the lawsuit are in fact Pagan based. Witch Loses Job A settlement reached in a job discrimination case in North Carolina has received national media coverage. National Public Radio's (NPR) February 9, 2000 morning news broadcast reported on the January 10 suspension of Wiccan Shari Eicher from her position as a high school teacher in Scotland County. Although the school board has never made a statement concerning the suspension, complaints were received about the website of WillowFyre Coven, which Eicher cofounded, that contained skyclad pictures of coven members in ritual. Comments made at a local Christian rally attended by 100 people following her removal from the job claimed that protests against Eicher were being made on the basis of indecency, rather than on the basis of her religion. A Christian minister interviewed on the NPR story, however, clearly stated that he thought that Eicher should be removed from her job on the basis of her religion alone. According to a statement made by Eicher's husband, the situation has been resolved to the satisfaction of both the Eichers and the school board, although Shari has agreed not to return to her job because her “effectiveness in the classroom has been undermined” by media attention. As part of the resolution, the Eichers have agreed to give out no further information about the terms of the settlement. Shari Eicher reported to LLL that she intends to finish her master's degree and seek employment outside of the educational field. She feels that the situation has been the Goddess' means of turning her back to her first love of writing. She expressed her heartfelt thanks for the thousands of letters, emails, and phone calls of support that she received from the Pagan community. First Amendment Issues Update Controversy continues in several parts of the United States concerning first amendment freedom of religion issues. The US Supreme Court has continued to refuse to hear cases regarding the separation of church and state in public schools. In December, it let stand a ruling made by a Vermont court that public tuition vouchers used for Catholic schools would constitute public support of religious worship. It also upheld a similar decision in Maine. However, in refusing to hear a case in November, religious schools in Wisconsin can still receive state funds. The issue has also entered the US Presidential debates, with Republicans favoring use of vouchers in religious schools and Democrats arguing against it. Controversy also continues over the posting of the Ten Commandments in schools and other public buildings. In Indiana, the state Senate approved legislation to allow the commandments to be posted. In Kentucky, the American Civil Liberties Union is suing two counties and a school district for refusing to remove the postings, stating that it “clearly shows governmental favoritism towards specific religious doctrine.” In Colorado, lawmakers have also considered a bill that would require the posting of the commandments on classroom walls, as well as require a period of reflection “on our heritage as a free people in one nation under God” at the beginning of each school day. Some have commented that these recent pushes to blur the line between church and state are a result of politicians seeking more conservative votes for upcoming elections, in spite of knowing that these laws are unconstitutional. Witch Depiction Debate Differing perspectives on the depiction of Witches appeared in November, 1999 issues of The Herald News of Illinois. The November 26 issue included a letter from a reader who complained about the glamorization of Witches in books used by public schools. She did not agree with the book's messages, which she felt would teach children that Witches are “cute and nice and innocent.” A letter in response to her negative statements about Witchcraft was published on November 28. This letter, written by Richard Wachenheim, a Circle Sanctuary Community member, refuted the previous letter by pointing out that assuming everything non-Christian is evil “is the 1999 version of the Salem Witch trails.” He further pointed out that people should be aware of the true facts about Wicca before “launching a campaign against a religion that was practiced long before anyone heard of Christians.” Ancient British Monuments Protected Threats of further vandalism to two megalithic monuments, the Men-an-Tol and the Lanyon Quoit in Penwith, England, have been thwarted due to help from residents of the area, including local Pagans. In response to threats to reduce the 5,000 year old monuments to rubble, local police say that they have received a large amount of calls and suggested lines of inquiry that expressed the public's enormous outrage. Callers have said that they have increased the frequency of their trips to the stones while walking their dogs, in order to keep a watch over the monuments. Local Pagans have also organized patrols of the area and have performed ceremonies of protection around the stones. Stonehenge Construction Update As previously reported in LLL, plans to reroute the road that currently runs near Stonehenge, on Salisbury plain in England, will destroy some of the ancient features of the monument. Although the rerouting is intended to restore the landscape to a more natural state by creating a car free zone, the cut and cover tunnel planned as the means to reroute the road will actually damage five other monuments near the main henge. Authorities feel that the construction of a deeper tunnel that would avoid this destruction would be too costly. Moonhorse, a member of the Pagan organization Earth Faith, has begun a website community for people interested in working to save the monument's landscape. A petition, message board, and additional information can be found on the Stonehenge Landscape Survival website at: http://www.savestonehenge.org.uk/. Religion Editor Writes on Paganism An article published in the Clarion-Ledger of Jackson, Mississippi, has caused a reaction among area Pagans. The article, written by Charlotte Graham on October 30, 1999, was a commentary on the Blessed Be and Meet Me in DC Pagan gathering, held each year in the United States Capitol. Her statement that “It's hard to associate goodness or kind deeds with witches” caused local Pagans to contact Graham and try to give her correct information about Wicca. Graham was very open to this contact, and has since printed a follow-up article in January in which she dedicated the paper's entire religion section to a mostly positive explanation of the Wiccan religion. Not surprisingly, she then received a barrage of letters from non-Pagans who were aghast that she was promoting Wicca. In her most recent response to the controversy, she stated that, as religion editor, it was her duty to write about all religions in her area, whether she condones them or not. Local Pagans are planning to keep in contact with Graham and invite her to visit one of their rituals so that she can continue to learn more. Winter Solstice Issues Controversy over Winter holiday displays have been occurring in different locations in the United States. In Somerset, Massachusetts, the American Atheists State Director and the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit against the local government who would not allow a “Happy Winter Solstice” sign to be posted next to their Christian nativity scene which was displayed every Christmas season at the Town Hall. Federal court decisions regarding such holiday displays have ruled that they need to be secularized by including nonreligious holiday symbols such as elves, Santas, and “Season's Greetings” signs. Local religious leaders in Somerset are now objecting to the hodgepodge of symbols that was subsequently displayed at their Town Hall, because they feel it degraded the religious symbols present. Debate continues as to how they will address the issue next Winter. In other areas of the country, debate has been avoided by allowing any private groups who wish to do so to install their own symbols of the season. In Weatherford, Texas, a Christian Christmas display and an Atheist Winter Solstice sign existed side by side without complaints from residents, even though local press have mentioned the Atheists pointing out that Winter Solstice is a Pagan holiday. Goddess Billboards Arise As part of their public information work, and as their contribution to the ~Goddess 2000~ project, the Goddess Committee of the Northern Dawn Council of the Covenant of the Goddess sponsored the posting of three Goddess billboards in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota on December 30, 1999. The billboards include a graphic of a Goddess in the drawing down the Moon position, with a spiral over Her womb. Their messages were carefully chosen to avoid proselytizing and read: “The Goddess Is Alive and Magic Is Afoot,” “The Goddess Is Within,” and “Embrace the Goddess.” Each carries a smaller message reading: “Freedom of religion means all religions.” At a cost of $525 for 3 billboards for 30 days, the committee is hoping to obtain funding to keep their messages of Nature-centered spirituality posted. They are also putting together informational kits for anyone interested in erecting billboards in their area. To donate to their billboard fund or to receive a kit, contact: Goddess Committee, PO Box 50805, Mendota, MN 55150; weeping_sun@hotmail.com. Photos of the billboards can be viewed at: http://hawkdancing.com/gdssigns.html. Pagans Run for Political Office Although LLL does not endorse political candidates, some Pagans have been discussing the religious freedom ramifications of two Pagans who are becoming visible in political campaigns this year. Tom Davis, the president of the Pagan Alliance of Central Texas, is running for the Texas State Senate. Davis is running on a Libertarian platform of removing government incursions into individual freedoms. He is neither hiding nor emphasizing his religious affiliation, but expects that others will make it an issue as his campaign continues. Davis is the sole challenger to the current Democratic incumbent of Austin's 14th District. Dennis Triglia, a solitary eclectic Wiccan, is also running as a Libertarian for the 78th California State Assembly District. In spite of the pentacle ring Triglia wears and the Pagan bumper stickers on his vehicle, Triglia's religious affiliations have not yet been a preoccupation of the media. Neither has he made mention of it in his campaign, due to his strong belief in the separation of church and state. He has made a clear message, however, that he will support the right of everyone to choose their own religious path. Being the only Libertarian candidate in his district, he will win the primary election in March, but will face a five way race during the general election in November of 2000.