Bush Administration Agrees To Approve Wiccan Pentacle For Veteran Memorials

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http://www.au.org/site/News2?abbr=pr&page=NewsArticle&id=9077&JServSessionIdr007=2tvm1x6wc4.app5b

Settlement In Americans United Lawsuit Comes After Discovery Of A Pattern Of Bias Against Minority Faith

The Bush administration has conceded that Wiccans are entitled to have the pentacle, the symbol of their faith, inscribed on government-issued memorial markers for deceased veterans, Americans United for Separation of Church and State announced today.

The settlement agreement, filed today with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, brings to a successful conclusion a lawsuit Americans United brought against the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in November.

The litigation charged that denying a pentacle to deceased Wiccan service personnel, while granting religious symbols to those of other traditions, violated the U.S. Constitution.

(The article is a good bit longer than that.)

Comments

[saratoga80.livejournal.com]

Barry Lynn can be a total jerkoff, but he's right on this issue. I am very glad Pagans who give their life for their country have the same rights as every other religion when their relatives visit their headstones. I'm pretty sure the right to worship freely without fear of reprisal may be the most single important right to common Iraqi citizens. If it weren't so important, al-Qaeda wouldn't be attacking it.