Thursday, August 30, 2007, 05:07 PM CST [
General]
Merry Meet all,
I recieved this from a group that I belong to called The Creative Symphony of Celia. It was a post that was made there and I have copied below. I felt that we had a big success when the government finally accepted and placed the pentacle on the list of approved religious symbols for our fallen pagan soldiers. But it seems that things are still in a sad state of affairs concerning the pagan religion and what the government thinks of us. But I wanted to pass on the message as I recieved it and let you all read about it and form your own opinions and views.
Light and Blessings
=========================================================
Wiccan War Hero's Widow Excluded From President Bush's Meeting With
Veterans' Families
Rev. Barry Lynn Demands Presidential Apology
On Tuesday, August 28, following an address to the American Legion's
national convention in Reno, Nevada, President George W. Bush met with
northern Nevada family members of soldiers who have perished in
combat.
Roberta Stewart, a Wiccan whose husband, Sgt. Patrick Stewart, was
killed
in combat in the war in Afghanistan, was not invited.
"I'm upset that I wasn't invited," Roberta said of the meeting. "I
think it
is because of my faith. I feel like I've been discriminated against
again."
In 2006, Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU)
sued the
US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in federal court representing
Roberta Stewart; her church, Circle Sanctuary; and others. AU argued
that
the VA's refusal to recognize the pentacle as a symbol of faith
violated
the religious liberty rights of Wiccan service members and their
families
and subverted the separation of church and state.
Earlier this year, the VA settled the lawsuit and finally added the
pentacle to its list of religious symbols that are permitted on the
gravestones it issues to honor deceased veterans.
"I had hoped that with this settlement, that finally the Executive
branch
of the federal government was giving equal treatment to Wiccan
veterans and
their families. However, it seems that the White House is still not
doing
this, and I find the exclusion of Roberta Stewart from this meeting
appalling," said Rev. Selena Fox, senior minister of Circle Sanctuary.
Sgt. Stewart's VA-issued gravestone with pentacle was dedicated on
Memorial
Day at the church's national cemetery near Barneveld, Wisconsin.
The Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United, also
condemned Bush's snub of Stewart. "The president should issue an
apology
to Roberta Stewart," Lynn said. "She stood courageously for religious
freedom for all soldiers, and the president was wrong to treat her so
shabbily."
During the litigation, AU attorneys unearthed evidence that the VA's
refusal to recognize the pentacle may have been motivated by bias
toward
the Wiccan faith.
It appeared that the VA did not want to recognize the faith, which
President Bush has publicly derided in the past.
Lynn said the president's snub of Roberta Stewart smacked of
retaliation
for her public and successful stand against the administration policy.
"President Bush seems to be continuing a pattern of hostility toward
the
Wiccan faith," he said. "That's an outrage. America is a nation of
great
religious diversity, and all public officials, especially the
president,
have an obligation to serve all of the people. Our Constitution
mandates
equal treatment of all faiths."
See also these other reports released August 29, 2007:
Las Vegas Review Journal: Wiccan Practitioner' s Widow not invited to
Bush
meeting
http://www.lvrj. com/news/ 9441071.html
KTVN Television: Wiccan Widow Says Wasn't Invited to Meet Pres. Bush
http://www.ktvn. com/Global/ story.asp? S=7000560
Americans United Protests Presidential Snub of Wiccan War Widow:
http://www.au. org/
For further information and interviews contact:
Roberta Stewart
(775) 223-6638
Rev. Selena Fox, Senior Minister, Circle Sanctuary
(608) 924-2216
Paula Johnson, Media Relations Coordinator, Lady Liberty League
(954) 471-1435
More information about the Veteran Pentacle Quest victory:
http://www.circlesa nctuary.org/ liberty/veteranp entacle
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