Last night I caught some of Anderson Cooper 360 (love that guy - just his voice and everything - and if you want to read a good book I recommend his!!)
Anyway......they did a section on how soldiers who have died in action can't always have their religious symbol on their gravestones in the military cemetaries......
It turns out that the US has a list of thirty-something religions that are allowed to be displayed on soldiers gravestones.....the Pentacle from the Wiccan religion is NOT allowed......I think he said that almost 100 Wiccan soldeirs have died for their country YET they are NOT allowed their religious symbol of choice on their gravestones...
I think this is so sad. There is so much ignorance about the Wiccan religion....witchcraft and devil worship etc etc....
They showed an old clip of President Bush being asked about the symbol and he replied 'I don't consider Devil Worship to be a religion' - how IGNORANT.....I can't stand him anyway but his ignorance is just amazing - does he think before he speaks? But then its him and his followers who ahve brought in tighter rules on abortion too :(
I am not Wiccan...or Pagan...but I have studied both philosophies - I even took a Wiccan course in Stockport.......it's a wonderfully peace-loving, nature loving religion.....MUCH older than Christianity....it is the religion of 'wisecraft' the term witchcraft comes from that! Wicca is based on the spirituality of our ancestors....a worship of the Goddess, God and natural universe. It is to do with growth, change and healing.....
Some of these heroes...that have died for their country, have nothing but a rock marking their grave........Supposedly they fought for their freedom (and ours) yet even in death they don't have the freedom to choose which symbol appears on their gravestone.
The good news is that the families of these soldiers have won through and within the next few months the Wiccan symbol will be added to the list of religious symbols allowed on gravestones in the military cemetaries...
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