Intolerance Comes In Many, Many Forms

It's a big world. I'm interested in issues of women's rights, the environment, animals, globalization, the space program, education, poverty, outsourcing... and the list continues. I can't take up all these causes (even if you disagree, Internet), so I guess we have to pick our battles.

Something recently caught my eye in the news. It wasn't a front page story, and probably most people won't bat an eye. The article is titled: Wiccan symbol far from getting VA's approval. A Nevada Army National Guard member recently killed in Afghanistan wanted the Wiccan symbol, his religious symbol, on his tombstone. But the symbol is not yet approved by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, so they will not allow his wife to use the symbol.

The agency has recognized other emblems including one for Atheists, Humanists, Buddhists and for many Christian denominations.

Simply not enough people know what Wicca is. They know it from depictions in Hollywood; movies like The Craft, where bored girls go to an occult store, go crazy, and start casting spells and cursing eachother while flying around.

The symbol of the Wiccan pentagram is also frequently confused with the Satanist symbol. The Satanist symbol is an inverted pentagram... Wiccans don't even believe in Satan.

You can call Wiccans spaced out, quirky, eccentric, hippies, or treehuggers, but you can't call them Satanists or dangerous. Their most basic code says that you may do what you will as long as you don't hurt anyone else. Hurting people, or even attempting to hurt people, would be completely outrageous to any Wiccan. The religion revolves around celebrating the changing seasons (winter - death, spring - rebirth) and the cycle of life.

Sure, sometimes they want to wear flowing robes or flowers in their hair; they may even dance around in a circle. And it's true, their religion doesn't revolve around Jesus; they worship the "Goddess" (Mother Nature) and the "God" (her consort). The Wiccan God and Goddess are complements to eachother, and they represent all aspects of the universe. It's different. In middle America's suburban homes we look askance at people who don't mow their lawns enough, so of course this tradition will look odd and off-putting.

I'm not saying this religion is without faults. I'm not saying we should all run out and buy cauldrons and wands and commune with nature. But is it an offense? No. Should Wiccans be barred from having their symbol of faith on their tombstone, especially this man who lost his life while representing the United States in Afghanistan? It's ludicrous to me.

If this is the first time that the Department of Veterans Affairs has had a request for a Wiccan symbol, then maybe they were hoping that they would never have to deal with it. But after this man's widow requested the symbol, anything less than immediate approval is truly unsettling. It's the year 2006, certainly it's time that this religion received some recognition instead of being treated like crazy degenerates.

Perhaps if Wiccans felt that they could be open about their religion, rather than hiding it for fear of being called a Satanist or devil-worshipper, it would seem less scary and weird to those of us who won't take the time to understand it or open a book.

For more information on Wicca, check out what Wikipedia has to say.