Another outragious example of Christian Dominance...

[Solon]

Sergeant's space left blank

Fallen Guardsman's Wiccan faith unrecognized

FERNLEY -- Nevada National Guard Sgt. Patrick Stewart gave his life for his country when the Chinook helicopter he was in was shot down in Afghanistan in September.

But those wishing to honor Stewart, who should have his name on the memorial wall at the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Fernley, 34 miles east of Reno, would have a difficult time doing so.
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The space reserved for Stewart, right next to Chief Warrant Officer John Flynn, his comrade from Sparks who also died in the attack as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, is vacant.

Stewart was a follower of the Wiccan religion, which is not recognized by the Department of Veterans Affairs for use in its cemeteries.

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Mar-02-Thu-2006/news/6149634.html

OK, I'm fucking sick and tired of this type of shit, combined with SD and Mississippi's Anti-Choice stances, and My States Christian Supremicists apparently trying to make it an officially sanctioned relgion, I really just feel like bashing my head against a wall! :grr:

[MadMaddie]

1. This soldier gave his life for this country...

and they dishoner him like this.....They have no shame!!

This country is going to split into two countries.....I am convinced more and more every day!!!

[LynneSin]

4. You and me both

it's sad but I see it happening

[LynneSin]

2. I have a really dumbass question....

...why are any religious symbols being put on the plaque? They served because they were Americans, not because they were Christians, Jews, Muslims, Wiccans, et al.

[Solon]

6. Tradition, most likely...

Also, I would imagine it also is for the simple reason that the families want it there, similar to grave stones at Arlington, serves the same purpose really.

[northzax]

31. here are the symbols that are approved for use

at Arlington, so I assume that covers all military cemetaries.

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/text/authorized_emblems_text.html

Christian
Buddhist
Hebrew
Presbyterian Cross
Russian Orthodox Cross
Lutheran Cross
Episcopal Cross
Unitarian Church
United Methodist Church
Mormon
Aaronic Order Church
Native American of North America
Serbian Orthodox
Greek Cross
Bahai
Atheist
Muslim
Hindu
Konko-Kyo Faith
Community of Christ
Sufism Reoriented
Tenrikyo Church
Seicho-No-Ie
The Church of World Messianity (Izunome)
United Church of Religion Science
Christian Reformed Church
United Moravian Church
Eckankar
Christian Church

and the tradition of putting any symbols on gravestones at Arlington dates back only to WWI.

[ourbluenation]

3. Jesus = Minerva...or so says Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson: The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus,
by the Supreme Being as his Father, in the womb of a virgin, will be
classified with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of
Jupiter. But we may hope that the dawn of reason and the freedom of
thought in these United States will do away with this artificial
scaffolding, and restore to us the primitive and genuine doctrines of
this most venerated Reformer of human errors.

[Nikki Stone 1]

32. This directly kills the credibility of the fundies when they say that

the founding fathers were Christian.

Seems like Jefferson, at least, thought it was myth....

[DearAbby]

5. WHAT IS THE 1st AMENDMENT AGAIN?

the Wiccan religion, which is not recognized by the Department of Veterans Affairs for use in its cemeteries.


The government is not supposed to be in the business of recongnizing, making judgements on religion/faiths.

:shrug: What part of the first amendment dont they understand?

[BOSSHOG]

7. That brings me to tears

That also makes me want to rise up in rightious indignation to give the VA my veterans two cents worth.

[acmejack]

9. Shall we initiate a small letter writing campaign?

I have nothing better to do than defend a fallen brother's right to be honored appropriately. I agree with President Jefferson, who I hold to to be among the wisest of our founding fathers, that the Government has absolutely no business in the business of promoting or suppressing any religion.

[wakeme2008]

8. this is strange

check out the symbols that already are OK

http://www.cem.va.gov/hmemb.htm

[Arkansas Granny]

15. I've never even heard of some of these. Are they all religions?

Surely, if they have a symbol for atheists, they could accommodate a symbol for Wiccans. Since we don't have a state sponsored religion, I don't know why there would be a problem.

[wakeme2008]

16. most of those I have never heard of

and Wiccan I have. :shrug:

[Strong Atheist]

10. Then some wonder why atheists occasionally get militant.

:eyes:

[KamaAina]

20. Atheists have an approved symbol on the list!

it's No. 16 and looks like a diagram of an atom from the '50s with the letter 'A' at the center.

Meanwhile the one marked 'Muslim' is all the way at the bottom, No. 98; it is described as an "Islamic 5 pointed star" and is "not shown because of copyrights"! I thought the symbol of Islam was a crescent, and besides, who would be allowed to hold copyrights to a symbol of Islam? :eyes:

[Solon]

22. Actually, look closer, there Cresent and Star are already listed...

The Five-Pointed Star is a different symbol, even Sufis(Variant Muslims) have their own symbol, and its listed.

[wryter2000]

11. Hey, assholes

If Jesus were here, he'd give you a piece of his mind.

[joefree1]

12. Good qoute from a great pagan would apply here

"FIRST they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they attack you, then you win."

Ghandi


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/paganwarrior

[Ioo]

13. I may face the same issue :( How sad.

http://www.speciousreasoning.com/node/1174

I to an of the Pagan ilk, I am also a disabled vet and can find a home on a VA cem...

So sad...

[Solon]

17. I say we begin now, so that no one else or their families will have to...

suffer this indignity ever again!

http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=usnj&c=military&id=8503

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/243290_pagan04.html

http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/headstonecampaign/index.html

[Initech]

14. I hope these assholes take their "support the troops" ribbons off

their cars. This is sick. :mad:

[Solon]

18. With all the different Symbols they allow for Christianity...

As shown here:
http://www.cem.va.gov/hmemb.htm
Why not use some of these as well, namely the God, Goddess, Pentacle, and Pentagram symbols?
http://www.the-night.net/pagan/pagansymbols.htm

[happyslug]

19. Previous Thread on this issue (but takes Opposite Position)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2143691

[Solon]

21. Cool thanks, I didn't see it earlier. n/t

[NMMNG]

23. Excuse me?

He's good enough to fight and die for his country, but not good enough to be honored for his sacrifice?

And then the Christo-fascists wonder why people of minority belief systems/no beliefs complain, particularly when the Christians claim they are being persecuted! :grr:

[upi402]

24. Dear Abby is right. Tax exemption status maybe -but that's it.

I feel repressed by it too. It's virulent around here. Neighbors stopped waving when they saw my Dean for President stickers. Zealots suck!

I'm just sick of being judged by self-righteous, fear-based, fantasy believing, people.

[unschooler]

25. But aren't Wiccans really evil Satanists who sacrifice kittens to their

Dark Lord??? :scared:

[AmyDeLune]

26. No, those are the current occupants of the White House. n/t

[unschooler]

33. Oooooh.... I thought that guy WAS the Dark Lord.....

[onager]

27. I thought this sounded familiar...

In the time after 1938-until 1945-much energy was invested to erase the memory of the Jewish-German soldiers who had died in action between 1914 and 1918. In some places in the "Großdeutsches Reich" (although not in Bavaria) the names of the fallen Jewish soldiers were removed from public war memorials and commemorative plaques.

Especially perfidious was the treatment of fallen Jewish soldiers in German war cemeteries in France after the occupation. With the slogan: "No Jew died for Germany" the gravestones with the star of David were removed and replaced by crosses with the inscription: "unknown soldier".

http://www.historiker.de/projekte/hdbg/kriegsgraeber/english/einleitung.htm

Yes, I KNOW I'm violating Godwin's Rule of Nazi Analogies. Sue me.

[proud2BlibKansan]

28. It gets worse in MO

They are trying to male abortion illegal too.

http://www.senate.mo.gov/06info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&BillID=165801

[undergroundpanther]

29. anyone with skill in carving

could offer to carve the pentacle for him?
I wonder if that would make a difference?

[eppur_se_muova]

30. What's wrong with leaving out the symbol?

Some, after all, may prefer not to answer the question.

Or we could have a little E, with an open circle next to it, for "none of the above".

[Behind the Aegis]

34. He obviously did answer the question...or at least was known.

He should be shown the same respect as any other soldier. The military should recognize their "official" list falls very short.