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Widows Sue to Have Wiccan Symbol Placed on Veterans' Tombstones

United Press International November 14, 2006



WASHINGTON, Nov 14, 2006 (UPI via COMTEX) -- The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is being sued by two widows of Wiccan soldiers who want their religious pentacle symbol on their tombstones.





The National Cemetery Administration allows 38 different religious symbols to be put on veterans' headstones and plaques but, despite nine years of lobbying and petitioning, symbols for pagans or Wiccans' have not been allowed, Stars and Stripes reported.



The legal challenge was filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Madison, Wis., by the Americans United for Separation of Church and State and several Wiccan congregations accusing the VA of violating Wiccans' First Amendment rights.



The Rev. Selene Fox, a senior minister at the Circle Sanctuary, based in Madison, said she has given up trying to negotiate with the VA.



"I'm appalled," she said. "I never thought I'd have to sue the government to get the Constitution upheld."



More than 1,800 active-duty U.S. service members identify themselves as Wiccans, 2005 statistics from the Defense Department show.

It's the military cemetary and federal funding that throws it into confusion. If they paid for it themselves, there'd be no problem.



Ain't it ironic, though, that the separation of church & state guys are pushing the issue?

Accountable;461177 wrote:

Ain't it ironic, though, that the separation of church & state guys are pushing the issue?


I don't know, that actually makes sense to me, that they would.



I wonder, is this everywhere or is it maybe specific to the stones in Arlington Cemetery? Isn't there a restriction on what you can have put on those?



It seems a few years back I came across an article stating that the military was told they had to accept wicca and paganism as valid faiths. Wouldn't it make sense that they would accept the pentacle on a stone as well?!



ETA: left out the word paganism

I believe I heard that Air Force basic training allows wiccan worship (or whatever the term is) along with christian, muslim, etc.