Wicca in U.S. Military

Wiccans are working hard to become more accepted in America. They are a religious minority that tends to have a harder time than most because Christian conservatives often identify Wiccans as witches and, therefore, as evil. Military personnel have been especially intolerant, even as military leaders have been working hard to promote tolerance.

The Contra Costa Times reports:

After U.S. military personnel pelted American Wiccan servicemen and servicewomen in Iraq with bottles and rocks as they worshipped in a sacred circle, the Pentagon turned to Patrick McCollum of Moraga. ... "Education is the single most powerful tool," in dealing with misunderstandings in the military, McCollum said.

I hadn’t heard about this incident and, if anyone has links to news stories, please send them to me. I do hope that strong disciplinary action was taken against those soldiers who attacked other soldiers simply for practicing the “wrong” religion.

Wiccans represent a small fraction of the military, roughly 1,500 among 1.4 million active personnel, but the Pentagon wants to accommodate their faith. ... An advisory team became a Pentagon priority when Wiccan military personnel reported problems while conducting rites and religious activities. The Wiccans said that some chaplains were trying to convert them and that commanding officers made it difficult to practice, McCollum said. Wiccans also have been pressuring the Department of Veterans Affairs to allow a Wiccan emblem, most likely the pentacle, for armed forces burial headstones or markers. Mike Nacincik of Veterans Affairs, said the department authorizes 38 emblems, including one for atheists, but none for Wiccans.

Part of the problem for getting a Wiccan emblem is that the VA requires signed statements from national religious leaders — but they don’t exist in Wicca. This, however, is a problem for any religious group that doesn’t have a very strong hierarchical organization. If other less-organized religious groups have emblems, then it does sound like the Wiccans are being discriminated against specifically.

If not, then the issue is more general because the VA is discriminating in favor of more-organized religions. Is that justified? Well, it may not be unreasonable in this case. After all, if the VA is going to adopt an emblem for the graves of any Wiccans, they should use the right emblem, correct? But who is authorized to tell the VA what the right emblem is? They probably don’t want to have 20 different Wiccan emblems and I don’t blame them. I’ve argued before against government discrimination that favors more organized and hierarchical religious groups and I hope that something can be done here, but this is one case where I can see why the VA would be hesitant to jump in.

Read More:

• Separation of Church and State 101
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