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Only by the court's hand do the Wiccans find resolve-or-THE VA SUCKS

EvilKingMacrocraniosEvilKingMacrocranios
edited September 2006 in Everything Else
The military may be progressive, but the VA is still a bunch of Galactus scale fucktards. The VA still doesn't recognize the Wiccan symbol. It was at the state level that placement of the pentacle was allowed. The family had to get courts involved to work around the closed minded incompetency of the US Department of Veteran's Affairs. The military may be open minded when you're active duty, but believe me, once you seperate from any branch of service and your benefits are in the hands of the VA, you're totally fucked. Depending on them to handle any of your affairs is like hiring Jack Thompson to do a guest strip at Penny Arcade.

Comments

  • KilarneyKilarney
    edited September 2006
    A true ACLU member would say that the VA should not recognize any religion, even Wicca.

    For the sake of academic honesty, Wicca as it is today was totally made up by some dude in the 1950's. He pretended that it had historical routes. Scholars have not been able to trace any such connection. Kind of sounds like Scientology, eh? There is some disagreement on who actually invented it, but the important fact is that it is not a genuine ancient religion.

    Kind of funny that Rym is inspired by such a wacky religion. At best, it's an offshoot of Victorian era occult wackiness.
    Post edited by Kilarney on
  • RymRym
    I'm inspired by cultural aspects and aesthetics of many religions. I still find the beliefs behind them to be utter bollocks. Wicca is particularly silly, and I can't help but laugh at anyone who professes to believe in it.

    I support this man's right to have his religious symbol on his tombstone ONLY because the military currently allows other religious symbols. If they banned anything religious, or allowed anything, I'd be ok with it. The moment they allow any religious symbol yet deny another equally valid one, they're in the wrong. Since I don't expect they'll be removing all of the crosses anytime soon, I'm content with them adding some pentacles.
  • KilarneyKilarney
    I'm inspired by cultural aspects and aesthetics of many religions. I still find the beliefs behind them to be utter bollocks. Wicca is particularly silly, and I can't help but laugh at anyone who professes to believe in it.
    That's cool. I think that one thing organized religions do well is providing a sense of community. Even if you don't believe in God, there are other positive attributes of many religions.
  • SymmetrySymmetry

    For the sake of academic honesty, Wicca as it is today was totally made up by some dude in the 1950's. He pretended that it had historical routes. Scholars have not been able to trace any such connection.
    The Wiccans I know all seem to be quite aware of this, but ultimately is it important?
  • JasonJason
    A true ACLU member would say that the VA should not recognizeanyreligion, even Wicca.
    Separation of church and state is not the same as separation of church FROM state. I don't say this to defend religion, but to point out that it's not government's responsibility to ignore it, either - just not to endorse one.

    The problem comes - and I'm not sure of the status of Wicca - when you have balogne "religions" floating around, i.e. spaghetti monsters from outer space. Would the government pay for a grave marker with a Hale-Bop comet symbol? When it's the taxpayer tab, it's not always about free speech. It can be about what taxpayers should be expected to endure. What about a soldier who wanted a stylized "FUCK YOU!" written on their gravestone?
  • KilarneyKilarney
    The Wiccans I know all seem to be quite aware of this, but ultimately is it important?
    When they hold the religion out to be something "ancient" it is important. People ought to know what they are getting into. As long as there is honesty, I've got no complaints. Heck, if the Scientologists told you from the beginning that they would take as much of your money as possible and gradually tell you about a wacko alien story, I'd even have some respect for them!
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    quick tip:

    When I was in the service I had my dog tags marked "Wicca" so I could get my own room in the barracks. I figured if I died my parents would take care of any mess...
  • RymRym
    When I was in the service I had my dog tags marked "Wicca" so I could get my own room in the barracks. I figured if I died my parents would take care of any mess...
    -claps-
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    It's amazing how many people did not want to room with you if you had a weird religion on your tags.

    Just buy a few robes and hang them in your locker, buy some colored candles (non-scented), pick up a few books from Llewellyn Press...

    Instant private room!!! All your good friends would still hang out but the others would always be a little bit "cautious" arround you ;)
  • AndrewAndrew
    It's amazing how many people did not want to room with you if you had a weird religion on your tags.

    Just buy a few robes and hang them in your locker, buy some colored candles (non-scented), pick up a few books from Llewellyn Press...

    Instant private room!!! All your good friends would still hang out but the others would always be a little bit "cautious" arround you ;)

    Thats AWESOME! Did you ever walk by someone you didn't like and mutter under your breath like your casting some "spell" on them and freak them out? That's what I would do haha
  • PhantasosPhantasos
    Jews and Christians and Muslims and Hindus and all the other legitimate (for lack of a better term) religions out there have actual histories. I'm not talking about Moses parting the Red Sea legends but actual history that spans back thousands of years to look back on linking them to a heritage. The Druids, on the other hand, all died. They're gone and they didn't have a system of writing to preserve their system of beliefs. Now I'm glad that this guy got his pentacle marker because if you honestly believe in something then you should be allowed to express that even in death, but everytime I meet some goth wannabe calling themselves Raven and saying that they're Wiccan I just want to slap them.
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve



    That's AWESOME! Did you ever walk by someone you didn't like and mutter under your breath like your casting some "spell" on them and freak them out? That's what I would do haha
    No, nothing like that.

    Every so often you would run into someone who wanted to "know more" about your religion, that's why I made sure to read the books I purchased. I ended up hanging out with some of the "pagan" crowds off-post for two reasons:

    1) It helped me keep the scam going by being around people that "looked" Wiccan.
    2) Pagan girls love to have sex! They tend to be really "out there" when you talk to them or really militant. Stay away from the militant ones, they tend to be lesbian...
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