April 25, 2007
Why I Belong To the ACLU
Filed by Trevor at 11:50 pm under Activism, Religion, Social Issues
The Wiccan pentacle has just been added to the surprisingly long list of religious symbols the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs permits on gravestones. I say “surprisingly” out of my own cynicism, as I feel the state of religious acceptance in our society today is abysmal. Many of my fellow congregants practice Wicca as well as various other Pagan faiths, and thus I’ve become acquainted first-hand with the frustration that arises from taking part in a religion so deeply misunderstood and reviled by the general public. And I’m sure any Muslims out there would agree with that. Nevertheless, the knowledge that our country recognizes such a wide variety of religions so publicly brings me a renewed sense of confidence that our government’s capacity for recognizing civil liberties is not completely disabled.
Please take a peek at the article on CNN.com as well as the accompanying video.
While we’re talking misunderstood religions, everyone take a moment to actually research the Church of Satan. The fact that I (especially I) had to take a moment’s pause before pulling up some Satanist websites at work makes my heart pout a little. Just make sure you’re getting info on LaVey Satanists and not the misfit ‘nobody loves me’ chumps that flock to ‘outsider imagery’ and then end up shooting up schools, thus making it even harder for true Satanists to gain any credibility.
Myself? Apatheism — which I thought I was making up the first time I used it, but is actually a recognized set of beliefs. You can look it up if you want, but then again, apatheists aren’t terribly concerned with recognition.