Comments on: The Army Doesn’t Want Wiccan Chaplains http://wildhunt.org/blog/2007/02/army-doesnt-want-wiccan-chaplains.html Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:42:27 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: The Wild Hunt » Will A Buddhist Chaplain Open the Way for Pagans? http://wildhunt.org/blog/2007/02/army-doesnt-want-wiccan-chaplains.html/comment-page-1#comment-4559 The Wild Hunt » Will A Buddhist Chaplain Open the Way for Pagans? Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:52:52 +0000 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2007/02/the-army-doesnt-want-wiccan-chaplains.html#comment-4559 [...] this all sounds somewhat familiar it is because it deeply echoes the case of Don Larsen, a former Pentecostal Army chaplain in good standing who tried to become the first Wiccan Army [...] [...] this all sounds somewhat familiar it is because it deeply echoes the case of Don Larsen, a former Pentecostal Army chaplain in good standing who tried to become the first Wiccan Army [...]

]]> By: The Wild Hunt » Pagans and Memorial Day http://wildhunt.org/blog/2007/02/army-doesnt-want-wiccan-chaplains.html/comment-page-1#comment-4211 The Wild Hunt » Pagans and Memorial Day Mon, 25 May 2009 15:09:37 +0000 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2007/02/the-army-doesnt-want-wiccan-chaplains.html#comment-4211 [...] If one fact refutes the idea that modern Paganism in America is merely some sort of 1960s holdover full of pacifists, rebellious teens, and aging baby-boomers (though we have plenty of all three) it is that so many of our number have been, and are, active members of our military services. There are active military (and military family) Pagan groups from Aberdeen, Washington to Camp Arifjan in Kuwait. There has been a Military Pagan Network since 1992, and they are joined by Circle Sanctuary’s robust military ministries, and a nascent Pagan Veterans group. So today, Memorial Day, isn’t just a day for those Christian soldiers who marched off to war, but for their Pagan brothers and sisters-in-arms who marched with them. It is a day to not only honor our coreligionists who fell in the line of duty, but to continue to work towards seeing that they are properly respected and honored in death, and given the support they need in life. [...] [...] If one fact refutes the idea that modern Paganism in America is merely some sort of 1960s holdover full of pacifists, rebellious teens, and aging baby-boomers (though we have plenty of all three) it is that so many of our number have been, and are, active members of our military services. There are active military (and military family) Pagan groups from Aberdeen, Washington to Camp Arifjan in Kuwait. There has been a Military Pagan Network since 1992, and they are joined by Circle Sanctuary’s robust military ministries, and a nascent Pagan Veterans group. So today, Memorial Day, isn’t just a day for those Christian soldiers who marched off to war, but for their Pagan brothers and sisters-in-arms who marched with them. It is a day to not only honor our coreligionists who fell in the line of duty, but to continue to work towards seeing that they are properly respected and honored in death, and given the support they need in life. [...]

]]> By: Spark http://wildhunt.org/blog/2007/02/army-doesnt-want-wiccan-chaplains.html/comment-page-1#comment-2323 Spark Fri, 14 Nov 2008 20:04:00 +0000 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2007/02/the-army-doesnt-want-wiccan-chaplains.html#comment-2323 My mother, a born-again Christian, served for 20 years as a Navy nurse officer. Once, she commented that she didn't like having non-Christians in her unit because it forced Christians to "act PC" and have non-specific holiday parties, all of which seemed a big burden to her. I asked Mom whether she'd vowed to defend the constitution, and if so, why she opposed non-Christian citizens having the same rights and having their beliefs respected. She said she is a Christian before she is an officer. <br/><br/>It was one of the very few times I've been ashamed of my own mother. My mother, a born-again Christian, served for 20 years as a Navy nurse officer. Once, she commented that she didn’t like having non-Christians in her unit because it forced Christians to “act PC” and have non-specific holiday parties, all of which seemed a big burden to her. I asked Mom whether she’d vowed to defend the constitution, and if so, why she opposed non-Christian citizens having the same rights and having their beliefs respected. She said she is a Christian before she is an officer.

It was one of the very few times I’ve been ashamed of my own mother.

]]> By: Barbara http://wildhunt.org/blog/2007/02/army-doesnt-want-wiccan-chaplains.html/comment-page-1#comment-1247 Barbara Mon, 12 Nov 2007 00:03:00 +0000 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2007/02/the-army-doesnt-want-wiccan-chaplains.html#comment-1247 What bothers me most about this is that it's occuring in a military in which <i>every single member</i> has vowed to defend the constitution that they're defying by denying people their religious rights. And they don't even think twice about it. How can any religious person, Christian or otherwise, take that oath and then do this, and still consider themself a moral individual? It blows my mind that so much bigotry still exists.<br/><br/>Then I see that gravestone, for a young man only eighteen who died in service to his country in Iraq, and I wonder how we can declare a war on terrorism when we have our own civil war going on, with people abusing their power to deny our soldiers their constitutional rights. What bothers me most about this is that it’s occuring in a military in which every single member has vowed to defend the constitution that they’re defying by denying people their religious rights. And they don’t even think twice about it. How can any religious person, Christian or otherwise, take that oath and then do this, and still consider themself a moral individual? It blows my mind that so much bigotry still exists.

Then I see that gravestone, for a young man only eighteen who died in service to his country in Iraq, and I wonder how we can declare a war on terrorism when we have our own civil war going on, with people abusing their power to deny our soldiers their constitutional rights.

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