Religion Clause (the best source for religious litigation news) just posted some new developments in the numerous legal challenges that Wiccan chaplain Patrick McCollum had brought against the state of California’s prison system, and it looks like more bad news.

“In McCollum v. California, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13580 (ND CA, Feb. 23, 2009), a volunteer Wiccan prison chaplain claimed that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has not given him the same access to prisoners and facilities as it gives to chaplains of other faiths, and that it retaliated against him because of his complaints about the treatment of Wiccans in California prisons. The court held that plaintiff had not shown sufficient evidence of disparate treatment to support his equal protection claim. Nor had he proven that the temporary suspension of his volunteer privileges or the failure to hire him for a position for which he applied were because of his exercise of 1st Amendment rights. (See prior related posting.)”

This, along with McCollum’s loss concerning challenges to California’s “five faiths” policy, doesn’t exactly paint a rosy picture concerning the future of Wiccan/Pagan prison chaplaincy. No word yet on if McCollum plans to challenge these rulings to a higher court. One brief ray of hope here is that law professor Howard M. Friedman (author of Religion Clause) points to a recently-released ruling from last year that could help McCollum lauch a more successful challenge to the “five faiths” policy.

“While the Northern District of California denied standing to a chaplain to challenge the 5 Faiths Policy, a decision from last year has just become available through LEXIS in which the Eastern District of California finds that an inmate does have standing to challenge the policy. In Rouser v. White, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 107199 (ED CA, Sept. 16, 2008), the court also found that plaintiff’s complaint alleges “plausible grounds” for relief in his Establishment Clause challenge.”

So if McCollum partners up with a Wiccan or Pagan inmate willing to challenge the “five faiths” he might get a bit further next time. This may also be true in issues concerning equal access of Pagan prisoners to chaplains. In the meantime, the ongoing mistreatment of minority religions in prison continues.

The Religion Clause blog reports that a case involving a controversial Nativity Scene erected on city property in Green Bay, Wisconsin this past December has been dismissed by the judge.

A brief moment of religious inclusiveness in Green Bay.

This ruling isn’t exactly a rousing victory for Mayor Jim Schmitt. While Green Bay won’t have to pay damages, this “Christmas Wars” showdown hasn’t endeared him to the local press, and even local clergy have told him to keep city hall secular.

“Mayor Jim Schmitt has met with clergy to get their ideas on a city policy. They agreed that the city should stick with secular decorations and leave the religious displays to area churches and synagogues.”

This case has displayed the worst impulses of politicians. Enacting policy in order to “take the fight to” organizations they disagree with, inviting religious diversity to cover their tracks, and then insulting a local Wiccan organization (Circle Sanctuary) by refusing to replace a holiday display that had been vandalized. It makes one wish that Green Bay’s mayor had the same good sense as Muskego’s.

“You have to be respectful of all religions and if you start putting one display up, you have to put up displays for everybody,” Muskego Mayor John Johnson said. “If you put up a Nativity scene and then a group asks you to put up a Hanukkah display or a display for the Muslim holiday, do you tell them no? You can’t.”

While the Freedom From Religion Foundation’s suit was dismissed, they, and the Green Bay residents who filed with them, really won the larger battle. It seems very likely that Mayor Jim Schmitt and the city council will take the advice of local clergy and keep things secular this year. Avoiding future games of litigious “chicken” for the sake of proving that Green Bay is more Christian than Madison. Let’s hope this case fizzling out will be a harbinger of the larger “War on Christmas” finally losing momentum among the punditocracy.

While Starhawk’s meditation on McCain gets top billing from The Wild Hunt today, it isn’t the only story of interest to our communities happening right now. Here are some links to other stories of note.

New Jersey’s Packet Online looks at the careers of Darlene Prestbo and Hazel Staats-Westover, elders within the women’s spirituality movement, who contribute a chapter to the recently released work “WomanSoul: The Inner Life of Women’s Spirituality”.

“Because of their longtime involvement in women’s spirituality, their professional reputations and friendships, Ms. Prestbo and Ms. Staats-Westover were invited by Carole A. Rayburn, a noted research psychologist who had visited the women’s spirituality groups and been touched by the experience, to contribute a chapter to Womansoul: The Inner Life of Women’s Spirituality. Ms. Rayburn co-authored the book with Lillian Comas-Diaz, also a respected psychologist and educator. The icing on the cake for the two local women was an invitation to the 116th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association in Boston, where they spoke Aug. 15. The book explores and advances the concept of “womansoul” — a gender specific way of embracing spirituality. It discusses the personal and professional impact of spirituality in the lives of women from a variety of ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds — Muslim, Hindu, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Native American and more.”

Prestbo and Staats-Westover also co-founded (in 1987), and help run, a Princeton area women’s spirituality group called the Daughters of Gaia.

If you happen to be institutionalized, you have a right to write letters in “Atlantean” undisturbed, so long as it is integral to your belief system.

“DeSimone v. Bartow is a lawsuit by plaintiff who has been civilly committed to a mental health facility operated in part by the Department of Corrections. A Wisconsin federal district court permitted him to proceed with a claim that his 1st amendment and RLUIPA free exercise rights were violated when he was prohibited from writing in his Atlantean language, a practice plaintiff said was central to his religious belief. Officials said it took too long to translate the writings, and untranslated writings posed security risks, even though they did not impose the same restrictions on others who wrote in different foreign languages.”

I can only assume that letters written in Enochian, Theban, Angelic, and Malachim scripts would be similarly protected. I wonder, is the “Atlantean” alphabet he is using the one invented by Disney?

In a final note, Switzerland has exonerated Europe’s last beheaded witch.

“Swiss officials have granted a pardon to Europe’s last beheaded witch – more than 220 years after she was executed. The parliament of the Swiss canton (state) of Glarus decided unanimously today to exonerate Anna Goeldi as a victim of “judicial murder,” said Josef Schwitter, a government spokesman. Goeldi was executed in 1782 for an alleged case of poisoning.”

Goeldi, who is something of a (in)famous figure in Swiss history, had a museum opened in her honor, and the Swiss government is donating $118,000 towards the creation of a play about her life.

My semi-regular round-up of articles, essays, and opinions of note for discerning Pagans and Heathens.

Getting excited about Hellboy II yet? I sure am! The film, directed and co-written by “Pan’s Labyrinth” director Guillermo del Toro, is chock-full of pagan-friendly elements. To whet your appetite for the July 11th release date, an animated comic prologue has been released.

While I’m on the subject of movie news, a recent Virgin Media survey places “The Wicker Man” in the top ten best British films of all time.

“Four Weddings And A Funeral has been named best British film of all time in a survey out yesterday. The 1994 romantic comedy just beat Monty Python’s Life Of Brian, and made a star of Hugh Grant, who comes fourth in the Best Actor poll. Trainspotting, Casino Royale, starring Daniel Craig as James Bond, Guy Ritchie’s Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels, Lawrence Of Arabia, Withnail And I, Atonement, The Wicker Man and Get Carter completed the top 10 in the Virgin Media survey.”

Speaking of “The Wicker Man”, star Christopher Lee has lashed out in the press about ageism in the film industry after his role in the Scottish movie “Stone of Destiny” was edited out.

Presidential candidate Barack Obama seems to embody the religious hopes and fears of America. He’s been called a secret Muslim, spurred claims that he might be the messiah, or a perhaps a “light worker”, pissed off James Dobson, gained the support of a Pagan delegate (and had supposed Pagan ties used against him), and was formally adopted into the Crow Indian Nation. Now Hindus think he might be one of them.

Spot the Monkey God!

What better way to debunk “secret Muslim” smears than to have the Hindus claim you! Of course Obama is actually a liberal Christian, but this swirl of activity proves just how far America has moved from its “Christian” identity.

The Miami Herald has put out a very nice story about the shrine of la Ermita de La Caridad, a place where Cuban refugees come for solace and to pray. Though technically a Catholic shrine, it also attracts followers of Santeria who see la Caridad as a manifestation of Ochun.

“At the northern end of the seawall, where historic Vizcaya serves as a foreground to the glossy towers of Brickell Avenue, a stone Eleggua (the Santeria god known as the opener of paths) with cowrie-shell eyes gazes up toward the water’s surface. At the southern end, near Mercy Hospital, someone’s Santeria necklaces cling to a rock, a school of little silver fish brushing by the yellow and amber beads for Ochun, the blue and white ones for Yemaya … As Catholic as the shrine is, many of the devoted who come here are also followers of Santeria. In the religious syncretism of Cuba, la Caridad, an apparition of the Virgin Mary, is also called Ochun, one of the orishas, the Santeria gods. “A sanctuary is precisely a place where the Catholic religion makes contact with el pueblo,” Roman says. “We know there are people who perform rituals out there by the seawall. But they do it very respectfully. They don’t let us see it.”

A touching and balanced story about how culture and shared experience can sometimes overcome the barriers erected by religion.

In a final note, Religion Clause links to a story about how legal peyote used for religious purposes by Native Americans is becoming increasingly scarce due to local land being leased to oil speculators.

“South Texas property owners have realized there is profit in leasing their land as oil or hunting preserves. Suddenly, the small pittances peyoteros could pay for access didn’t seem worth it. “Now, it’s getting to where the ranchers don’t want to give permission for us to look on their land,” he said. “You have to keep going back to the same patches and waiting for it to grow again.” This presents a conundrum. If Morales and his colleagues keep revisiting the same patches, the cactus doesn’t have enough time to re-grow. Repeated overharvesting also affects the potency of the plant, said Martin Terry, an assistant professor of biology at Sul Ross University in Alpine. “If the demand continues to increase – even slowly – and the supply continues to decrease, then the amount available to the church will just keep continuing to decrease,” he said.”

Religious prohibitions prevent greenhouse-grown peyote, and trips to Mexico, where the cactus is still plentiful, is wrought with legal entanglements. With only a few legal peyoteros left, and available land dwindling, it remains to be seen if the Native American Church can find a way to solve this problem.

That is all I have for now, have a great day!

Twelve years ago a 17 year-old girl in a Pentecostal church was restrained for several hours on two different occasions for the purposes of exorcism. She experienced rope-burns, carpet burns, and bruises. Feeling emotionally traumatized by this involuntary action, the girl was eventually diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, and her parents sued the church for damages and won. However, the Texas Supreme Court has now reversed that decision, saying that the previous ruling unfairly impinged on the First Amendment rights of the church.

“…the state Supreme Court dismissed Schubert’s case in a 6-3 ruling, saying her lawsuit violated the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment protections on religious expression — the latest in a string of decisions limiting judicial oversight of religious institutions and practice. “The case, as tried, presents an ecclesiastical dispute over religious conduct that would unconstitutionally entangle the court in matters of church doctrine,” said the majority opinion, written by Justice David Medina.”

All three opposing judges, including Chief Justice Jefferson, filed dissents. Arguing that this decision will sanction abuse, so long as the offending organization holds a fig-leaf of religion.

“After today, a tortfeasor need merely allege a religious motive to deprive a Texas court of jurisdiction to compensate his fellow congregant for emotional damages. This sweeping immunity is inconsistent with United States Supreme Court precedent and extends far beyond the protections our Constitution affords religious conduct. The First Amendment guards religious liberty; it does not sanction intentional abuse in religion’s name. Because the Court’s holding precludes recovery of emotional damages – even for assault and other serious torts – where the defendant alleges that the underlying assault was religious in nature, I respectfully dissent.”

While this case happened within a Pentecostal church community, one could hypothetically imagine scenarios involving the modern Pagan community that could echo this young woman’s trauma. Covener held against his or her will due to a “psychic attack”? Sexual misconduct? Abusive initiations? Inappropriate emotional control? So long as the rest of the group testifies that these practices are normal and accepted by the group, the abusers in question could escape prosecution or having to pay damages. Worse, imagine the fate of Christian minors interested in Paganism who could now be subjected to traumatic “exorcisms” or “re-education” with no recourse after the fact.

“Because providing a remedy for the very real, but religiously motivated, emotional distress in this case would require us to take sides in what is essentially a religious controversy, we cannot resolve that dispute,” the Supreme Court ruled. “Determining the circumstances of (Schubert’s) emotional injuries would, by its very nature, draw the court into forbidden religious terrain.”

While I admire judicial neutrality when it comes to making decisions regarding religion (we don’t want judges to favor one faith over another). This carries that ethic too far. Using “neutrality” as a way to avoid causing controversy allows for a multitude of evils to flourish. Abuse done in the name of religion is still abuse. No still means no, even if your abuser thinks a demon said it, and separation of Church and State doesn’t mean religion is above the law or judgment. No religious faith should be a law unto itself, and I can only hope this case goes to the Supreme Court and is overturned.

The Edmonton Sun reports on the growing population of Pagans in Canadian prisons. Internal estimates show adherence numbers have tripled in the last five years, and those numbers may be “woefully understated” according to Richard James of the Wiccan Church of Canada.

“According to figures obtained by Sun Media under Access to Information, the number of practising Wiccans and Pagans behind bars has tripled in the last five years. In 2002 there were just 25, compared to 77 in 2007, data from the Correctional Service of Canada show … Richard James, the Toronto-based founder and high priest of the Wiccan Church of Canada, has been involved in prison outreach programs and believes the official count is “woefully understated.” More and more inmates are turning to Wicca because they’ve been let down by other faiths, he said.”

Unlike the prisons of their American neighbors, which are rife with “endemic discrimination” against religious minorities, the Canadian prison system seems quite accommodating.

“According to an internal CSC manual on religious practices, inmate witches are required [I think they mean "allowed"] to have an altar with candles and incense for worship. They should also be permitted a wooden wand, robe, tarot cards, figurines, oils and natural objects such as shells, feathers, stones and crystals, the manual reads … Rick Burk, CSC’s associate to the director general of chaplaincy, restorative justice and victims‚ services, said inmates have a Charter right to practise their faith. In turn, institutions work to foster understanding and tolerance for all faiths inside the wire. ‘There are cultural and spiritual differences in all kinds of traditions and we are constantly engaged in dialogue about respect and diversity and managing the community within a context of diversity,’ he said. ‘Whether there is the word ‘witch’ involved or not, we try to manage diversity.’”

Perhaps the open dialog-focused Canadian model would be preferred to the currently repressive American model where constant litigation for rights is a normal occurrence?

Speaking of American prisons and constant litigation, an interesting prisoner rights case was recently decided. In a ruling by the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals on Koger v. Bryan, it was found that prisons can’t demand proof of requirement, or verification from clergy, regarding a reasonable religious request.

“…the court held that a former prisoner’s claim based on the denial of his request for a vegetarian diet substantially burdened the prisoner’s religious exercise. In particular the court found inappropriate the prison’s requirement that the religious practice be required by the inmate’s religion and that this be verified by a member of the clergy.”

This is one more legal step towards true religious self-determination for prisoners. A development that may make some people very uncomfortable, but one that will ultimately benefit modern Pagans and other religious minorities serving jail time. To make this case even more relevant, the former prisoner, Gregory Koger, is an adherent of Aleister Crowley’s Thelema. A fact that has sparked snarky comments from the law-blogs and one of the presiding judges.

“Clearly, without RLUIPA, this case would have been dead in the water when it was filed because declining Koger’s request for a nonmeat diet would not have violated the United States Constitution … A waste of time? Some may disagree, but I lean towards saying ‘yes.’”

Of course that “waste of time” has helped create a precedent that favors personal gnosis and followers of non-hierarchal faiths. A lawsuit that may not have happened if prisons in America worked more towards dialog and granting reasonable risk-free requests instead of dragging its heels in court every time a non-Christian wants something outside the norm.

My semi-regular round-up of articles, essays, and opinions of note for discerning Pagans and Heathens.

The Baltimore Sun runs a touching obituary for Disney employee and Wiccan Heather Hurd, who died tragically in a car accident on January 3rd.

“In 2006, she entered an intern program at Walt Disney World, where she was an employment assistant for two years. This year, she was promoted to the diversity team. Last year, Miss Hurd received the Mousecar Award, presented by Walt Disney Studios, for her work. “She loved everything about Disney,” said her father, W. Russell Hurd III of Abingdon. Miss Hurd, who was a Wiccan, enjoyed attending the theater and was interested in Celtic music and culture. “Her dream was to go to Ireland and visit Cork, where our family came from,” Mr. Hurd said.”

The family is starting a fund in her name to support other Disney interns who are having trouble making ends meet.

Today is National Vodun (aka “Voodoo”) Day in Benin, the commonly acknowledged birthplace of the syncretic faith, where the country’s 4.5 million practitioners, in addition to pilgrims from around the world, converge to honor their faith and remember the legacy of the slave trade.

“After Benin lifted a previous ban on the practice of Voodoo, it was declared an official religion in the former French colony in the mid-1990s and Jan. 10 is celebrated as National Voodoo Day, a public holiday ranking with Christmas and the Muslim Eid … Such celebrations draw thousands of tourists each year to Benin, especially to the coastal city of Ouidah, from which hundreds of thousands of African slaves were shipped by European traders in past centuries to the Americas and the Caribbean … Voodoo has a strong popular presence in Haiti and similar African-origin rituals are celebrated in Cuba under the name of “Santeria” and in Brazil as “Candomble”.”

The Reuters article linked above also looks at concerns about the spread of “bird flu” virus (H5N1) through chicken blood used in traditional ceremonies, an issue I have discussed previously on this blog.

The Hallmark Channel is airing a new original movie entitled “The Good Witch”, starring Catherine Bell (an adherent of Scientology, btw) as a mysterious woman who moves to small town and attempts to open a metaphysical store.

“Cassie is an enchanting beauty with a gentle spirit, an outrageous sense of fashion and a “wicked” sense of humor. She also seems to be something of an enchantress. She has a magic touch with men (although Jake is slow to respond, as he hasn’t quite gotten over his wife’s death several years ago); she has a magic touch with children (Jake’s kids, Brandon and Lori, are drawn to her, maybe because she smells “like gingerbread”); she even has a magic touch with savage beasts (Cassie rescues the children from an attacking dog, then “tames” it with a few choice words). It seems that Cassie has the ability to charm everyone she meets, with the exception of Martha Tinsdale the mayor’s busybody wife who also is the tsk-tsking head of the local Citizen’s League. In fact, when Cassie opens a shop called Bell, Book and Candle – a “new-age” shop that carries Celtic, metaphysical and Wiccan items – Mrs. Tinsdale immediately launches a protest.”

I wonder if they will actually make the character a Wiccan. Some of these movies end up with the character vindicated of all strangeness, and shown to be far more “normal” than the antagonists originally suspected. Maybe instead of a Witch, they will all discover she is really a Scientologist, and there will be free stress-tests for everyone!

In a final note, Religion Clause brings word of a court ruling that could have broad ramifications for Wiccans and other Pagans who wish to file as conscientious objectors.

“In Hanna v. Secretary of the Army, (1st Cir., Jan. 9, 2008), the U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals in a 2-1 decision held that the Army’s Conscientious Objector Review Board had no basis in fact for denying conscientious objector status to Army doctor, Captain Mary Hanna. It rejected the Army’s reliance on the timing of Hanna’s claim and its argument that Hanna’s beliefs were not gained through rigorous training, study or contemplation. Chief Judge Boudin, dissenting, argued that pacifism is not a belief of Hanna’s Coptic Church, that her position could not easily be described as reflecting rigorous study, and that the timing of her application could be considered as a factor. The majority’s decision affirmed last year’s decision by a Massachusetts federal district court.”

This ruling would help address the problem of philosophic and moral diversity concerning objectors to military participation (or participation in wars believed to be unjust) for religions that aren’t explicitly pacifist like Wicca (or Catholicism, for that matter). If this decision stands, it could make it far easier for pacifist Pagans to register for Conscientious Objector status in the case of a draft.

That is all I have for now, have a great day!

The always-excellent law blog Religion Clause brings to my attention a case that could have serious ramifications throughout the religious world, and certainly for some modern Pagan institutions. The case hinges on the divorce of a couple who helped found and run Grace Christian Church in Brooklyn. The wife wants a cut of the Church, claiming that the institution was a business and that their marital finances were instrumental in its running and founding.

“plaintiff claims that the Church is a marital asset because it is actually the defendant’s “business” which he operates as his “personal piggy bank.” Specifically, the plaintiff claims that the defendant provided $50,000.00 of their marital money to the Church as start-up capital; defendant controls all of the finances of the Church and makes all financial decisions, defendant refuses to make any financial disclosures to the Church’s Board of Directors and the Church Administrator, hides his finances from the Church elders, determines his own income, refers to the Church as “my Church” and dismisses anyone who challenges his operation and finances of the Church.”

What makes this landmark case especially interesting to modern Pagans, is the language the judge uses in allowing the argument for the church being an asset to go forward.

“The court concluded that if it is shown that the church is the husband’s “alter ego”, it will be valued as a marital asset for purposes of determining equitable distribution.”

In other words, if you are married and build a religious institution (temple/church/center etc) and the courts find that the church is significantly built around you and your teachings (a “cult of personality”, if you will), and not independent of your fiscal/political influence, it could be classified as a marital asset come a divorce. I don’t know about you, but I can think of some Pagan religious institutions founded, supported, and controlled by married couples right off the top of my head (I’ll refrain from listing them since I don’t want to give the impression that I think they are heading for tragedy).

So I think we should all pay attention to this case in the coming weeks/months, as it offers a new legal precedent that could change the way we do business. It should certainly make some up-and-coming “Big Name Pagans” (not to mention the already established ones) pause and give some thought to how their new religious group will be founded and run.

Religion Clause and The Jewish Daily Forward are reporting on a landmark case that could completely redefine the rights of minors to choose their own religious practice. The case involves a divorced Jewish couple and their 13-year-old son who wishes to practice Orthodox Judaism against the wishes of the father.

“His three older children are now emancipated and estranged from him. However he still has legal custody of 13-year old Ephraim who wishes to continue to practice Orthodox Judaism. Solko however forbids his son from practicing traditions such as keeping kosher and wearing a yarmulke. This has led Ephraim to attempt to run away from home. His mother is attempting to obtain a change in custody so that Ephraim can attend school in Brooklyn and merely spend the summers with his father.”

Among the groups filing amicus briefs for the case are a variety of child legal advocates and the “ultra-Orthodox” Jewish organization Agudath Israel of America. While the Jewish group admits it is involved because the child wants to be Orthodox, a spokesman says they are comfortable with the legal ramifications coming from their support.

“As a matter of law, we wouldn’t argue that a 13- or 14-year-old child would have no rights if their parents were forcing them against their will, let’s say, to attend a religious school. That would be an inconsistency, and that’s a position that I believe we have never taken.”

If Julie Ann Bergmann (the mother) and her supporters win this case it could create a legal precedent in which a minor as young as 13 could choose their own religious life despite the wishes of the parents. The ramifications for modern Paganism are immediately clear. A child who converts to a modern Pagan faith could refuse to attend Christian Church or be forced into a school that inhibited his or her religious choices. It would also help protect Pagan parents from custody challenges brought by Christian relatives (so long as the child expressed a preference for modern Paganism).

“Marc Stern, general counsel for AJCongress, said he was concerned that Agudath Israel might unwittingly help set a precedent “that children have their own rights, even in defiance of their parents,” which could make it harder for parents to make religiously motivated decisions on behalf of their minor children.”

Pagan leaders, clergy, and chaplains need to take note: if this case is successful, there is a very good chance more will follow in order to help establish the legal precedent. It could create situations in which a minor has the legal right to attend an event or religiously-oriented training against the wishes of a parent. Groups will have to carefully reevaluate their policies regarding minors and parental permissions if this new precedent is established.

A somewhat slow news day today, but there are a few smaller items that may be of interest.

The always-excellent legal blog “Religion Clause” has pointed out two recent legal cases of interest to modern Pagans. The first is a prisoner case involving an Asatru inmate:

“In Keen v. Noble, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 69629 (ED CA, Sept. 20, 2007), a California federal district court refused to dismiss a federal prisoner’s complaint that his free exercise rights were violated when prison authorities refused to provide him with runestones for his Asatru religious practices. However the court agreed with a Magistrate’s recommendation to dismiss on qualified immunity grounds plaintiff’s complaint that he was denied a hof. The court also held that RFRA does not authorize the award of monetary damages.”

So it looks like Runes as a religious tool are allowed within prison (with qualifications for safety), opening a door for similar religious items for modern Pagans and Heathens. The second case, while not involving Paganism, does seem to settle a growing issue being pushed by some Christians.

“Rivera-Alicea v. Gonzalez-Galoffin, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 69905 (D PR, Sept. 20, 2007), involves claims by a secretary in Puerto Rico’s Department of Justice that she was retaliated against for complaining that “pagan” office Halloween decorations offended her Pentecostal Christian religious beliefs. In rejecting plaintiff’s Establishment Clause claim, the Puerto Rico federal district court held: Halloween decorations, like valentines, Easter bunnies, and egg hunts are all secular displays and activities that neither convey religious messages nor constitute religious symbols. Halloween lost its religious and superstitious overtones long ago. It has become instead a commercial holiday enjoyed by communities in its many forms of entertainment.”

Secular Halloween decorations, despite the protestations of some conservative Christians, aren’t an endorsement of Pagan religion. Rulings like this may also protect Halloween decorations from the complaints of Pagans who find traditional Halloween decorations offensive.

Finally, for my academic-oriented readers, there is an open call for papers for a conference on the subject of religion in comic books and graphic novels. The conference, sponsored by the Luce Program in scripture and literary arts at Boston University, specifically points out that they are looking for works that explore Pagan forms of religiosity within comic books.

“We are particularly interested in the following works and topics, though others will be considered: … Pagan Missionaries: the works of Moore, Gaiman, and Morrison as mouthpieces for New Religious Movements.

So if you are an academic, and have been looking for a place to present that paper on Alan Moore’s “Promethea”, now is your chance.