“In Great Falls, we had a Wiccan witch, a Wiccan high priestess, who brought a lawsuit…the ACLU brought a lawsuit for her because they were opening the meeting at Great Falls – the Town Council – with a prayer, which typically included Jesus, a prayer to Jesus. And they said that was unconstitutional,” McMaster says in the video. “So, we got involved in the case. And we told them that we would fight for them,” says McMaster. “As I have said, under the Constitution, you are allowed to pray the way you want to pray. If you want to pray to Jesus, which of course many people do, then that’s the way that you ought to be allowed to pray.”

McMaster then offers to defend anyone in the state who is “on the receiving end on an ACLU lawsuit”. That this invoking of uppity Wiccans to win votes is tied to the recent “I Believe” ruling is pretty apparent. McMaster was reportedly “utterly disappointed” at the ruling, and was well-known to be an ardent supporter of the license plates, attending pro-plate rallies that featured a greatest-hits reel from Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ”. But for all his bleating on the subject, there is little, legally, he can do at the moment. His current role as Attorney General prevents him from appealing the case, so no doubt his message that he’ll “support” and “defend” anyone in a lawsuit most likely means that he’s looking for someone to get litigious regarding the plates, or public sectarian prayer, so he can get in their corner (and win votes).

What’s troubling is that we don’t know what this will do to Darla Wynne, or other Pagans living in South Carolina. If “Wiccan witches” are being lumped in with the ACLU (one of the great Satans of conservative Christianity), how long will it be before people start blaming us for the perceived slights against their “religious freedom”? Is McMaster invoking something he can’t ultimately control, something that may end up harming the lives of innocent Pagans, just to win an election? I’d hate to think that such a man may soon be governing the entire state, a state that includes many modern Pagans (and several other religious minorities) who are just as concerned about their own religious freedom and safety as any Christian.

“In finding the sectarian plate unconstitutional, Judge Currie held, “Such a law amounts to state endorsement not only of religion in general, but of a specific sect in particular.” The judge noted that legislators and other state officials have unnecessarily drawn the state into an expensive lawsuit.”

I don’t see why non-Christians would have a problem with this.

This case had been a joint effort of local clergy and Americans United who felt the plate amounted to a state-sponsored endorsement of Christianity. This entire process has also been haunted by the Pagans in South Carolina and their own quest for equal treatment under the law. From the local politicians pushing the plates under the assumption that “any” religion could have their own tags, just so long as those tags weren’t from a Pagan faith, to the fact that the judge on this case also ruled in favor of Wiccan Darla Kaye Wynne during the Great Falls invocation saga. Our presence played a small part in reminding politicians, judges, lawyers, and journalists that  minority religions exist everywhere, even in the “Christian” South. That a Christian cross emblazoned on these plates sent a message of exclusion, not inclusion.

Of course the saga of Christian license plates is hardly over, the state of South Carolina could try to appeal the decision, and other states, most notably Florida, are engaging in the same shenanigans. But at least a message was sent today that America is not merely a “Christian” nation, but a nation of many religions, or of no religion at all, and you can’t raise one up in the government without pushing the others down in some fashion.

“…one of the problems with being a spiritual minority in America, especially in a culturally conservative state like South Carolina, is that you and your religion are frequently misunderstood by the population at large. Pagans and Wiccans, one of the many groups in this broad religious category, have long been associated with casting spells, riding broomsticks, and otherwise committing godless mischief. From Macbeth to Bewitched to Charmed, they have been the source of terror and spoof — as well as the object of ridicule and persecution. For that reason, many local Pagans remain undercover, or — to use the Wiccan vernacular — they choose to stay in the broom closet.”

They go on to interview several local Pagans, the chair of the Lowcountry Council of Alternative Spiritual Traditions, and even touch on the saga of South Carolina resident Darla Wynne, who successfully sued the town of Great Falls over the matter of sectarian invocations (and garnered 32 votes in her bid for a seat on the Town Council in 2008). Nice to see a journalist go to several sources and local groups to get a broader journalistic picture of modern Paganism.

Meanwhile, in New York, park rangers and the head of a local watchdog group are freaking out about animal sacrifices in Queens. Filled with your usual cult-hysteria sensationalism, the topper is the inclusion of an incident that seems to have nothing at all to do with Vodou, Santeria, Satanism, or the occult.

“Geoffrey Croft, who runs the watchdog group New York City Park Advocates, said he has stumbled upon gruesome examples of animal sacrifice in at least five city parks … “It’s a public-health issue, it’s disgusting, and it freaks people out with the whole voodoo thing,” said Croft … In another grisly discovery, Croft said he once found the dead carcass of a dog that was shot and eaten by a man.”

What does that have to do with animal sacrifice? Seemingly nothing, but why should that stop “journalists” James Fanelli and Rich Calder from throwing it in there anyway. Why let things like context and responsible journalism get in the way of a good guy-eating-a-dead-dog story? It goes without saying that no-one who knows anything about African diasporic religion or the occult were quoted or consulted for the story.

In a final, and more positive, note, today is the start of the massive three-day Faerieworlds festival right in my back-yard of Eugene, Oregon. Expected to draw thousands, it is a celebrations of all things mythic and magical.

“In just seven years, Faerieworlds has become the premiere mythic music festival on the West Coast. Featuring world renowned fantasy artists, Grammy-award winning musicians, spectacular performances and entertainers, an amazing arts and crafts vending village, thousands of fans from around the globe travel each year to Eugene, Oregon to experience the magic of Faerieworlds. We believe that the revitalizing, healing and transforming spirit of faerie is alive and moving actively in our lives: faerie inspires and provokes, heals and reveals, illuminates and transcends. At Faerieworlds, we invite you to enter the Realm as your magical self and release the beautiful, magical faerie spirit that’s inside you!”

I don’t see why non-Christians would have a problem with this.

Supporters of the cross-emblazoned plates have argued that they are legal since any religious group can sponsor similarly biased tags, an argument that quickly falls apart when you speak to local officials about what exactly counts as a religion.

“In South Carolina, Baptists wanted the tag on cars here and pitched the idea to Republican South Carolina Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer’s chief of staff. State Sen. Yancey McGill, a Kingstree Democrat, got the bill passed in a couple of days without even having a public hearing or debate. “It’s a great idea,” McGill said Tuesday, calling it an opportunity to express beliefs. “People don’t have to buy them. But it affords them that opportunity. I welcome any religion tags.” What about Wicca, commonly referred to as witchcraft? “Well, that’s not what I consider to be a religion,” McGill said.”

That sentiment doesn’t just apply to Wiccans of course, Muslims are right out too.

“Asked by a reporter if he would support a license plate for Islam, Rep. Bill Sandifer replied, ‘Absolutely and positively no… I would not because of my personal belief, and because I believe that wouldn’t be the wish of the majority of the constituency in this house district.’”

Judge Cameron McGowan Currie, who is expected to release a written opinion concerning the injunction on Monday, is no stranger to protecting the rights of minority religions. In 2003 the judge ruled in favor of Darla Kaye Wynne, a Wiccan, who was battling against exclusively Christian invocations in the town of Great Falls. There is no word if Currie will also be overseeing the actual trial (though we can all hope). Whomever presides, this case will most likely be litigated for quite some time. South Carolina has become a “hot zone” for battles over church and state issues, and things are just getting warmed up.
]]> http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/12/i-believe-these-license-plates-are-now.html/feed 12 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/10/what-sort-of-voodoo-did-she-do-or-not.html http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/10/what-sort-of-voodoo-did-she-do-or-not.html#comments Sat, 11 Oct 2008 14:17:00 +0000 Jason http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/10/what-sort-of-voodoo-did-she-do-or-not-do.html I few days ago I mentioned a story in which Cobb County Commissioner Annette Kesting was accused of hiring a Voodoo priestess in South Carolina to put a death-curse on her political opponent (who ending up winning the election).

“[Cobb Commissioner Annette] Kesting wrote $3,000 in bad checks, allegedly for the services of a “high priestess of voodoo” to prepare an untimely demise for commissioner-elect Woody Thompson. Kesting wanted the priestess, identified by authorities as George Ann Mills of Blythewood, S.C., to cause Thompson to “catch cancer” or “have a car accident” according to a police report obtained by WSB-TV.”

Voodoo Priestess George Ann Mills

“The voodoo priestess, George Ann Mills of Blythewood, S.C., told Cavitt by phone that she’s convinced Kesting did visit her and she knows exactly what Kesting wanted. “She wanted me to kill Mr. Thompson,” said Mills.”

Did Mills perform the alleged death-ceremony? According to a separate article recounting Kesting’s troubles involving code violations for property she owns, the priestess says she didn’t do the malefic magic that was requested.

“George Ann Mills said Kesting came to her with a request to do harm to Thompson. Mills declined to perform what she called a “death ritual,” on Thompson but did perform a ritual to help Kesting with family matters. The GBI is investigating.”

In yet another article, Mills, in regards to the desired death-ritual, claims that “no true voodoo priestess would do such a thing”. Both Kesting and Mills have met with GBI investigators.

If it is proven that Kesting paid (or failed to pay, to be more precise) for malefic magic against a political opponent, I’m curious as to what charges could be brought against her. As far as I know spectral evidence isn’t allowed in court (plus, the intended magic was never performed), and no direct threats were made against Woody Thompson. I suppose that they could, taking the lead from Florida police, charge her with criminal mischief, but I’m guessing that no jail time or serious prosecution will result from this bizarre turn of events (though she might get dinged for writing bad checks, and her career as a politician is probably over for good).
]]> http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/10/what-sort-of-voodoo-did-she-do-or-not.html/feed 0 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/06/oklahoma-takes-stand-against-fake.html http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/06/oklahoma-takes-stand-against-fake.html#comments Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:14:00 +0000 Jason http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/06/oklahoma-takes-stand-against-fake-religious-freedom.html Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry (a conservative Democrat) has vetoed the controversial Religious Viewpoints Antidiscrimination Act (RTF file). The act, which is nearly identical to one recently passed in Texas, forces schools to adopt policies to “protect” students who “voluntarily” express their religious views.

“Henry said students are already allowed to express their faith through voluntary prayer and other activities. He said the legislation was well-intended, but vague and “may trigger a number of unintended consequences that actually impede rather than enhance such expression.” Schools could be forced to provide equal time to fringe groups that masquerade as religions and advocate behaviors such as hate speech.”

One of the “unintended consequences” of the act was laid out by the Texas House’s own research organization, which stated that the law, if enacted, would most likely privilege the Christian majority (though some feared it would empower “Wiccans and anti-Christians” to spread their message to Christian students).

“The bill’s constitutionality is questionable … The bill could serve as a tool to proselytize the majority religious view, Christianity, in Texas schools. The United States is a nation made up of people of many faiths. Children are required to attend school and should be permitted to do so without someone else’s religion being imposed on them … A school should be a religion-free zone – leaving religion for homes, places of worship, and individual hearts.”

I was beginning to wonder if any lawmakers or politicians in the “red” states had the guts to stand up for religious minorities (and real religious freedom). With Texas passing the Religious Viewpoints Antidiscrimination Act, and South Carolina passing the Public Invocation Act, its nice to see that Oklahoma won’t fall in line with the conservative Christian activists trying to circumvent Church-State separation with vaguely worded legislation and baseless legal challenges. If we had more Governors of conscience, perhaps this anti-religious minority legislation trend would come to an end.
]]> http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/06/oklahoma-takes-stand-against-fake.html/feed 0 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/05/public-prayer-war-escalates.html http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/05/public-prayer-war-escalates.html#comments Fri, 23 May 2008 14:02:00 +0000 Jason http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/05/the-public-prayer-war-escalates.html Few could have envisioned that when Wiccan Darla Kaye Wynne first filed suit against the small South Carolina town of Great Falls in 2001, that it would spark a seven-year judicial and legislative odyssey that threatens to escalate into a full-blown national legal battle over public prayer. Yet, with this (initially) small suit over sectarian prayer at governmental meetings, that is exactly what happened. A slow-brewing conflict that has now spawned a legislative strategy designed to silence future Darla Wynnes, and will soon face legal challenges as the “South Carolina Public Invocation Act” shortly becomes law.

“The South Carolina General Assembly unanimously passed a bill Wednesday that provides guidelines to public bodies within the state regarding their right to open a meeting with prayer. The bill, which adopts a version of the Alliance Defense Fund’s model invocation policy, now awaits a signature from Gov. Mark Sanford to become law. Sanford has already indicated his intention to sign it.”

The Alliance Defense Fund’s “model invocation policy” was designed after two cases involving Pagans and sectarian prayer earned national attention. South Carolina is their first big test of the policy, which intentionally creates “constitutional confusion” over sectarian prayer and places legal roadblocks intended to dissuade future lawsuits. Needless to say, the ACLU is readying itself to challenge the law. The ACLU national board recently took over the local South Carolina chapter, after it became clear there was a crisis of leadership and fundraising hindering it from addressing these upcoming issues.

“If there is one state that can ill afford an ineffective chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union it arguably is South Carolina … in recent years [the SC ACLU chapter] been hampered by ideological squabbling among its board members, staff leadership turnover, lackluster membership and fundraising numbers and a virtually nonexistent media presence. Aware of the problems for some time, the national ACLU board has decided to step in and try to right the ship.”

At stake are the religious freedoms of religious minorities in South Carolina, and ultimately, all over this country. Those who live in smaller towns, rural areas, and states unfriendly to the sort of diversity we represent. The ones who aren’t lucky enough to live in the Bay Area, Salem, or Paganistan. A small prayer to Jesus may not seem like a big deal, until your realize that without the promise of a secular government, our rights to an equal place at the table are jeopardized, and we are ultimately afforded second-class status due to our non-Christian allegiance. Which is why Hindu, Buddhist, and Native American groups have lined up in the past to support Pagans fighting against “Judeo-Christian” sectarian prayer.

“As adherents of non-Judeo-Christian religions, Hindu Americans, Buddhist Americans, and Native Americans have a direct interest in this [Cynthia Simpson's] case. They, like all Americans, are guaranteed religious freedom by the religion clauses of the First Amendment. The ability of these minority religious groups to take part equally in American civic life, a fundamental freedom protected by the religion clauses, is threatened by the Fourth Circuit’s holding that the Establishment Clause does not prohibit governments from excluding non-Judeo-Christian clergy from eligibility to offer legislative invocations.”

So expect a big legal fight in the near future (which, once again, pits the ACLU against the Alliance Defense Fund), one that could very well head to the Supreme Court, and don’t expect too many South Carolina lawmakers to come out in support of religious minorities. South Carolina is a place where even Democrats don’t believe Wicca is a real religion. A loss here will mean similar prayer laws sprouting up anywhere the Alliance Defense Fund has enough pull (places like Texas and Oklahoma, for example).

If you were ever looking for proof that the small legal battles Pagans get involved in matter, or that issues over sectarian prayer are important, look no further than South Carolina, and the small town of Great Falls. Where a single Pagan stood up and fought for a local legislative body that worked for all its citizens, not just the Christian ones.
]]> http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/05/public-prayer-war-escalates.html/feed 1 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/05/state-sen-yancey-mcgill-wicca-isnt.html http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/05/state-sen-yancey-mcgill-wicca-isnt.html#comments Thu, 15 May 2008 16:09:00 +0000 Jason http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/05/state-sen-yancey-mcgill-wicca-isnt-a-religon.html Remember how I recently said that South Carolina is becoming a “hot zone” for battles over church and state? Well things aren’t going to be cooling off any time soon. The Charlotte Observer, reporting on the various religious-oriented bills winding their way through the South Carolina Legislature, captures a rare moment of honesty from a supporter of the Christianity-only “I Believe” license plate.

You see, as an elected official, I get to decide these things.

Mind you this is a Democratic official here, not a Republican, who we usually expect a certain amount of Wicca-bashing from. Perhaps there isn’t too much difference in the political parties in South Carolina? In any case, there you have it, the official word. Any religion can get their own license plates, unless your not a religion as defined by politicians like State Sen. McGill. Of course his standards are different from the actual United States government, who has long acknowledged Wicca and other modern Pagan faiths as “real” religions. Heck our Wiccan vets even had their symbol approved by the VA recently, maybe he didn’t hear about it?

Perhaps Pagans and other supporters of real religious equality in South Carolina should send State Sen. McGill a note informing him that he’s a bit behind on the times, and come the next election you’ll vote for someone who respects the rights of all faiths, instead of just the ones he likes.
]]> http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/05/state-sen-yancey-mcgill-wicca-isnt.html/feed 2 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/05/aclu-south-carolina-and-religious.html http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/05/aclu-south-carolina-and-religious.html#comments Thu, 08 May 2008 15:30:00 +0000 Jason http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/05/the-aclu-south-carolina-and-religious-minorities.html As I have reported previously on this blog, South Carolina is quickly becoming one of the “hot zones” in battles over church and state. You had Wiccan Darla Wynne’s victory over sectarian prayer in Great Falls, the ongoing plan by conservative Christians to legislate around that judgment, and a controversial “I Believe” specialty license plate created solely for Christians about to be approved. So it is troubling to hear that the local chapter of the ACLU has become so dysfunctional that the national organization has swooped in to take over.

“If there is one state that can ill afford an ineffective chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union it arguably is South Carolina … in recent years [the SC ACLU chapter] been hampered by ideological squabbling among its board members, staff leadership turnover, lackluster membership and fundraising numbers and a virtually nonexistent media presence. Aware of the problems for some time, the national ACLU board has decided to step in and try to right the ship. The decision made national news.”

The only comfort here is that with the national ACLU board “driving”, we may see a revitalized ACLU chapter in South Carolina, and greater resources being poured into the looming legal battles developing in the state. Over the years the ACLU has been an important resource for modern Pagans seeking redress against discriminatory or unconstitutional policies and practices. Without the ACLU, and similar organizations like Americans United and the FFRF, many of the seminal legal cases that have helped establish precedents and decisions favoring the growth and free exercise of modern Paganism in America may not have happened.

Of course modern Pagans and church-state separation organizations don’t always see eye to eye. In New York, the town board of Greece is defending its sectarian prayer policy by making the opening prayers inclusive of all faiths. This has allowed a local Wiccan to deliver a sectarian Pagan prayer before a recent board meeting.

“In just a few seconds’ time during the April Town Board meeting, Jennifer Zarpentine made Greece history. Zarpentine, a Wiccan, delivered the first-ever pagan prayer to open a meeting of the Greece Town Board. Her hands raised to the sky, she called upon Greek deities Athena and Apollo to ‘help the board make the right informed decisions for the benefit and greater good of the community.’ A small cadre of her friends and coven members in the audience chimed in ’so mote it be.’”

Americans United, who recently helped win the veteran Pentacle case, is suing the town board in order to force it to switch to nonsectarian prayer (or no prayer at all). A move Wiccan Jennifer Zarpentine disapproves of.

“Zarpentine said she was pleased by the opportunity to pray at the meeting. ‘I thought the invocation went well,’ she said. ‘The board was respectful;, they all bowed their heads.’ As far as the lawsuit goes, Zarpentine said the town isn’t being discriminatory. ‘They are including everybody,’ she said. ‘They asked me.’”

Which illustrates a point where there is some divergence between groups like the ACLU and modern Pagans. Most modern Pagans are fine with religious expression so long as there is full and consistent inclusion. While the AU, and similar organizations, take a harder line of enforcing nonsectarian or nothing.

“We’re glad to see that the (Town Board) is now cognizant of the diversity of the community, and it’s too bad it took a lawsuit to get them to see the light … While the Wiccan prayer will likely be more inclusive than prayers offered in the past, that doesn’t change that what we want is for the town to adopt a policy that prayer-givers offer nonsectarian prayers.”

Despite these differences, our faith groups have generally experienced a net gain in allying ourselves with church-state separation advocacy organizations. This will most likely continue until modern Pagan organizations gather sufficient fiscal and political power to form their own legal advocacy groups. Even then, I don’t foresee a day where Pagans will be unhappy with the ACLU or AU fighting to keep religion out of politics in America. A truly democratic and secular country is one where the religious minority doesn’t have to fear outright discrimination or persecution.
]]> http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/05/aclu-south-carolina-and-religious.html/feed 3 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/04/south-carolina-attempts-to-bypass.html http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/04/south-carolina-attempts-to-bypass.html#comments Fri, 25 Apr 2008 13:58:00 +0000 Jason http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/04/south-carolina-attempts-to-bypass-prayer-restrictions.html A hot-button issue in conflicts concerning the separation of church and state is sectarian prayer before a governmental body. Since Darla Wynne’s final legal victory in 2005 forcing the South Carolina town of Great Falls to abandon sectarian prayers to Jesus, conservative Christian opponents in the state have been looking for a way around the ruling. Last year, with the help of the Alliance Defense Fund, state legislators introduced a “Public Prayer and Invocation Act”. A law designed to circumvent sectarian restrictions, and make it harder for litigation against sectarian prayer to win.

“It becomes clear from reading the bill that its authors are trying to navigate the legal waters created by two cases involving Wiccans and public prayers: Darla Wynne (a resident of South Carolina who won her case against Great Falls) and Cynthia Simpson (a Virginia resident who ultimately lost hers). In other words, they are trying to bring back prayers to Jesus at government meetings without the lawsuits … if this bill becomes law, the Darla Wynnes of this world can’t sue the local city council for exclusively praying to Jesus without bringing litigation against the entire state. Its clear that the authors are hoping that their emphasis on context will win over content (ie Jesus), and in turn create a legal fog of what can or can’t be allowed.”

Now that bill has made it through the South Carolina senate, and is heading to the house.

“The South Carolina Senate has approved a bill that would allow prayers before public meetings. In 2001, a Wiccan priestess sued the town of Great Falls, claiming it violated the separation between church and state when “Jesus Christ” was used in prayer. The town lost the lawsuit. This legislation says public bodies can adopt policies to let members take turns giving an invocation, elect a chaplain, or create a pool of speakers from faith groups to offer the prayer. The bill also calls for the state attorney general to defend public bodies if they face constitutional challenges. The public prayer bill now heads to the House.”

Since the Republican party in the South Carolina House of Representatives has a commanding 22-member majority, it seems very likely this bill will soon head to governor Mark Sanford’s desk. Sanford, while occasionally displaying a libertarian streak, tends to make conservative Christians happy and is likely to sign the bill into law. If this happens, the resulting legal mess could take decades to untangle, all to the benefit of Christians wanting to re-introduce sectarian prayers to Jesus.

“It intentionally gives no direction on whether a prayer can mention a deity, instead suggesting boards seek local legal advice on that. “I think this might actually add to the constitutional confusion,” said professor Josie Brown of the University of South Carolina Law School.”

In short, South Carolina is trying to undo Darla Wynne’s victory, reinstate Christian prayer through a legal fog, and make it extremely difficult for litigation to be brought against a local legislative body (since any such case would instantly be taken up by the state). This is all part of a larger plan instituted by Christian conservative groups to chip away at the legal victories won by religious minorities and secular groups in the last thirty years.

Student speech “protection” laws, ordinances banning psychics, attempts to dominate chaplaincy positions (in prisons and the military), arbitrary laws concerning animal sacrifice, a rigorous defense of evangelists who cross the line, battles over public religious displays, and the enshrinement of Christianity as the official faith of America all point to a larger trend of fighting and rolling back advances religious minorities have made in the name of their “religious freedom”. Killing real religious freedom and full access of all faiths to the public square with a thousand tiny cuts instead of single mighty stroke.
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