How is that that even Atheists have an approved symbols for military headstones but Wiccans do not?

Question

Why did Sgt Stewarts wife have to bring a suit against the V.A. to be allowed to put a pentegram on his head stone?

Answer 1

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-TBeYsUg0a6nqli6QIufSCLqMQg--?cq=1&l=11&u=15&mx=31&lmt=5

Answer 2

Considering that the Military now has Wiccan chaplains, and that they wear the pentagram in a circle as their religious insignia, I find it very strange that this not an option for a headstone. I can only assume political opposition from the religious wrong to be the cause. When I was in Navy boot camp there was a practicing Satanist-not a Wiccan, not a Pagan at all, a Satanist, they are NOT the same thing-who put that down as his religion in his dog tag application. When it came, the tag said "Protestant". Bureaucracy at it's best.

Answer 3

The 'military' are always behind the times when it comes to this kind of thing. They live in a 'bubble', a little world of their own because none of the riff-raff are B.S.ing with their superiors, telling them how the world is these days. The higher up you are....where the orders come from....the further away from real life you are. If you go to a Military College...why you just damn-well better be Christian too. They eventually relax their opinion when they realise that they are just being stubborn, as in the case of atheists. Generals tend to want to think that God is on their side and will cause a war to allow them to show their stuff. They think that for you to believe otherwise is just unmilitary and unnecessary. Soon enough we will see the Flying Spaghetti Monster (May you be touched by his noodly appendage) on some headstones. Even the Invisible Pink Unicorn....soon as they figure out how to chisel 'invisibility' on to granite.

Answer 4

It's coming. It's a simple matter of fairness. If the government is going to pay for Christian crosses and Jewish Stars of David, then it has to respect each individual soldier's right to choose his or her own faith or moral philosophy. Otherwise, the VA is deciding which religions are legitimate and which are not, and that is un-American.

Those who can't accept the pentagram or pentacle as a symbol of anything more than "devil worship" are just uninformed or small-minded. The symbol has a long history and has even been used by Christians to represent the five wounds of Jesus.

Write your Congressional representative and Senators and voice your opinion.

Answer 5

Pagans have been oppressed by Christians for hundreds of years so why now would they start giving public concessions. Pagans unlike Atheists, do not voice their objections as often or as loud as atheists. Atheists like myself feel offended and sometimes I laugh on the inside that people believe a man can call on something else to divide water or bring something back to life. Kind of like Christians think it is silly for giants to exist in the clouds or throw lightning bolts. But when their "god" shoots fire from the sky you best have repented. That is why pagans don't get what they want, you forgot to copyright your gods actions.

Answer 6

same reason they opposed women's rights and ethnic slavery...the church that is

oh...God forbid we let people choose thier faith to be represented on a headstone..it's not like it's asking a lot...not like they died for thier country or anything...

if this is a "holy war" having a 'witch' or non believer honored in thier sacred bed of saints waiting for Jesus is a hard pill for them to swallow

I think it got approved, still mired in legal paperwork as usual

when the war on terror is over and Bush is impeached and his cabinet and his sorry but put in prison for war crimes, then the headstones won't be an issue and we will have new leadership

that may be a long, long time, the new leadership may be a foreign bank or power by that time

we are already screwed financially, we are borrowing heavily for a war of choice with a falling currency

thanks GW and your minions for intollerance and alienating all nations and dividing your own country

Answer 7

usual blinkered American questioning. they favor to adhere to the united kingdom Forces way of questioning - the united kingdom forces those days ruled that a Satanist must be allowed to practice his "faith" as to end him will be discrimination. And as for the stupid answer above that Wiccans have only been round for fifty years .... the easy tenets of the wiccan faith predate christianity, and really lots of those tenets were absorbed into christinaity.

Answer 8

That's silly, people should be able to put whatever they want on their headstones....I had no idea athiests had a symbol. That makes me almost wary to be an athiest now.

Answer 9

Why should the V.A. be able to tell anyone what's allowed on their headstone?

Answer 10

I am a mortuary science student and I agree with you, however, this is the US government we are talking about and they can be a bit SLOW at things. Give it a few more years. they'll catch up to the times.

Answer 11

wow! so much for separation of church and state!! Oh, that's not what it means is it. . .

My thoughts are this, these are US military headstones- they have a right to decide regarding symbols and things that they do not want to be associated with- it may seem harsh and 'not fair' but the fact is the pentagram stirs up some pretty strong reactions in people and has a pretty scary reputation. you cannot make people believe what they don't want to believe but if the US military does not want people to see that while walking in their cemetaries- they have a perfect right. The ideals behind that symbol are not what they are about - let her erect a memorial to him elsewhere and put whatever symbols she wants on it - because whatever the argument and however you want to twist it to target other religions- the pentagram to me and to many has always represented evil and the US military has the right to say- we dont want to be associated with Satan worship and evil practices.