Using this symbol, the Pentacle, was at the crux of various lawsuits.
Witching Hour In America – April 25, 2007 – The New York Sun — FYI.
Praise the Goddess and pass the magical candle — the Federal Department of Veterans Affairs has finally recognized the Wicca religion.
You’ve heard of the Wiccans, right? They’re the group perhaps 700,000 strong in this country who sometimes call themselves witches — but sometimes don’t. They believe in the power of the seasons, the Goddess of the earth, and the United States of America, which some of them even died for. Until Monday, however, none of these vets were allowed to be officially buried under the Wiccan symbol, the pentacle — a five-pointed star inside a circle.
Can you guess this symbol?
Ok, here is what’s weird. Click here to see the VA list of approved symbols.
First of all there is a symbol for Eckankar, which I find peculiar. But weirder still is the fact that two symbols cannot be shown because of copyrights. What? Do the dead have to put the notice on the gravestone? One of the copyrighted symbols is for Christian Science. And, get this, the other is for the Muslim religion and is described as a five pointed star. How is that copyrighted? And is the Wiccan incorporation of the five pointed star a violation? Cripes. Who holds this supposed copyright for the five-pointed star anyway? Seems peculiar.
The only true religion is the path of the Ori, you need to get a book of origin from your local Prior. Make sure you prostrate and pray about a 100 times a day.
All those symbols are lame. I’m an atheist, but I wouldn’t want the atheist symbol on my tombstone. If I where in the military could I elect to have no symbol? Putting a single symbol to represent your entire life seems inadequate. A blog or wiki link would be better.
How is the muslam symbol copyrighted? I have always said that the only good thing about religion is that it is NOT copyrighted and anyone can make money off it.
I think the govn’t doesn’t want to piss off any crazy muslams. Those crazy bastards would probably shit if they saw their symbol on the US gov website.
What about the FSM? thats as valid a religion as mormonism or the church of scientology
If look at the VA web page – it clearly indicates that the Muslim and Christian Scientist symbols are APPROVED … just that they are not shown on the website because of copyrights. Come on, Dvorak, read a little more carefully!
Fri Apr 27, 2007
The first time that Frank IBC posted something correct on this blog.
Also tombstones are a waste of money, nobody in my family wants one.
Frank IBC & Milo: I’m not a moonbat feminist and I have never played D&D. Care to explain to me why I became an initiated witch last year? What–can’t figure it out? Here’s why: faith is personal. Religion is what you make of it. For some people, it serves no purpose and they think no one should have a religion. Other people think everyone should all join the same religion. I suspect I’m not the only witch who thinks of my beliefs as a voluntary spiritual path that, if I choose to take it seriously, can help me become a better person–happier, healthier, kinder, and more responsible for my actions in a world that could use more people who act this way. If it takes me tying cords around my waist, casting a circle, and putting up with people’s prejudices about my faith to get me off my lazy butt and working as hard as I can to be of cheerful service to the world, then so be it.
(How’d we get here from John’s copyright discussion prompt, anyways???)
What ??? Nothing to honor the memory of a 1957 Buick?
26 – I like Wiccans, one of my best sisters follows that faith at least partly due to her disgust at the violent politics and greed that frauds like Pat Robertson pass off as “Christian” these days. She’s no dummy and she has a good heart, so I consider her membership a good recommendation.
When I served on submarines almost a half-century ago my dogtag had “No Pref” for my religion. I used to get asked if it was a typo for “Northern Presbyterian,” but only by the humorless. Nowadays I follow the FSM because it tickles to be Touched by His Noodly Appendages.
You know what? You’re right. Your religion and your reason for joining it are your own damned business so long as you’re peaceable about it.
I do however reserve the right to mock Scientology and Mensa.
FSM…
A grave marker with a pirate style eyepatch!
Meatballs to meatballs, cheese to cheese.
Wait just a damn minute. Since when does the U.S. government get to have an “official” list of religions? I know the current administration would like to make this the United States of Jesus, but deciding what is a religion is not the place of the United States government.
TJ Geezer- I too was a No Pref. When asked I put down agnostic. People then said I was an aetheist. Whatever floats your boat. Never hurts to CYA, especially in the military.
#28 – I do however reserve the right to mock Scientology and Mensa.
Comment by TJGeezer — 4/27/2007 @ 6:56 pm
I know when Mensa became annoying… When did it become a religion?
Yeah believing in magic spells and midget gods is much better. At least FSM is one God.
->Frank IBC & Milo: I’m not a moonbat feminist and I have never
->played D&D.
Frank and Milo read too much Frontpage Magazine. They are caught up in the whole subculture (it is for them, their own religious movement, or at the very least an act of faith to believe the stuff that Mr. Horowitz propagates). I here the experience can be quiet fulfilling, providing you can actually convince yourself the world is being taking over by radical feminist and other left leaning people.
I love conspiracy theory too, the trouble is that it is nothing more than an extension of the comic books (and other entertainment) that I read as a child. It is interesting, but only from a sociological and psychological perspective.
They seem to have lost perspective that religion is little more than a construct. It is a diversified reflection of human culture at the time of its origin and when it is practiced.
A couple of comments
to 24, maybe I read wrong but the way I read it, when JCD says here is a list of approved symbols and then goes on to say that 2 are not allowed to be shown because of copyright, maybe you should read a little more carefully.
In general various pagan religions have been around for centuries, ever going back to before the birth of Jesus. It is just that the official organized ‘religion’ became known in the 40s when Britain made it legal and it came out from the basements and groves into a more public view.
True Satanists for the most part don’t care what you do as long as you don’t disturb them. One of the laws of the Satanic religion is “11. When walking in open territory, bother no one. If someone bothers you, ask him to stop. If he does not stop, destroy him.” The public internet is as open an area as you can get.
And it’s about time they recognized Wicca, as it is one of the largest of the Pagan beliefs in the world.
As previously stated, I do not need real estate when I die. That said, I wouldn’t mind seeing the atheist symbol in all places where I currently see godvertisements. Better still, let’s remove both. Why proselytize either? But, if we’re going to trust in god on our money, I think we should also add all of these other symbols, plus FSM of course.
[off topic]
Hey, here’s a bit of trivia. Guess when we started trusting in god on our paper money. You got it … when we ran out of gold … during the McCarthy era. It was also the time when ‘under god’ was added to the pledge. So, these things are a piece of history, yes, but not a remnant of a time I’d like to repeat.
[/off topic]
Wiccan religon is one of the best religons cause u get alot of freedome and u have more then just Jesus Christ to depend on u got all the goddess and team members thats u can desamble your self try and u may just like it
As a Christian Scientist (and Dvorak fan since the MacWorld days ) I’d just like to say that our symbol is a simple variation on the traditional Christian “Cross and Crown” that symbolizes Jesus’ suffering and his victory over suffering.
It also contains the biblical quote: “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.” This is to bring out Jesus’ request that his followers practice healing as he did. Christian healing is a key part of Christian Science teaching and practice.
You can see our symbol at
http://www.tfccs.com/annualmeeting/
I think it’s copyrighted, because other groups have used it, or something like it, to misrepresent us or falsely associate themselves with Christian Science. BTW: we are not connected at all with Scientology.
Not sure if the VA asked to use our symbol in that list, or maybe they just didn’t use it because it was copyrighted.
John D. Minard
I wonder if this can be posted.
As defined by merriam-webster dictionary.
cult- FORMAL RELIGIOUS VENERATION I.E. WORSHIP
a system of religious beliefs and ritual
a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious
great devotion to a person, work, idea, movent, or object
So technically under 3 of the definitions of a cult that are recognized by a trusted dictionary even christianity is a cult. You cannot say something does not belong as a religion if it is a cult. By the way, David, they get to have a list because they give tax right offs to everyone on the list. Otherwise any single person could claim tax right offs because they spend night after night playing a video game or such and call it devotion.