U.S. Representative Bob Barr (GA-7) has been a United States Attorney, and currently serves on the House Judiciary, Government Reform and Banking committees. 2
On 1999-MAY-13, he issued a press release titled:
"BARR: CAUSES OF YOUTH VIOLENCE FOUND IN ADULT CULTURE." 3
He lists as one of the causes of youth violence the practice by the U.S. military to permit Wiccan personnel to observe their religious faith. Wicca is a benign, earth-centered religion, which is somewhat similar to Native American Spirituality. A second source of youth violence that he cites is the increasing acceptance by university students of humanism, a secular, non-theistic philosophy with a strong ethical component.
On 1999-MAY-18, he issued a second press release. Copies were delivered to military and congressional leaders. Recipients included Army Secretary Louis Caldera and Lt. Gen. Leon S. LaPorte, commander of Fort Hood, TX. It is titled:
"BARR DEMANDS END TO TAXPAYER-FUNDED WITCHCRAFT ON AMERICAN MILITARY BASES." 4
He is reported as having viewed a report on The O'Reilly Factor, a program on Fox News. It featured vernal equinox ceremonies by soldiers at Fort Hood, TX. He had heard that military chaplains at Fort Hood, and other bases "are sanctioning, if not supporting the practice of witchcraft as a 'religion' by soldiers on military bases."
It is unclear exactly how the toleration of Wicca (a.k.a. Witchcraft) and other minority religions are taxpayer-funded. Large armed forces bases frequently have one or more Protestant ministers, Roman Catholic priests, and a Jewish rabbis on staff. The Christian and Jewish soldiers' religious needs are met at some taxpayer expense. The military pays clergy salaries, provides chaplains with offices and support staff, etc. In a hypothetical case of an army base with 5,000 soldiers, and 3 chaplains at $75,000 per year each, the government allocates $45 per year for the spiritual support of each Christian or Jewish soldier. But there are, to our knowledge, no Wiccan Priests, Priestesses, or chaplain office at any base in America. Wiccans are expected to fend for themselves, and provide their own priests and priestesses from within their own membership. The cost per Wiccan for spiritual support is essentially nothing. Some news sources stated that the Army had increased security at Fort Hood "in order to deter members of Christian groups from intimidating the witches, who meet in campgrounds..." 7 The army would certainly incur costs due to the need for this increased security. However, that is not the fault of the Wiccans. It is caused by perceived threats from some Christian sources.
Barr stated that allowing Wiccans to follow their religion on base: "...sets a dangerous precedent that could easily result in the practice of all sorts of bizarre practices being supported by the military under the rubric of 'religion.' "
He rejects Wicca (a.k.a. Witchcraft) as a legitimate religion, even though:
It meets the criteria for a religious belief specified in the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
It has been recognized as a valid religion by at least two U.S. district courts.
It has hundreds of thousands of followers in the U.S.
Rep Barr continues: "What's next? Will armored divisions be forced to travel with sacrificial animals for Satanic rituals? Will Rastafarians demand the inclusion of ritualistic marijuana cigarettes in their rations?..."
Religious Satanists do not engage in the ritual sacrifice of animals. Teenage dabblers in Satanism sometimes have been known to kill a dog or cat or small animal; but this is quite rare. Whether Rastafarians should be allowed exemption from drug laws is a matter for the courts to decide. Some Native Americans have been allowed to consume peyote as part of their religious services -- they follow a tradition which dates back millennia. Roman Catholics are permitted to consume wine during Mass. Allowing Rastafarians to use marijuana in their religious rituals may be similarly guaranteed by the 1st Amendment to the U.S. constitution. Only a court case would tell for certain.
He ended his press release with the following: A print of the painting, 'The Prayer At Valley Forge,' depicting George Washington on bended knee, praying in the hard snow at Valley Forge, hangs over the desk in my office. If the practice of witchcraft, such as is allowed now at Fort Hood, is permitted to stand, one wonders what paintings will grace the walls of future generations."
He seems to be expressing the feeling that only Christian themes should be used in American religious artwork. We have scanned many Wiccan and other Neopagan web sites and find some of their artwork to be quite spiritual in nature.
We get the impression that Rep. Barr's concept of Wicca and Witches is primarily based on the religious propaganda from the 15th and 16th century, and is almost completely unrelated to the reality of 20th century Wicca. He may have obtained his knowledge of Wicca from some of the Christian religious hate sites on the Internet.
Source:
http://www.religioustolerance.org/burn_aw2.htm
"Governor Mike Johanns:
On 1999-MAY-6, newly elected Governor Mike Johanns of Nebraska, a Republican, 6 is reported to have signed a proclamation for the "March for Jesus Day" to be held on 1999-MAY-22. The proclamation reads in part: "March for Jesus Day was established as a time for us to join together as people of many faiths so that we may pay homage to our divine authority."
This proclamation, like many others in the same month for the National Day of Prayer, is clearly unconstitutional. Both violate the establishment clause of the 1st Amendment to the U.S Constitution - the clause that mandates the separation of church and state. Carole Shields, president of People for the American Way Foundation noted: "This action, far from promoting religious faith and freedom, would undermine it by creating a second-class status for all faiths other than Christianity in Nebraska." Actually, Shields is wrong. Muslims also revere Jesus as a great prophet. They would presumably be welcome to participate in the march....but then, perhaps not.
Both the Lincoln Journal-Star and the Omaha World-Herald reported that Governor Johanns said that he would sign similar proclamations for some other religions: "I wouldn't hesitate to sign a proclamation for the Jewish faith, Hinduism, whatever....so long as it doesn't require me to sign something I personally don't agree with."
Reporter Fred Napp then asked a hypothetical question: "How about [a proclamation supporting] Wicca?" Johanns is reported as saying: "What's that"? The Omaha World-Herald wrote that "When he learned that Wicca was an earth-based pagan religion that comes from the old English word for witch, Johanns said there would be no Wiccan proclamation." "Nope," he allegedly said. "Something that I personally disagree with, I'm not going to sign it."
An unidentified writer for the Lincoln Journal-Star commented that "gays and lesbians have previously criticized Johanns for not signing proclamations for gay pride events."
Rev. Wren Walker of the Witches' Voice issued a press release on MAY-7 urging Governor Johanns to rescind the March for Jesus Day proclamation and to apologize for his anti-Witch remarks. The press release asked the governor to "remember that Nebraska- as well as the entire nation- is a land of diverse religious beliefs, all of which are considered equal under the law."
Source:
http://www.religioustolerance.org/burn_aw1.htm
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