Thread: Wiccans, Pagans,Druids get worship area at Air Force Academy

Wiccans get worship area at Air Force Academy

A double circle of stones sits atop a hill on the Colorado Springs campus

updated 36 minutes ago

AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - The Air Force Academy has set aside an outdoor worship area for Pagans, Wiccans, Druids and other Earth-centered believers, school officials said Monday.

A double circle of stones atop a hill on the campus near Colorado Springs has been designated for the group, which previously met indoors.

"Being with nature and connecting with it is kind of the whole point," said Tech. Sgt. Brandon Longcrier, who sponsors the group and describes himself as a Pagan. "It will dramatically improve that atmosphere, the mindset and the actual connection."

The stones were moved to the hilltop last year because erosion threatened to make them unstable in their previous location near the visitors center. Crews arranged them in two concentric circles because they thought it would be a pleasant place for cadets to relax, Longcrier said.

When Longcrier and academy chaplains were looking for an outdoor worship space, they discovered one already existed in the form of the circles.

Lt. Col. William Ziegler, one of the academy's chaplains, said designating the space is part of the school's effort to foster religious tolerance and to defend the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom.

'A freedom thing'
"It's about our commitment as airmen to protect freedom and defend freedom. To me this is a freedom thing," he said.

The school also has worship facilities for Protestant and Catholic Christians, Jews, Muslims and Buddhists.

The academy superintendent, Lt. Gen. Michael Gould, has made religious tolerance a priority. It became a concern in 2004 when a survey found many cadets had heard slurs or jokes about other religions and that some felt ostracized because they weren't religious.

Longcrier and Ziegler said they've heard no criticism of the new worship space but both noted its presence was just made public.

"Not to say that it's not coming, but so far we haven't had any real issues," Longcrier said.

He said 15 to 20 cadets have shown an interest in Earth-centered beliefs, and eight to 10 regularly attend Monday night meetings. Of those, six or seven are devout believers and the others are "searchers," Longcrier said.

The academy has about 4,000 cadets. The school is one of five U.S. service academies, including West Point and Annapolis. Cadets graduate as second lieutenants.

Gods and goddesses
"Earth-centered" spirituality encompasses many beliefs, Longcrier said, many that recognize multiple gods and goddesses and observe holidays tied to the seasons.

Longcrier said he personally doesn't consider gods and goddesses to be actual beings but personifications of natural events that human ancestors wanted to put a face on.

"The goddess is symbolic of the Earth," Longcrier said. "Do I believe I'm worshipping this female entity living in the Earth or up in space somewhere? No. The symbolism is very important."

The group's meetings are usually devoted to mediation, lessons or ceremonies, he said.

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Longcrier, who oversees laboratories in the academy's astronautics labs, said he has military designation as a "distinct faith group leader."

Anyone is welcome to visit the new worship site but it should be treated as a religious structure, he said. A formal dedication is planned in March.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35188048/ns/us_news-faith/

Neo-Pagans Get Worship Circle at Air Force Academy

Monday, February 01, 2010

Witches, Druids and pagans rejoice! The Air Force Academy in Colorado is about to recognize its first Wiccan prayer circle, a Stonehenge on the Rockies that will serve as an outdoor place of worship for the academy's neo-pagans.

Wiccan cadets and officers on the Colorado Springs base have been convening for over a decade, but the school will officially dedicate a newly built circle of stones on about March 10, putting the outdoor sanctuary on an equal footing with the Protestant, Catholic, Jewish and Buddhist chapels on the base.

"When I first arrived here, Earth-centered cadets didn't have anywhere to call home," said Sgt. Robert Longcrier, the lay leader of the neo-pagan groups on base.

"Now, they meet every Monday night, they get to go on retreats, and they have a stone circle."

Academy officials had no tally of the number of Wiccan cadets at the school of 4,500, but said they had been angling to set up a proper space since the academic year began.

"That's one of the newer groups," said John Van Winkle, a spokesman for the academy. "They've had a worship circle on base for some time and we're looking to get them an official one."

The Air Force recognizes several distinct forms of neo-paganism, including Dianic Wicca, Seax Wicca, Gardnerian Wicca, shamanism and Druidism, according to Pagan groups that track the information.

Since a 2004 survey of cadets on the base revealed dozens of instances of harassment and intolerance, superintendent Michael Gould has made religious tolerance a priority.

Yet Van Winkle, the academy spokesman, said he could not confirm whether the school's superintendent or senior staff would attend the dedication ceremony.

"(We) haven't gotten that far yet: First we have to get a date, and then once we get a date for the dedication ceremony we'll see who's going to be available for it," he told FoxNews.com.

"Once we get a date that's going to be the real driving force for who's going to attend."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,584500,00.html

Oh FGS. This is so ridiculous, I dont even know where to start with it. But let me just say this....freedom of religion only means that you are free to worship as you like. It DOES NOT mean that anyone has to supply space for you. It does not mean anyone has to make allowances for you or your religious holidays or practices. It only means that you wont be persecuted due to your religious practices or beliefs. We are going down a very weird path this the religion thing. Anyone can claim that almost ANY PRACTICE is religious. There is no clear cut definition of religion for the purpose of defining freedom of religion.

If you provide church space and synagogue space and then don't provide space for others it is discrimination, which is illegal.

If you don't provide space for any religion that would not be discriminatory.

You have to give space to everyone, or no one.

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

If you provide church space and synagogue space and then don't provide space for others it is discrimination, which is illegal.

If you don't provide space for any religion that would not be discriminatory.

You have to give space to everyone, or no one.

I agree. But no one should be given space. The original intent of freedom of religion was to prevent anyone from being persecuted due to religious beliefs. It is up to the individual to secure the tools and materials...and space that they need.

It also does not include supplying time at work to practice..or suppying days off for religious holidays. It was not intended to allow people to refuse to do any part of their job, or demand special priveleges. And I would go so far as to say it was never intended to be a tax shelter either.

Freedom of religion simply means the freedom from persecution. And that is for all religions. We have gotten way off track with this and we need to get back to the basic intent.

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

If you provide church space and synagogue space and then don't provide space for others it is discrimination, which is illegal.

If you don't provide space for any religion that would not be discriminatory.

You have to give space to everyone, or no one.

Yeppp... And most white whitchs are really pretty mellow. At least they are not out to hurt anyone. They just like it out side...that is where my god is too...not in a building.

All military bases provide space for christians, jews and muslims to worship so if they don't want to get sued for discrimination they must make space available for everone else to worship. Besides most of these religions are older than christanity.

It also does not include supplying time at work to practice..or suppying days off for religious holidays.

You get to be the one to tell the christians that they can't have christmas off from work then.

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

All military bases provide space for christians, jews and muslims to worship so if they don't want to get sued for discrimination they must make space available for everone else to worship. Besides most of these religions are older than christanity.

It also does not include supplying time at work to practice..or suppying days off for religious holidays.

You get to be the one to tell the christians that they can't have christmas off from work then.

Why should Christians automatically get Christmas off? Everyone who wants to take off for their religious holiday should use their vacation pay to do it. Or the employer could have an alternate deal where a summer and winter break is supplied. Many many many jobs do not supply Christmas off. Only office jobs and government jobs mainly do this because the boss wants it off so it is closed. Service employees, bus drivers, cashiers, restaurants, hotels, utility companies, ....no Christmas off unless it happens to be on your regular day off or you put in for vacation time for that day.

I had chrismas off every year that I was working. Most jobs I had if I had to work on chrismas I would have gotten paid time and a half for working plus straight time pay for the holiday. The boss agreed to this in writing. It's called a contract.