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

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

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.

You must work in an office, or a government office. I notice that office workers do seem to automatically get it off...but most do not get paid. And if they do have to work they just get regular pay...unless they are in a union.

Great for you. But most Christians dont automatically get Christmas off. And why should they? It is a religious holiday.

Older article on Ft. Hood Wiccans

Wiccan Controversy Tests Military Religious Tolerance

By Hanna Rosin

Washington Post Staff Writer

Tuesday, June 8, 1999

KILLEEN, Tex.—Every full moon for the past two years, a few dozen off-duty soldiers have gathered at an open campsite at Fort Hood, America's largest military post. By day, they are privates and sergeants in the U.S. Army, training for deployment to Korea, Bosnia, Kosovo. But at these lunar assemblies they trade in their Army fatigues for hooded robes, chant to the lead of their chosen high priestess and dance around a fire well into the night.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/na ... icca08.htm

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Deuteronomy 18:10-12 It is written:

10There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.

11Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

12For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

I was never an office worker. I was a union cabinet maker for many years.

Originally Posted by GeorgiaPeach

Deuteronomy 18:10-12 It is written:

10There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.

11Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

12For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

I don't think you can take the words of one religion and force another religion to abide by them.

Each religion gets to make their own rules.

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

Originally Posted by GeorgiaPeach

Deuteronomy 18:10-12 It is written:

10There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.

11Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

12For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

I don't think you can take the words of one religion and force another religion to abide b them.

Each religion gets to make their own rules.

Actually the ultimate rule maker is God and we shall see how it all shakes out in the end.

Originally Posted by April

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

Originally Posted by GeorgiaPeach

Deuteronomy 18:10-12 It is written:

10There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.

11Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

12For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

I don't think you can take the words of one religion and force another religion to abide by them.

Each religion gets to make their own rules.

Actually the ultimate rule maker is God and we shall see how it all shakes out in the end.

The Atheist may disagree with that, and it would be their right to do so.

I'm surprised they haven't asked for a meeting place where they can all get together and read the Sunday funnies or something.

Originally Posted by April

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

Originally Posted by GeorgiaPeach

Deuteronomy 18:10-12 It is written:

10There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.

11Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

12For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

I don't think you can take the words of one religion and force another religion to abide b them.

Each religion gets to make their own rules.

Actually the ultimate rule maker is God and we shall see how it all shakes out in the end.

The book that you are quoting was made by man, not God. Considering we have an entire universe full of intelligent life, I think religion has nothing to do with anything other than people claiming superiority over others. More people have died in the name of God than anything else. People need to forget dogma, and truly connect to God. Religion is dangerous, and NO ONE is right.

Originally Posted by DarthIllegal

Originally Posted by April

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

Originally Posted by GeorgiaPeach

Deuteronomy 18:10-12 It is written:

10There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.

11Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

12For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

I don't think you can take the words of one religion and force another religion to abide b them.

Each religion gets to make their own rules.

Actually the ultimate rule maker is God and we shall see how it all shakes out in the end.

The book that you are quoting was made by man, not God. Considering we have an entire universe full of intelligent life, I think religion has nothing to do with anything other than people claiming superiority over others. More people have died in the name of God than anything else. People need to forget dogma, and truly connect to God. Religion is dangerous, and NO ONE is right.

Ditto that!! Organized religion is used to control people not to feed their spirtuality. God wrote no books or guides. He did not appoint the leaders of any church, they are all self appointed. He gave us a brain and we all know what we should do.

Cross found at Air Force Academy's Wicca center

The opening of the worship area at the Colorado Springs academy had been hailed as a step for religious tolerance.

By DeeDee Correll
February 3, 2010

Reporting from Denver - The Air Force Academy, stung several years ago by accusations of Christian bias, has built a new outdoor worship area for pagans and other practitioners of Earth-based religions.

But its opening, heralded as a sign of a more tolerant religious climate at the academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., was marred by the discovery two weeks ago of a large wooden cross placed there.

"We've been making great progress at the Air Force Academy. This is clearly a setback," said Mikey Weinstein, a 1977 graduate of the academy. He is founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, and has often tangled with the academy over such issues.

Although he credits the academy's superintendent, Air Force Lt. Gen. Michael Gould, with an improved climate of religious tolerance, Weinstein criticized other academy officials as trivializing the incident, which he said was not revealed to cadets.

Rhetorically addressing academy officials, Weinstein said Tuesday, "It's been two weeks -- were you going to get around to telling them about this horrible thing that happened, and why haven't you?"

Academy spokesman John Van Winkle said officials reported the situation to those on base and issued a message reiterating the school's policy of religious tolerance and respect.

In a statement, Gould said, "We absolutely will not stand for this type of destructive behavior. I consider this no different than someone writing graffiti on the Cadet Chapel."

In 2004, an academy survey found that many cadets felt that evangelical Christians were imposing their views and harassing non-Christians at the school.

The following year, an Air Force task force determined that there was no overt discrimination but the academy had failed to accommodate the religious needs of some cadets. Since then, the academy has worked to change that, Van Winkle said.

"It boils down to the key issue of respect -- respect for everyone's right to practice their faith as they choose," he said.

Specific steps include the creation of a Cadet Interfaith Council that identifies upcoming religious holidays and helps adjust cadets' schedules to observe them.

The academy -- which also has worship areas for Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Buddhist and Jewish faiths -- already had a designated area for Wiccans, pagans and followers of similar traditions, but it was located on the north end of the 19,000-acre campus and was not easy for cadets to visit, Van Winkle said.

The new site, a collection of stones set in a circle unveiled late last year, is closer to where cadets live and train.

Modern Wicca is a reconstruction of ancient European pagan religions and is based on respect for Earth, nature and the seasons.

On the weekend of Jan. 17, Weinstein said a client of his organization who is based at the academy spotted a cross, constructed of railroad ties, propped against a rock at the center. The client reported it, and the Office of Special Investigations began an inquiry.

The dean of faculty, Brig. Gen. Dana Born, discussed the incident at a Jan. 27 staff meeting, Weinstein said.

Weinstein did not attend the meeting but said that faculty members who did described the official reaction as tepid.

One faculty member, who attended and asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter, supported Weinstein's characterization of the meeting.

The reaction would have been stronger, Weinstein said, if another worship center had been involved. Had a swastika been placed in the Jewish center, "heads would be rolling," he said.

Van Winkle said he saw video of Born's address: "She downplayed nothing. She addressed the expectations, the issue and moved on."

Correll writes for The Times.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and- ... 7750.story

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Cross found at Air Force Academy's Wicca center

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-187321.html