Wiccan Puts Faith in the Court System

http://www.latimes.com/features/religion/la-na-wiccan26dec26,1,5078689.story?coll=la-news-religion

As a member of a religious minority, Judith Smell is sensitive about her right to practice whatever religion she chooses.

So when Lehigh Carbon Community College declined to hire her, she suspected it had something to do with her faith. And on Dec. 17, she sued the college in federal court, saying the school had violated her right to religious freedom.

Smell, 37, of Coaldale, Pa., practices a pagan religion known as Wicca. She describes it as a nature-based faith that is attuned to the elements — earth, water, air and fire.

should get so little respect.

Hopefully, she will be able to correct some ignorance as the story gets some press. Our constitution protects our freedom of religious expression, and this has to apply to everyone.

;)

:evilgrin:

From what I know of it, Hinduism is about 4,000 years old.

I hope this woman gets that appointment.

I have a lot more faith in the wiccan tradition than I do in U.S. courts.

Remember, the same fundies that insist they should be alowed to spew their bible bile anywhere they choose also cried the loudest that the UCC should not be allowed to air their gay-friendly church comercials.

Do you think the same fundies that want prayer in schools will defend the right for a Wiccan to wear her pentagram to work?

A handful of my friends are psychiatrists and there is unofficial belief among their communities that right-wing fundie nutcase dogmatists suggest a Behavioral Disorder that ought to be listed in the DSM-IV.

Well, duh.

I just finished reading THE MISTS OF AVALON and loved it. If you haven't had a look at it, it's a re-telling of the Arthurian legend from the point of view of the old religion. It's great stuff.

In fact, so many of our "Christian traditions" are actually pagan. Christianity had to overtake the pagan practices, holidays, etc., in order to get people on board to join their new cult. I discovered my own inner pagan some years ago, and enjoy challenging people's commitment to our Bill of Rights by being out of the closet about it. One of the final frontiers of civil rights, up there with gay marriage, in my perspective.

(Unfortunately, I can't access the link since I'm unwilling to share my e-mail address with LATimes and millions of other publications in order to read their articles!)

as significant of an event that was well documented as his execution (by the religious right of the time) all depends on a Sunday following a lunar cycle?

(I know, I know, the 12/25/0000 idea is incorrect - but yet we have the date!)

All this talk about the "burial box" of his "brother" is amusing also. Yeah, we have that box now, 2000+ years later, with no real wear and tear on the "Aramaic" (sp?) writing chiselled into it? (The "shroud of Turin" of the current "true believers" trying to "prove" things).

Even the Catholic Church, Inc. has declared these to be hoaxes.

I can document this if anyone cares.

..fyi, if you're using Firefox pick up 'Bug me Not'.

It's handy for this particular kind of irritating circumstance.

you can always sign up with "youraddress"@mailinator.com and go to mailinator.com and "sign" in with "youraddress".

invitation if you'll pm me a valid address. I promise I am NOT a spammer.

Pcat

http://bugmenot.com and Firefox has an extension of the samething. Search google.

"Why do people have anything against me?" she said. "It's not like I'm going out there sacrificing goats or cats."

I assume you mean the pharmaceutical and make-up (?) industries?

was O.K. because he was planning on going to Med school.

First, the disclaimer: I am a self styled Buddhist/agnostic, I worked at a community college for four years, never a problem, not even with my fundie boss. My sister is a practicing Wiccan that worked for a Christian leaning charter school for nearly nine years. Never had her job threatened because she was different. We're both fairly open about our beliefs.

My question: What if this woman didn't get the job she wanted because of factors other than her being a Wiccan? Then all this publicity is much ado about nothing.

My husband was recently passed over for a promotion......maybe it was because he is a Buddhist/atheist? No, it is because the boss decided to pay someone outside the company less to do a job that has more responsibilities, rather than give my husband (who already makes top wages) a promotion and another raise. Sucks, but what can ya do?

She worked there about eight months. Maybe her personality rubbed someone the wrong way? Maybe she wanted too much money? Maybe she was "over qualified" or maybe she didn't have the right degree. It is her contention that her religion was why they didn't give her the permanent job, but no one actually said that to her directly. How can she prove it? Sounds like she was well accepted in her job, as most of the staff liked her enough to write recommendations (15) for her.

Truth is sometimes life just ain't fair. Blaming every injustice on prejudice just makes the world that more PC prone.....and the way I see it PC world sucks. I want a fair and just world free of bias, like everyone here, but sometimes fair means not always getting what we want.

Of course, if religion was a factor, then that needs to be addressed. If not, she is just giving all Wiccans a black eye by being hyper-sensitive.

namaste

Elizabeth

I agree it is a tough balance to strike. Part gut-feeling, part case-by-case analysis. I dislike PC as much as I dislike intolerance. They are the opposite sides of the same coin, as far as I can see.

It would be great if people could simply establish some common ground: realize we are all connected, what happens to you happens to me, & basically honor the golden rule (which I find expression of in all religions), treat others with the respect and understanding we wish for ourselves. It's as simple, and yet as difficult for many, as that.

be so difficult? In a perfect world, our common ground should be the fact that we are all human. :)

I suppose my original point was that it will be harder to find common ground with some Christians if we become their "adversaries" without a real cause. They will feel justified in distrusting us if it turns out this woman is just using her religion to further a selfish desire. I judge based only on one article, so I do so at my own peril, but it seems there is little to her claim.

Not that using ones religion to further oneself hasn't been done in the past (Robertson, Falwell, Bush) but hasn't the Wiccan religion been trashed enough already? And of the evil aforementioned trio, Falwell and Robertson would be all too willing to demonize her in a very public forum for it, ever widening the gap of understanding.

I wish that woman well and like I said before, if she was wronged I hope it is put right.

be well,

Elizabeth

You're assuming a lot. If she is bringing a "frivolous lawsuit" it will come out in court and could cost her a lot more then her job.

Perhaps you should complain that the reporter did not clearly report the reasons this Wiccan brought the lawsuit.

You judge too quickly. Do you see every fight against discrimination in this harsh light? And why?

I'll just assume our courts work and that this Wiccan will have her day in court, ...in spite of the efforts of conservatives to restrict our legal rights.By the way the majority of frivolous litigation in this country is business against business. A little known fact the right ignores.


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PaganWarrior/

I'm still dying to see how the "we want to broadcast our religion everywhere" Xian fundies react when it is a Wiccan claiming to be the victim.

Maybe Time Magazine's Person of the year should have been "The Hypocrite."

i've got no problem with anybody's religion. you believe whatever you want, fine with me.

but unless someone specifically says "we don't like your kind around here" or something similar, or unless there are other concrete reasons t suspect religious discrimination, i call bullshit. people that think just because they are in the minority means that everybody's out to get them creates an uphill battle for people that really have it bad.