Finally

[ysengrin]

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs agrees to a settlement concerning the Wiccan use of the pentacle ... this was a process that started back in 1997.

Under the terms of the settlement ... the federal government will recognize the right of Wiccans to have the pentacle made available as an emblem of belief for inscription on headstones, grave markers and memorial plaques. The VA will add the symbol to its list of available emblems of belief.

Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn had stepped forward and approved the use of the pentacle on a verteran's headstone (Sgt. Patrick Stewart) last year.

Via The Wild Hunt.

Comments

[schnee.livejournal.com]

Great! Although it still troubles me that the state decides which religious symbols are or aren't appropriate...

[ysengrin.livejournal.com]

Supposedly, the main criteria for approval was that an organized group from that religion must file the paperwork, so that the symbol's proper configuration would be on file -- to prevent screw-ups like the Christian cross getting inscribed upside down because the carver didn't know any better. As far as I know the Wiccan pentacle was the only symbol requested that wasn't quickly approved (and several others have been since 1997).

"Wicca" has appeared (optionally) for religious orientation on dogtags for many years.

[schnee.livejournal.com]

Mmm. Yeah, but it's really the general idea that the state can come up with a list of allowed symbols that seems wrong to me. I can understand that they don't want arbitrary symbols on headstones, but what if my own spirituality is not represented by any organised religion, for example? Does that mean that the symbol I'd choose - for myself only - would not be approved because there is not actually a group of others using the same symbol and campaigning for it?

I can see what they're trying to accomplish, but it just seems wrong to me, and the fact that this was dragged on for 10 years shows that the system is not fair *even* when it comes to symbols of established, organised religions.

Well, not that it's ever going to matter to me personally, of course, but... it just rubs me the wrong way. :P

[ysengrin.livejournal.com]

You have the same issues in many private cemeteries, too. I can still remember all the paperwork and discussions we had to go through to get the ARRL logo on my Grandfather's headstone, per his wishes. Not a religious symbol, but you get the idea.

[schnee.livejournal.com]

*noddles* That sucks, too...

[thakur.livejournal.com]

your grandfather was a Amateur radio operator?
I wonder what his callsign was?
I have had my own license since 1971 even though I dont get 'on' as often as I would like.

Ivan VK2ZOQ

[ysengrin.livejournal.com]

5ZC, at least back in 1916 when he first got it.

[ysengrin.livejournal.com]

Oh, and a little background ... "I don't think that witchcraft is a religion. I wish the military would rethink this decision." -- George W. Bush to ABCNEWS, June, 1999. He was talking about the policy of permitting military Wiccans to perform rituals at Fort Hood in Texas; he was governor of Texas at the time.

[schnee.livejournal.com]

*noddles* Yeah, I heard about that before. And I can't say I'm surprised...