Judge: Witches can pray at county meeting - ACLU hails victory for non-majority religions

World Net Daily ^ | November 15, 2003 | staff

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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAW OF THE LAND Judge: Witches can pray at county meeting - ACLU hails federal decision as victory for non-majority religions

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted: November 15, 2003 1:00 a.m. Eastern

© 2003 WorldNetDaily.com

Witches, or practitioners of the Wicca religion, can pray at a county's board meeting, a federal judge ruled.

Officials in Chesterfield County, Virginia, discriminated against Cyndi Simpson, a Wiccan, when they barred her from being on a list of clergy who can open the board of supervisors meetings with prayer, said U.S. District Court Judge Dennis W. Dohnal, according to the Chesterfield Progress-Index newspaper.

The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia and Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

Wicca is regarded as a natural religion, "grounded in the earth." Followers of its many different forms generally believe all living things, as well as stars, planets, and rocks, have a spirit.

In a letter of explanation to Simpson, County Attorney Steven L. Micas said, "Chesterfield's nonsectarian invocations are traditionally made to a divinity that is consistent with the Judeo-Christian tradition," the paper reported.

But the judge ruled the board violated Simpson's constitutional right of equal and free expression of her religious beliefs.

Meanwhile, Dohnal argued, Christians are allowed to express their religious beliefs by delivering the "legislative prayer" allowed by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Expressing delight with the outcome, Simpson, 47, said she believed the decision would bring credibility to witchcraft as a religion, the paper reported.

The ruling was a victory for non-majority religions, said Kent Willis, executive director of the ACLU.

It demonstrated why church and state should remain separate institutions, he contended.

"As the framers of the Constitution understood from their own experiences, when the state uses its vast power to endorse religious activity, it will always make losers of some faiths and winners of others," said Willis, according to the Chesterfield daily. "That jeopardizes religious freedom."

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Why does the ACLU support witches' prayers but not 10 Commandments?
Organization is pure defender of the Constitution
Because minority interests need special protection
Proves ACLU not opposed to religion per se
Because witches don't oppress people like Christians do
ACLU really the 'Anti-Christian Liberties Union'
ACLU always on wrong side
ACLU wants to subvert American heritage
ACLU fears Christians will try to turn America into a theocracy
It's evil
Other

[ex-Texan]

Witches may also go to Hell . . . JMHO! Flame me at will.

[WOSG]

ANTI-CHRISTIAN LEFTIST UNION

[WOSG]

U.S. District Court Judge Dennis W. Dohnal, according to the Chesterfield Progress-Index newspaper."

Who appointed this left-wing-nut?!?!

[bicycle thug]

Flame, Hell, I know, pun unintended. Actually you are welcome to your opinion. As a Wicca practitioner, I do not believe in Hell or the devil.

I doubt seriously my merely believing in my religion in good faith would consign me to Hell if indeed there really were such a place. Even being that I once was Catholic.

We believe Hell and Hell fire was an image of suffering meant to recruit and to keep the faithful in line. Much as you would see the likes of me there for merely having the faith I do.

Well, when we pass we will see the truth if there is such a place. But really, we are a peaceful and harmless faith that has absolutely nothing to do with Satanists - who believe in the devil and all that.

I have met a Satanist here in Eugene, Oregon several years ago. Strange man that. Always had much to say in the negative about Wicca as weli as your faith.

Now, when he dies and if there is a Hell he is not only bent on going there, he insists he will enjoy it.

No accounting for tastes, is there?

[bicycle thug]

"Why does the ACLU support witches' prayers but not 10 Commandments?"

Actually, the ruling was that the Wicca practitioner can pray in an equal fashion as those prayers offered by members of other faiths had been at that meeting.

My group was once kicked out of a public meeting room at a local bank because of complaints by some Christain group.

We felt sadness, not anger as their intentions were good, but they obviously did not know enough about us to think we were a threat in any way.

We did find a better place to meet due to this action taken snubbing us BTW. The Goddess does at times bless us in mysterious ways.

[ClancyJ]

No this means that they have to be included as prayer leaders for the organization. I would have no problem with a group of whatever leading prayers for THEIR followers in a section of a meeting.

But, saying that a Christian now has to be lead in prayer by someone praying to a different god. No way - that infringes on our religious freedom and will not fly.

This is being done merely to create utter havoc in this country. It will create utter havoc because Christians will not stand for it and it will be a divide as big as the racial divide.

These people are evil that are trying to strip God from every facet of American life. They are evil for you and evil for us - because they are tampering with religious freedom. This tampering does not stop with each individual "win", it progresses because their true purposes are pure evil.

[ClancyJ]

And he TRUSTS the devil to do the RIGHT thing by him?

This is the devil remember - he does not do the right thing.

[Lurker]

You're ferret, aren't you....

L

[nightdriver]

"I doubt seriously my merely believing in my religion in good faith would consign me to Hell if indeed there really were such a place."

Your objection may not be to Christianity at all but to "churchianity."

More's the pity.

[goldstategop]

But it is verboten for Christians to pray at county meetings right? The ACLU theophobes aren't really anti-religious; perhaps its better to label them Christianophobes since according to them, its not a church state issue to be a good pagan.

[EGPWS]

"As the framers of the Constitution understood from their own experiences, when the state uses its vast power to endorse religious activity, it will always make losers of some faiths and winners of others," said Willis, according to the Chesterfield daily. "That jeopardizes religious freedom."

No it doesn't, however it will demean and degrade the worship of religion's that actually have any positive impact on todays society, to the point of putting them on the same level as these trivial religions that give no positive dogma at all to society.

[drlevy88]

yeah - since when did the aclu ever, EVER argue for Christians doing the same thing???

[EGPWS]

This is being done merely to create utter havoc in this country.

One does get the idea, at times, this is the agenda at hand through Liberalism as a whole.

[drlevy88]

The Liberals labor to turn the mountain upside down and set it, teetering, on its peak, then wonder why it won't work.

[expatguy]

If witches are going to be allowed, then we will have to allow the "Church of Homer Simpson"

Laugh all you want. The day is coming when someone will sue to have "The Church of Satan" or the "Church of Homer Simpson" recite a prayer before Congress. They will sue and they will win. - we must not discriminate you know, we must be tolerant and respect diversity.

The country of the United States is finished. Years from now it will be viewed as one of the shortest lived empires in the history of the Earth. Once the most powerful empires on Earth. A country with no enemies except itself.

Americans are the only ones who will destroy America.

[EGPWS]

The Liberals labor to turn the mountain upside down and set it, teetering, on its peak, then wonder why it won't work.

Then they take a neverending trek to find somebody else to blame for the demise which has been created.

[AmericaUnited]

As a Wicca practitioner, I do not believe in Hell or the devil.

Not to worry... the devil very much believes in you. Keep up the good work.

[FormerACLUmember]

The ACLU has degenerated to the point that its position on any issue is the very definition of pure evil.