The widows of two combat veterans sued the government Monday for not allowing Wiccan symbols on their husbands' military headstones.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs allows military families to choose any of 38 authorized headstone images. The list includes commonly recognized symbols for Christianity, Buddhism, Islam and Judaism, as well as those for smaller religions such as Sufism Reoriented, Eckiankar and the Japanese faith Seicho-No-Ie.
The Wiccan pentacle, a five-pointed star surrounded by a circle, is not on the list, an omission that the widows say is unconstitutional.
Well, I personally have a problem with the Wiccan pentacle but this is the land of religious freedom. I wonder were the soldiers Wiccan?
Read the full story.
If we are going to send people to fightand die for the possiblity of religious freedom and tolerance in other countries, we should honor the same concepts at home. If we can't be honorable enough to respect these fallen heroes, what right do we have to impose it on others.
I fail to see why the Department cannot allow the symbol to be used. It is a recognized symbol, not something cobbled together by any specific individual. While I do not support their personal position (i.e., paganism) it is their belief and one which we can only asume the two soldiers were willing to fight to defend. they died for their country and the right to follow their beliefs.
I personally feel as though the religious beliefs of the soldiers need to be investigated. If these soldiers were Wiccan then I can respect that. But just because they served and died for our country, should their wives' religious beliefs be put off on them? If the husband did not believe in Wicca, but rather was Catholic or some other religion....why wouldn't their religious affiliation be represented on their grave?
Unless this belief was really upheld and practiced by the soldiers, then I personally feel it is pretty selfish of the spouses to put forth their affiliation on their husbands after they have passed on.
