ACLU Warning Clarification - Bush State Religion

I received a concern that the ACLU warning was vague, so I reproduce the offending section below, which specifically allows religious organizations who receive federal funding to discriminate on the basis of "particular religion" (while, schizophrenically and significantly, it requries them not to discriminate on other bases). The bold in the quotes are mine, for readability.

Now, which religion's organizations receive or are likely to receive funding under the legislation, I wonder? Do we think it will be the Church of Wicca? The various Druidic orders? Might, perhaps Christian organizations be more likely?

I personally feel this is aimed at Islam, not paganism, but the sword cuts any way it wants. It is (1) repressive; (2) inappropriate in a "democratic" society; (3) clearly shows the Bush administration's willingness to fight a domestic religious battle with the tools of government, to go along with what many see as his religious war abroad, and thus (4) is a violation of separation of church and state, and thus unconstitutional.

SEC. 127. NONDISCRIMINATION.

Section 188(a)(2) (29 U.S.C. 2931(a)(2)) is amended to read as
follows:
``(2) Prohibition of discrimination regarding
participation, benefits, and employment.--
``(A) In general.--Except as provided in
subparagraph (B), no individual shall be excluded from
participation in, denied the benefits of, subjected to
discrimination under, or denied employment in the
administration of or in connection with any such
program or activity because of race, color, religion,
sex, (except as otherwise permitted under title IX of
the Education Amendments of 1972), national origin,
age, disability, or political affiliation.
``(B) Exemption for religious organizations.--
Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to a recipient of
financial assistance under this title that is a
religious corporation, association, educational
institution, or society, with respect to the employment
of individuals of a particular religion to perform work
connected with the carrying on by such corporation,
association, educational institution, or society of its
activities Such recipients shall comply with the other
requirements contained in subparagraph (A).''.

Post Pantheacon #2 - A Sense of Community

I have been digesting the Pantheacon experience in an effort to summarize what the whole thing meant to me. Two words keep coming ot mind: community and service.

The overall flavor of the 'con was concerned with building and serving the pagan religious communities. A recurrent theme among presenters was the concept of pagan clergy: what it means, and how it should be trained to service the greater community, including the community beyond paganism. (I note that it never seemed to be in question that a professonal clergy is required - a question which has been hotly debated in the community in the past.) In this regard, the Cherry Hill Seminary, as well as Amber K's Ardantane Project (among others) both are developing formal training programs aimed at preparing pagan clergy for professional service.

This is an idea which has been debated among the community (or, should I say, communities) for a long time. However, as the pagan population is rising daily, the issue of professoinal service becomes more and more salient. It indicates our maturity as a community that we are now turning our efforts to developing a professionally trained class to service our needs in the areas of marriage, funeral rites, rits of passage, counselling and more. The pagan community needs these services badly.

Even more encouraging is that the whole conference had a tone of service, and the idea of service didn't stop at the borders of the pagan community; it extended to the mainstream society around us. An example is the Grey School of Wizardry spearheaded by Oberon Zell-Ravenheart. The Grey School of Wizardy is an on-line college designed for children age 11 and up, and covers a curriculum designed to stimulate their minds and give them the skills and passion to help them excel in their scholastic - and nonscholastic - lives. In short, to help make them real life "wizards" who affect their world for the better. It is not a school intended only for pagan children. This effort exemplifies the best that our path has to offer: creativity, fun, and reaching beyond our own small world to help the community around us.

And it seems to sum up the spirit of service that I felt emanated from the many presenters, panel members and participants at Pantheacon. As the pagan community continues to struggle with identity and religious expression, this willingness to reach out in a positive way to mainstream society is a sign of growing maturity and confidence. I left Pantheacon with a feeling of pride in my community and a sense of being honored by the presence of many truly great people.

Bush Pushing State Religion

I received this from one of my lists, and I think you all should know about it. The bold highlighting is mine.

Date: Wed 2/23/2005 1:21 PM
From: Matt Howes, National Internet Organizer, ACLU
Subject: Urge Your Representative to Oppose Religious Discrimination

The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote next week on a bill that would further President Bush's faith-based program for government-funded religion. The bill would allow organizations that receive our tax dollars to discriminate against employees on the basis of their religion. An amendment to restore civil rights protections is expected to be introduced by Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia. This civil rights amendment should be supported.

Act Now to Urge Congress to Oppose Government-Funded Religious Discrimination!

The proposed legislation would jeopardize civil rights and religious freedom because it would roll back protection against discrimination or misuse of government funds by religious organizations. For the first time ever, it would allow religious organizations involved in federal job training programs to discriminate according to religion when hiring staff for these taxpayer-funded services.

Non-profits -- whether religious or secular -- that provide taxpayer-funded services currently need to obey federal hiring guidelines. Under this proposal, religious non-profits would be able to hire individuals only from their particular regligion to provide thse taxpayer-funded services. For example, a highly qualified social worker might be rejected because she "wasn't the right kind of Christian" to work on a job training program.

Last Congress, similar attempts at relgious discrimination were beaten back thanks to the emails and letters sent by ACLU Action Network activists. We need to let Congress know that we are still standing strong against religious discrimination and do not want this legislation to pass unless critical civil rights protections are restored.

Click here for more information and to take action:

http://www.aclu.org/ReligiousLiberty/ReligiousLiberty.cfm?

Post Pantheacon - #1

Well, we got back from Pantheacon last night and here is the first installment of my thoughts:

1. Your Odor Preceedeth You. Holy cow, being "pagan" doesn't mean you should smell like you've lived without the benefit of soap or clean underwear for a decade! I can't speak for other traditions, but as a Wiccan and an Isian, I know ensuring your cleanliness before you enter ritual is a requirement - to be respectful toward the Gods and for common decency. Some people who attended the 'con seem to have missed out on these basic hygiene lessons. Even though these uh, funky people were in a small minority, their presence was known to all of us. Especially in things like Friday night's PombaGira Devotional, where the crowd was so thick you couldn't help but share a little body contact with your neighbors. The Pantheacon program has several admonitions regarding ritual and convention etiquette, but a suggestion to bathe regularly is not among them. Maybe the organizers thought basic hygiene is just plain common sense. So did I...

2. Was Anyone Good There? This is a question I was asked and the answer is... YES! From the perspective of Moonrise, Pantheacon was a gold mine of networking and contact. In attendance were (in no particular order) Oberon Zell-Ravenheart, Amber K, Azrael, Raven Grimassi, Chris Penczak, Gavin and Yvonne Frost, Lon Milo DuQuette, Macha Nightmare, Z Budapest, Jason Augustus Newcomb, T. Thorn Coyle, Don Michael Kraig, John Michael Greer, and many, many more.

3. Photos, Photos, Photos... Another thing NOT in the Pantheacon program guide is a proscription on photos. Now, I saw LOTS of cameras at Pantheacon, but the organizer, Glenn Turner, had already told me my own cameras would not be permitted (see my article entitled Pagans, Paranoia and Pantheacon). When a friend tried to take pix of her buddies, she was quickly informed by security that photos were not permitted because "people attending could lose their jobs". Now, that's just plain stupid, especially given that this publicly accessible and high profile convention took place at the Doubletree Hotel in San Jose, while the hotel was doing its regular business. For four days, Pantheacon attendees paraded through the hotel lobby, and out onto public streets, while businesspeople and tourists watched curiously (and some took pictures). If Pantheacon really wants to remain secret, it should stop advertising, and consider a quiet little gathering in an undisclosed location inaccessible to anyone but invitees. And maybe insist on passwords, masks, pseudonyms, and cash only so as to prevent the disclosure of the real identities of participants. Glenn's outdated and paranoid attitude did not prevent photos from being taken, but it did prevent many people from getting photographic memories with their friends at an otherwise enjoyable weekend. Memories are important, and it was unfair on of Pantheacon to interfere with this. I hope this changes in the future.

4. Pagan Public Speakers Need Work. Personally, I really enjoyed most of the seminars and rituals I attended at Pantheacon. And some speakers are incredible. For instance, if you ever get a chance to attend anything by noted authors Chris Penczak or Lon Milo DuQuette, do so; they're both amiable, charismatic and lots of fun to listen to. Having said that, many of the presenters I saw could benefit from a good public speaking course. My message to presenters in this and other public situations (myself included): the Goddess may have touched you with a message or talent, but don't expect her to do everything - get some training so you can get her message across effectively.

5. Pantheacon's PR and (Dis)Organization. Generally, I thought the 'con went pretty smoothly (some of my compatriots differ with me). Most events went off without a hitch. As indicated above, the quality of presentations varied widely. There were, however, numerous cancellations with no alternates to fill in the time slots. And there were several instances of cancellations where no cancellation was posted. And most disappointingly for me personally and a great many other attendees, Sunday's event by Meryw nyw Bast (you figure it out) entitled Bast - A Celebration of Life closed its doors before the posted time and refused to admit anyone once doors were closed, even though the program indicated this would not be the case. Everyone understood this was a ritual, and that people might not be admitted after a certain time. However the mix-up in the program and at the time - which a festival organizer indicated to me was known to them - could have been resolved by delaying the start by 15 minutes or so. Pantheacon ought to have insisted on that, and the ritual organizers ought to have thought of it on their own. As it was, they denied themselves the attendance of a large number of eager participants, and disappointed many of us (and perhaps Bast as well?). Incidentally, our group received not the slightest hint of apology from an organizer who said she herself was responsible for the error in the program. In fact, she was quite rude about it and seemed to imply it was our fault for merely arriving on time. Way to work the P.R. machine, Pantheacon!

Paranoia, Press & Pantheacon

The Moonrise team is off to to the 11th annual Pantheacon, at San Jose, California. For information on Pantheacon, go here. While there, we will be meeting a large number of people in the Wiccan and Pagan community, telling them about Moonrise, schmoozing and doing the convention thing - and just maybe getting an interview or two in as well.

To be honest, Pantheacon was NOT forthcoming about our attendance. They ignored more than a month of emails, two phone conversations and faxed requests. When I finally pinned down Glenn Turner, the organzer, she indicated to me that she had no mechanism for press passes or official press attendance and would not create any. She made it very clear that media attendance is not welcome. Her only explanation was that allowing media could threaten the privacy of attendees, many of whom are fearful of being found out. This struck me as more than odd, since Pantheacon is a publicly advertised convention, with public attendance welcome at a prominent location, and it relies for its own success on publicity. Pantheacon charges people to attend and charges vendors to show their wares. Anyone who attends obviously knows they could be seen as a Pagan, and I don't buy that people are dumb enough to attend a public convention thinking no one can see them. Frankly, Ms. Turner's explanation holds no water at all.

My only conclusion is that the organizers are not well versed in dealing with media, and perhaps that is understandable, considering that they may seldom have had to deal with media officially before. But I expected that they would have put their minds to creating a positive media environment, if only for the good of their attendees and themselves.

This brings up two issues that will be addressed in Moonrise, and which we, as the Pagan community have to deal with: The Press and Paranoia.

The Press
First, the Pagan community needs to understand how to deal with the media. Pantheacon's response to me was just plain inappropriate in this regard. We should all understand how the Law of Return applies here. If I were a secular newspaper reporter, rather than a Wiccan film maker, Glenn Turner's response to me would have been a challenge I might not be able to resist. The law being on my side, I can report what I want, take and use photos or video I want from any public place, and I've already been given an uncooperative response from the organizers, so I would likely feel I have to sneak around and ferret out whatever dirt I could find. Thus, the work I produce would certainly end up inaccurate and might be slanted against the interests of who I am reporting on. An uncooperative attitude invites that kind of return.

On the other hand, sophisticated organizers will assist the media in their jobs, and they will more often get a positive return. They will provide proper press passes (standard everywhere) which admit media, and which identify them as media wherever they go in the convention (so people are warned). They will also provide a press liason, who will assist media in getting the information they seek. Media who do not follow the rules are expelled and thus there is a great incentive for media cooperation. Thus, the organizers gain control over the process, they limit sneak reporting, and because they have been helpful and forthcoming, they have the right to expect fair and positive coverage. Favorable coverage is never guaranteed, of course, but when you help people do their job, they tend to help you in yours. Again, it is the Law of Return in action.

Because, you see, there will be coverage of Pantheacon by myself and by mainstream press whether the organizers like it or not. You cannot hide a couple thousand Pagans in and around a prominent hotel, at a public annual convention that has been well publicized. Why pretend you can? And why pretend you can hide what people do at a convention to which the public is invited? This leads to the second issue: paranoia.

Paranoia
To paraphrase Gavin and Yvonne Frost, who have been openly Wiccan since the 1970s, if you are secretive about what you do in this country, they're going to hang you. Secrecy breeds suspicion and paranoia becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. It's another application of the Law of Return.

The popularity of Paganism makes attempts to hide a little bit difficult these days, and it's only going to get harder. Wicca in particular is no longer in the closet. As Carle Weschcke, a publisher at Llewellyn said in a 2002 interview, it has gone mainstream. Wicca has been called the fastest growing religion in North America, and part of the growth - perhaps the greatest part - is due to the ever increasing publicity the Pagan community gets. The secular world knows about it, and it is curious about what Wiccans and Pagans do. They are not hateful; they are curious.

That's not to say that the fears certain people have of being "outed" as Pagans are unfounded. In fact, that is precisely the point: as long as we as a community attempt to remain insular we subject ourselves to the suspicion of the greater community (especially when, as is the case with Pantheacon, being insular is both an absurd contradiction and impossible). Our paranoia breeds fear, suspicion, and invites repression, both in ourselves and by society at large.

I agree however, that one thing the community must avoid is the intentional "outing" of individuals. Coming out of the "broom closet" is an ongoing discussion in the groups I particpate in, and it is of course a personal decision. But we need those who feel led to become public to become public, for our own personal good and the good of our community. It is in that spirit that Moonrise is being produced.

Moonrise is a positive attempt at creating understanding and tolerace of the Wiccan and Pagan community. It is my response to those in the Pagan community who like to breed fear (and don't kid yourselves, we have a lot of them), and to those in mainstream society who want to understand us (and there are a lot of them, too).

A scientific (and philosophical) axiom is that when you change what you look at, what you look at changes. In previous times, I was sometimes as paranoid as many in our community and I saw the potential for dangerous repression all around me. In the short time I have been working on this project, I have changed my focus to finding acceptance and tolerance, and guess what? I've found there are far more accepting people out there than angry, hateful fundamentalists. I am looking at the positive acceptance of Wicca by mainstream society. That's what Moonrise is about.

Moonrise Goes Live!

As of February 17, 2005, Moonrise: The Rise of Wicca and Paganism in North America is officially in production!

Wicca, now over 50 years old, has gone through tremendous struggle in its development. It continues to experience the inevitable growing pains that any significant social or religious movement is bound to go through. Where will it go? What are the common ethics, tenets, beliefs and practices across Wiccan and other Pagan tradidions? It is certain: Wicca has reached a level of membership - a critical mass if you will - which sets it ready to explode. As much as some people wish it, Wicca and Paganism is clearly not going away. Therefore, it is of great interest to everyone in our society - Pagan, Christian, Jewish and others - to learn about this movement from members of the movement.

Moonrise is a rich tapestry of music, performances, interviews with Wiccan and Pagan leadership, and exposition. It explores the historical and metaphorical development of Wicca and other Pagan practices in North America; it explains the ethics and tenets of these religions, and seeks to present reliable information in a positive way. It is the first documentary on North American Wicca and Paganism that is intended for both a mainstream and Pagan audience. (In fact, to my knowledge, it is the first documentary ever).

Wicca is now over 50 years old as an open religion. The founders of the movement are passing, and one important task of Moonrise is to document them and their views for posterity. Another is to profile the kind of person who is attracted to these religions, and why they choose them over the mainstream. In short: what is the social and political attraction to Wicca, and what, if anything, have the mainstream religions failed to address that might push people toward Paganism?

This blog will detail the experiences and observations of the filmmakers throughout the production of Moonrise. Many things here will never be seen in the final version of the production. So join us on our journey, learn about our experiences, and keep abreast of the progress of this ground-breaking documentary!

You can check out the official Moonrise site at www.moonrisemovie.com. And don't forget to join our Yahoo Group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/moonrisemovie, where we discuss some of the issues raised here! Your input is welcome here, and there!