Wiccan priestess brings federal case for right to pray at town council meetings

EllisDTripp · Feb 3, 2005

You gotta love the double standard that these fundie asswipes try to uphold. First they bitch and scream that religion is being forced out of public institutions, and then they do a 180 and try to prevent religions OTHER THAN THEIR OWN from enjoying equal rights under the law.

It's either equal time for ALL faiths, or no place for ANY of them. You can't have it both ways, shitheads! If you want the right to cram Xtian prayers into public gatherings and official government functions, then you better damned well allow EVERYBODY (including those pesky Pagans!) to have an equal place at the table....

http://www.timesdispatch.com/servle...TD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031780620180

Court to hear Wiccan's appeal
Witch was denied the chance to pray before Chesterfield board
BY TOM CAMPBELL AND MEREDITH BONNY
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITERS
Thursday, February 3, 2005

The federal appeals court in Richmond will hear arguments this morning on whether a witch should be allowed to give the opening prayer at Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors meetings.

Cynthia Simpson, a Wiccan priestess who calls herself a witch, was denied a place on the list of religious leaders invited to pray at board meetings because the invocations "are traditionally made to a divinity that is consistent with the Judeo-Christian tradition," she was told in a letter from the county.

Wicca's beliefs are not of a deity that is separate from humanity, but that human beings and everything in and on the earth are all part of what is divine.

When Simpson sued the county in U.S. District Court, Magistrate Judge Dennis W. Dohnal ruled in her favor. He said the county policy that invocations be in the Judeo-Christian tradition excluded Simpson "because of a stated government preference for a different set of religious beliefs." That violates the Constitution, Dohnal said.

Chesterfield County appealed the case to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

County Attorney Steven L. Micas will argue for Chesterfield. Rebecca K. Glenberg of the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia represents Simpson. The hearing will be the second of three this morning starting at 9 a.m. at the University of Richmond Law School.

Yesterday, Micas defended the county's position. "We have had this policy in place for 20 years. It's remained through five boards of supervisors. The law supports the policy," he said.

Kent Willis, executive director of the Virginia ACLU, disagrees. "Chesterfield County has asked the 4th Circuit to stand on its head 200 years of tradition and law protecting the rights of all religions to be treated equally," he said.
Click to expand...

cerridwen · Feb 4, 2005

indeed, I agree with you... although I'm not sure I'd get that angry about it...

ForestNymphe · Feb 4, 2005

Good for her!
Thanks for posting this Ellis.

kitty fabulous · Feb 27, 2005

wow, is this case still dragging on? i first heard about it quite some time ago, when simpson first challenged the policy. from a constitutional standpoint, chesterfield county hasn't got a prayer (pardon the pun). it should be an open and shut case. challenges like this have happened before, and the discriminating policy is always shot down. there are numerous precidents. why are they wasting taxpayer money with an appeal???

Mesektet · Feb 28, 2005

good luck to her regardless

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Wiccan priestess brings federal case for right to pray at town council meetings

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Wiccan priestess brings federal case for right to pray at town council meetings

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cerridwen in stitches

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kitty fabulous smoked tofu

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