Wiccans Lawsuit Settled

Joing the already acknowledged religions( and their 38 various symbols) Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and Islam, will be the Wiccan pentacle. The United States Department of Vetran Affairs; after having been in litigations with the families of Wiccan fallen soldiers have come to a settlement. The settlement which entitles the families to adorn the graves of lost loved ones with their most sacred religious symbol, ( in both national cemetaries as well as on government issued stones) also includes the U.S. DVA to pay out $225,000 in attorney fees and court costs. This also means that Wiccans can have the pentcale placed on grave markers in any cemetary- public or private, and most importantly will be given the respect given to all other religons.

Sources have stated that the original desicion(s) which did not allow the Wiccan pentacles to be placed on grave stones were influenced in part by political considerations. President Bush, while still govenor of Texas made a statement claiming he did not believe that "witchcraft is a religon". Various documents that supported the fact the VA was influenced by such became known during litigations. Wiccans were not entitled to the same rights as other religious groups and continuosly face stigmas due to misinformation and dogma.

The media has frequently tainted the idealology of Wicca; often refer to it in the same regard as Satanism, inverting the pentacle which is mean to serve as a reminder of the five elements not devil worship. Air, water, earth, fire, and spirit are alot different than hatred and defiance upon last check. Despite the beliefs of the majority, in the Constitution we are entitled to the freedom of religon- regardless of whether the majority practices or agrees with the religon at hand.

The lwsuit was brought forth by the Americans United for Seperation Between Church and State on behalf of the Wiccans, who were until now forced to bury their loved ones without religous acknowledment.

The 11 soldiers whose families had filed requests for markers with a pentacle on them will be recieving them within 14 days- just in time for the Memroial Day holiday.