| Submit your comments on this article |
| Home Front: Culture Wars |
| Nevada man believed to be the first Wiccan killed in combat |
| 2006-07-06 |
| This one's a little different... At the Veterans Memorial Cemetery in the small town of Fernley, Nev., there is a wall of brass plaques for local heroes. But one space is blank. There is no memorial for Sgt. Patrick D. Stewart. That's because Stewart was a Wiccan, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has refused to allow a symbol of the Wicca religion -- a five-pointed star within a circle, called a pentacle -- to be inscribed on U.S. military memorials or grave markers. The department has approved the symbols of 38 other faiths; about half of are versions of the Christian cross. It also allows the Jewish Star of David, the Muslim crescent, the Buddhist wheel, the Mormon angel, the nine-pointed star of Bahai and something that looks like an atomic symbol for atheists. Stewart, 34, is believed to be the first Wiccan killed in combat. He was serving in the Nevada National Guard when the helicopter in which he was riding was shot down in Afghanistan last September. He previously had served in the Army in Korea and Operation Desert Storm. He was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. His widow, Roberta Stewart, scattered his ashes in the hills above Reno and would like him to have a permanent memorial. She said the veterans cemetery in Fernley offered to install a plaque with his name and no religious symbol. She refused. "Once they do that, they'll forget me. They don't like having a hole in the wall," she said. "I feel very strongly that my husband fought for the Constitution of the United States, he was proud of his spirituality and of being a Wiccan, and he was proud of being an American." Wicca is one of the fastest-growing faiths in the country. Its adherents have increased almost 17-fold from 8,000 in 1990 to 134,000 in 2001, according to the American Religious Identification Survey. The Pentagon says that more than 1,800 Wiccans are on active duty in the armed forces. Wiccans still suffer, however, from the misconception that they are devil worshipers. Some Wiccans call themselves witches, pagans or neopagans. Most of their rituals revolve around the cycles of nature, such as equinoxes and phases of the moon. Wiccans often pick and choose among religious traditions, blending belief in reincarnation and feminine gods with ritual dancing, chanting and herbal medicine. Federal courts have recognized Wicca as a religion since 1986. Prisons across the country treat it as a legitimate faith, as do the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. military, which allows Wiccan ceremonies on its bases. "My husband's dog tags said 'Wiccan' on them," Stewart noted. But applications from Wiccan groups and individuals to VA for use of the pentacle on grave markers have been pending for nine years, during which time the symbols of 11 other faiths have been approved. Department spokeswoman Josephine Schuda said VA turned down Wiccans in the past because religious groups used to be required to list a headquarters or central authority, which Wicca does not have. But that requirement was eliminated last year, she noted. "I really have no idea why it has taken so long" for the Wiccan symbol to gain approval, Schuda said. The department declined repeated requests from The Washington Post to speak to higher-ranking officials about the issue. Retired Army Chaplain William Chrystal, a United Church of Christ minister who was chaplain of Stewart's National Guard unit, has strongly backed Roberta Stewart's request. "It's such a clear First Amendment issue, I can't even conceive of why they are not granting it, except for political reasons," he said. "I think the powers that be are afraid they'll alienate conservative Christians if they approve a symbol that connotes witches and warlocks casting spells and brewing potions." Nevada's congressional delegation, including Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D), also has supported Roberta Stewart. But letters printed by Nevada newspapers indicate how much hostility Wiccans face. "I don't see how anything that supports witchcraft and satanism can legitimately be called a religion," one reader wrote to the Reno Gazette-Journal. Stewart said that she is trying to educate people about Wicca, as well as to fulfill her husband's wishes. "Until he is laid to rest," she said, "I cannot rest." |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #19 As a Christian, who has had trouble with most established Churches, I feel for this fellow and his wife. I am embarassed for us as a country when someone who has a faith and association cannot have what is important to him & important for his family. Some bureaucrat, has one crosswise up its backside. |
| Posted by: BigEd 2006-07-06 19:53 |
| #18 Right on TW. Coincidentally I finally got around to buying the Chronicles of Narnia. I enjoy those books, especially "the horse and his boy" - good stuff. Anyways, I agree w/y'all on Sgt Stewart. Put the pentacle up & be done w/it. When I was training recruits I had more wiccans in my companies than Muslims or Jews put together for whatever reason. Eerrily enough, the platoons w/the most wiccans somehow seemed to win all the final drill competitions. |
| Posted by: Broadhead6 2006-07-06 19:29 |
| #17 Whatever the soliders want. limited to 26 minutes carving and grinding. |
| Posted by: 6 2006-07-06 16:37 |
| #16 There are Wiccans in Fernley, Nevada? Trust me: that's news in and of itself. Seriously, though, the man served his nation honorably. Let him have the symbol he chooses on his grave. |
| Posted by: Secret Master 2006-07-06 15:52 |
| #15 my uncle, a WW2 Marine who fought in the pacific theater, and a Fernley local for 70+ yrs, was buried there 2 years ago. Nice little cemetary. |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-07-06 15:31 |
| #14 From a practical standpoint, I don't think that the Veterans Affairs should be required to spend the money to retool their equipment for every single god that one can choose to worship. That said - 1800 and growing is a significant number of soldiers and thus it's not an unreasonable request. We each choose the God we want to worship (or not at all) and that choice should be respected as it is, in my opinion, what you are taking into the hereafter. |
| Posted by: 2b 2006-07-06 15:26 |
| #13 I don't believe Sgt. Stewart's brothers and sisters who are buried in the cemetery would mind if he had a pentacle on his memorial. He fulfilled his oath to his country and deserves to be honored like every other soldier there. Blessed be, Sgt. Stewart, and thank you for your service, from all the members of my family (a Catholic, a nondenominational Christian, an atheist and a pagan). |
| Posted by: Swamp Blondie 2006-07-06 15:11 |
| #12 #6 "Freedom OF Religion" so in my view if you worship ants, the devil or God you should be allowed your due freedom right. Let's not forget they ever popular pedophile prophet and his cute little jihadi death cult. The main pillar of the WOT is to identify Islam as a death cult, rather than a religion, therefore, no rights exist for Islam in any form. Until that time, Islam slowly wins the WOT. The debate has started, now let's all pile on. Let's demand Islam be labeled a death cult, a teacher of violence and a basis of slavery. Let's fight to win. |
| Posted by: wxjames 2006-07-06 12:27 |
| #11 Good point, TW. I'm a conservative Christian, think Wicca should be acknowledged as a religion, with the accompanying separation of church and state, and Sgt. Stewart should be recognized for his service, rather than be discriminated against. We all owe our freedoms to the Constitution and any who dies to preserve them for the rest of us should be acknowledged posthumously. I truly don't think anyone will be overlooked in the hereafter either by the righteous Judge of all, as everyone will give an accounting for their own conduct. He's proved himself worthy. |
| Posted by: Danielle 2006-07-06 11:53 |
| #10 In the final book of C.S.Lewis' Narnian Chronicles, as the world of Narnia faces its Armageddon, the Lion Aslan (who, it has become clear, is the allegorical Christ) says, it doesn't matter at which god one lays his worship; good deeds in the Other's name always go to Me, evil done in my name always goes to the Other. Give the man his pentacle; his deeds are laid at the feet of the Good. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2006-07-06 11:24 |
| #9 Speaking as a conservative Christian (Catholic), as far as I'm concerned, Wicca is generally just a bundle of recycled newage trash. But it doenst offend me - unlike radical Islam, its not out to hurt anyone. The way I see it, it is every American's right to worship as he pleases as long as he isnt violating anyone's rights in doing so. So I see no reason for them to deny the symbol as long as its an upright star. This is typical tight-assed-ness on the part of the VA. A combat death is a combat death, and he swore the same oath to "uphold and defend", so should get the same treatment. (The inverted pentacle is offensive as it is a satanic symbol of long use) In my opinion, the article takes an unjustified swipe at conservative christians as the source of the delay - more likely its flat out ignorance and bureaucrats at the VA. Anyone that has dealt with the VA knows what I'm talking about. |
| Posted by: Oldspook 2006-07-06 10:59 |
| #8 Thank you to Sgt. Stewart, condolences to his family, and a foot up the hind end of the Dept. Vet. Affairs idiots who are holding this up. Get it done, and give the man the memorial he deserves. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2006-07-06 10:37 |
| #7 It means nothing to me - but it meant something to SGT Stewart - and evidently to his wife, and others who knew him. He gave "the last full measure of devotion" - he deserves to have the faith that he practiced displayed just as much as anyone else. Give him his pentacled plaque. |
| Posted by: Lone Ranger 2006-07-06 10:20 |
| #6 "Freedom OF Religion" so in my view if you worship ants, the devil or God you should be allowed your due freedom right. I dont agree with the Wicken thing but if that was his choice so beit. |
| Posted by: C-Low 2006-07-06 10:15 |
| #5 This isn't about a headstone. The body has been scattered. This is a political issue important to the living only. I don't know the other side of the story, but short of a swastika, hammer & sickle, etc. I could care less what meaningless, to me, symbol people put on their plaque. Whatever. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-07-06 10:10 |
| #4 Looks like they need to approve a 39th symbol then. Appreciate your service, Mr. Stewart. |
| Posted by: ExtremeModerate 2006-07-06 10:08 |
| #3 IIRC, while the VA will provide a free headstone, nothing precludes a privite one as long as it meets certain height and size requirements for the cemetary. |
| Posted by: Ebbavitle Omomotle4723 2006-07-06 10:02 |
| #2 I'm an athiest who firmly believes everyone has the right to believe what they want. Patrick Steward did the right thing and deserves to be honored for what he did. That's all. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2006-07-06 09:55 |
| #1 Thank you for your service, Sgt. Stewart. Blesséd be. |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2006-07-06 09:47 |