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- Pagan Awareness Campaign
Pagan Awareness | America's
Secular Government | Pagan Awareness
Campaign
 Join the Cause
- Display The Pagan Awareness Ribbon On Your Site!
- Show your pagan pride and join us in the Pagan Awareness
Campaign. Here's how to do it.
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When you're done, this is what you should have.
- I Support
- Pagan Awareness
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 Pagan Intolerance
- Witchcraft is one of the fastest growing religions in America
today. As well as around the world. Many people are becoming
disillusioned with the politics and overpowering control that
fundamentalist religions are pushing in our world today. "Membership
in Wiccan, Deity, Druid and Pagan(PDF) sects has been skyrocketing
-- up from an unregistered blip in 1990 to more than 350,000
as of 2001" according to the Washington
Post.
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- What this means is that intolerance against pagans is also
growing. Increased numbers of pagans are coming out of the broom
closet only to discover bigotry and injustice in their workplace,
in government and even at home. Take a few of the News
stories that have occurred in the last few years as an example.
- In April 2007 Illinois a Witch
School was forced into closing by the community it resided
in.
- An Army Chaplin who was
denied a transfer to become the first Wiccan Chaplin within the
military, because he converted to Witchcraft.
- In December 2006, while discussing the first Muslim US congressmen
on air, CNN Promoted Bigotry of
Pagans.
- A Wiccan group in Florida was denied Tax-Exempt status on
religious materials. While Christian, Jewish and other mainstream
religions do enjoy that tax-exemption.
- In Chicago a woman was fired from her job for asking to take
off work for a religious holiday. She was Wiccan and her company
labeled her a Devil Worshiper.
- And one of the biggest slaps in the face came again from
the US Government who honored a fallen soldier with the Bronze
Star; but refused to place a Wiccan star on his headstone. Fallen Soldier Gets a Bronze Star but
No Pagan Star. After suing the government and fighting the
bigotry against the religion of Witchcraft, his widow finally
won her argument and now the VA
Allows Wiccan Symbols on Headstones.
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- But these are not the only stories of bigotry in our society
today. There are many more that do not make the headlines. A
mother going through a bitter divorce was put on notice that
her Wiccan faith would become the subject of her not being fit
to retain custody of her children. A teacher in small rural community
was pushed out of her job by parents who learned she was a member
of a local Coven. Even though she never brought her religion
into the class room. And there have been many court cases brought
against employers who have refused to honor holiday vacation
time of Witches, when they allow vacation time for all other
mainstream religions.
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- Pagan Awareness - What
You Can Do
- It seems we start each year with a review of how far we've
come as a pagan community in the previous year. Unfortunately
that growth in our faith also brings about more visible public
intolerance against pagans. Many groups are calling for Pagans
to step up and be counted. The Witches’ Voice recently published
their own article Stand Up and Be Counted
and provided some wonderful suggestions that anyone can do.
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- And here at PagansPath we too are asking Pagans to stand
up and sing for your rights and the rights of others. You can
start with writing letters to your government representatives,
become more involved in your community as a pagan practioner,
sponsoring or attending events in the name of your pagan organization.
Help support charity organizations through donations in the name
of your coven, or pagan group. Support one of the Pagan charity
organizations such as The Officers Of Avalon. And especially keeping
current on your local, state and federal government politics.
Attend political rallies and ask questions to your candidates
about how they're going to support minority religious groups
such as pagan or Wiccan organizations. And for goodness sake,
PLEASE VOTE! Let people know you're out there.
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- Even something as simple as wearing pagan pride t-shirts,
a pagan awareness ribbon of black and orange, or placing a bumper
sticker on your car. There are many organizations who offer Pagan
Awareness products. We have even created some of our own here
at the PagansPath sponsor store. But try a search
at Google and you'll find many online stores or organizations
who offer similar products.
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- These are your rights that are being trampled on by religious
zealots. Keeping quiet, doing nothing and staying in the broom
closet will not save your rights. Only through speaking up and
not being afraid to proclaim who and what you are, will the intolerance
end. I hope you can join us and the many pagans around the country
and the world who are singing out for the rights of pagans.
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- Pagan Resources
- Check our News & Info section
to find out more about Paganism in the news. And use the following
links to learn more about religious freedom activities, or to
contact your own government agencies.
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- Government Resources
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- Additional Reading
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