Oy

A series on an American woman who chose to wear a Saudi style veil, apparantly so she could write a 4-part series complaining about the experience, and particularly complaining that women who veil should be discriminated against more.

*sigh* If she'd bothered to, you know, try asking someone who covers, Muslim or not, we could have told her a little about it, and far less of it would come as a surprise. (Such as: most people in a grocery are not going to even look at what you're wearing. They're there to get their cornflakes, baking soda, and tomato soup and couldn't possibly care less.) Heck, half of her complaints had to do with not knowing anybody (or asking anybody) who actually wears a covering on a regular basis. And most of the rest seemed to be that nobody actually hassled her, though some people *did* whisper about her at her gym.

Yeesh.

Check it out.

Don has some interesting thoughts on the politicization of Christmas display decisions.

http://countrycontemplative.wordpress.com/2007/12/01/christmas-displays/

Religion and the military

One other thing bothered me about the laundry list of calumny that I responded to yesterday. It contrasted a hypothetical "you" clutching a cell phone, with an equally hypothetical "he" clutching the cross next to his dog tags. Back on the winter solstice, I wrote:

I hate this feeling that the war sits on my shoulders in a way that it doesn't sit on most of our lawmakers' shoulders. I wonder in what world of delusion some of them are sitting to imagine we can take the additional burden of an expanded presence. I wonder how many will sit this season, half hearing Christmas carols and sermons invoking peace on Earth and goodwill to man, and keep them in a completely separate compartment from the war that is being waged in our names, and in the name of the "Prince of Peace". And do not mistake: it is. I think the speech that made me the most angry at my father's homecoming was the minister who blessed the returning troops, making it very clear that Jesus was blessing their fight against the Foe. My mom, who is Christian, said afterwards that she had been very uncomfortable herself and couldn't imagine what it had been like for my husband and myself. I wondered what it must have been like for the young woman in hijab, holding her young child (obviously born during the early part of the deployment) in her lap.

Not every soldier is Christian. Some are Jews, athiests, agnostics, Pagans, Hindus, Buddhists, and yes, Muslims. And even some of those who are Christian do not buy the propaganda. My dad also expressed some discomfort with the sermon preached that day.

I've been there for swearing in ceremonies. I remember my dad swearing in a chaplain (who, yes, was Christian). Both stood there, in a bare parlor, standing to attention, right hands upraised, reciting the oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States from all enemies, foreign and domestic. There was no Bible involved, though there certainly were several available. This, you see, was not about religious study. It was about promising to serve. And while his decision to do that was informed by his faith, the chaplain would have been the first to tell you that others serve, too.

So stop insulting and marginalizing the service members who don't think or believe the way you do. It is unworthy of the sacrifice they make in agreeing to serve at the will of the nation. And realize that one can criticize those who thwart the will of the nation and abuse our soldiers, because that is the way we can serve them.

Justice delayed

The rabbis say that strife came into the world because of justice delayed and justice denied. And there isn't much there that I want to argue with. But when justice does come, even delayed, I believe it is cause for celebration. Today, we have exactly such a case. While I am not happy about more gravestones, I am happy that families of Wiccan soldiers may now put the symbol of their loved one's religion on the headstone. About time.

What this still does not answer is why the VA feels the need to limit what religious symbols may be placed on a headstone. As I have said before, it is none of the government's business if someone's religion happens to be 3rd Reformed Brethren and Sistren of the Great Pumpkin (Smith Patch Convocation - also called the "True Linusians") . Frankly, we're doing enough to our soldiers that if one wanted to have the symbol of "the finger" on their gravestone, I'd back 'em up.

The Establishment of Religion

*sigh* The Washington Post has a story about an Army chaplain who converted from Christianity to Wicca in large part because his inner voice convinced him that he ought to be a universalist and led him in that direction. As someone who has been both Christian and Neopagan, I know how hard it can be to struggle with the feeling that a different path is calling. (Calling? Heh. Sometimes, it felt like the only solid ground for miles seemed to be on that path.)

Feeling deeply convinced that he needed to follow that path, he applied to become the first Wiccan chaplain and was denied. As shown by the recent flap over a grave marker, there are Wiccans and other Neopagans in the armed services, and as of the present moment, they are all pretty much not served by the chaplaincy. His superior in the chaplain corps believes a grave injustice has been done, and I agree.

This is not about converting all soldiers to Wicca. For mercy's sake, it would be one chaplain (and hopefully a few more later) serving soldiers who have not had a chaplain to speak to their concerns. He specifically converted in part because he doesn't believe in the exclusivity of Truth. He jokes about being diagnosed with "Multiple Religions Disorder" (Hmm. I never really saw it as a disorder, but...)

Given that chaplains are expected to serve all soldiers, regardless of religious belief, I would think that another universalist would be a good thing, but then again, I'm not big on clergy, so what do I know?