I am proud to have served my country for 20 years as a United States Marine. It greatly disturbs me to know that when I am laid to rest in the National Cemetery, my family will have the option of having a pentacle (five pointed star emblem of Wicca - Witchcraft) placed on my headstone but they will not have the option of placing silk flowers on my grave for six months out of every year because the National Cemetery is viewed as a “shrine" and the artificial flowers are said to detract from that image.
What is the next step? Will witches be allowed to conduct their rituals on the grounds of our national cemeteries? Why is it that we have to become politically correct in every facet of our life and now every facet of our death? The local newspaper stated that Wicca is a "nature based religion" (occult) and the points on the star represent earth, air, water, fire. Where is God? As in "God, corps, country, family" (Marine Corps philosophy).
When do we, as American veterans, stand up and say "enough is enough?" Let me be the first United States Marine/military veteran to stand up and say "enough is enough" and I hope others follow suit with their convictions and do not bow down to political correctness.
Semper Fidelis
51 comments
"It greatly disturbs me to know that when I am laid to rest in the National Cemetery, my family will have the option of having a pentacle (five pointed star emblem of Wicca - Witchcraft) placed on my headstone"Why does that disturb you? Are you afraid your relatives will put a pentacle on your grave? Are you equally disturbed that the 6-pointed star is available to them?
You signed on to defend your country and it's constitution, dipshit! Said constitution allows for freedom of religion... not just your religion but all religions. It's not just fucking "politically correct" to allow a pentacle on the soldiers tombstone, his right to religious expression when he was alive is guaranteed in the Constitution of the United States.
Is "God, corps, country, family" an official motto? In that case I would have thought it against the constitution too.
The only ritual any faith is able to perform at a national cemetery would be a funeral. It might look a little different than the one you're used to, but it's done in the same spirit. VA list of approved emblems
"I am proud to have served my country for 20 years as a United States Marine. It greatly disturbs me to know that when I am laid to rest in the National Cemetery, my family will have the option of having a pentacle (five pointed star emblem of Wicca - Witchcraft) placed on my headstone but they will not have the option of placing silk flowers on my grave for six months out of every year ...
Is your family that stupid that if told they couldn't put flowers down, they would opt for the pentagram?
What is the next step? Will witches be allowed to conduct their rituals on the grounds of our national cemeteries?
Don't the priests do that now? What's the difference?
Why is it that we have to become politically correct in every facet of our life and now every facet of our death?
Because you fought for those principles on which our nation was founded (you know, equality, freedom from religion, and all that) when you were a Marine, remember?
The local newspaper stated that Wicca is a "nature based religion" (occult) and the points on the star represent earth, air, water, fire. Where is God?
God left for the coast. He said you could handle this nonsense on your own.
When do we, as American veterans, stand up and say "enough is enough?"
That's kind of hard to do if you're dead and buried in a grave with a Pentagram on the headstone.
Let me be the first United States Marine/military veteran to stand up and say "enough is enough" and I hope others follow suit with their convictions and do not bow down to political correctness.
*crickets*
It is, in my eyes, the very perfection of arrogance to tell a person who has suffered a loss how to grieve.
It sounds like a jarhead missed the whole point of his 20 years of federal military service.
Dear Mr. Reilly
Your family could be intelligent enough to say NO!!, or are they coveted wiccans?. Besides, the second ammendments includes ALL denominations, why should wicca be any different?. If you defend a country where there is separation of church and state, the motto is irrelevant and no official. Nobody has to say it or take it literarilly. And by the way, the problem of the flowers affects them too.
Everyone else has pretty much covered the rest, so let me point out that, IIRC, the points of the star stand for earth, air, water, fire, and spirit. Five points, y'know. The divine is kind of included under spirit, even if Wiccans tend to interpret it differently from Christianity.had to have a definite faith, I'd probably choose Wicca. It seems like so long as you believe in not hurting people, you're cool. Of course, I suspect Christianity kind of started out along the same lines, but it got a little complicated along the way.
Irene
The local newspaper stated that Wicca is a "nature based religion" (occult) and the points on the star represent earth, air, water, fire. Where is God?
Wiccans have been fighting for 9 years to get the right to put the pentacle on their grave stones, and the VA (Veteran's association) have been blocking them this whole time, while small Christian sects get to put their own sects symbol on their grave stones. What is it about toleration that scares these people so much?
OK, a Marine is upset about another religious group being buried at Arlington, and whining about not being able to place silk flowers on his grave?
When do we, as American veterans, stand up and say "enough is enough?" Let me be the first United States Marine/military veteran to stand up and say "enough is enough"...
Sounds like someone doesn't like the religious freedom this country was founded on. Sounds like someone thinks that a whole part of the Constitution is objectionable. Sounds like someone hates America.
The introduction to the United States Declaration of Independance says;Laws of Nature and of Nature's God
Freedom of religion means everyones', not just yours RET Marine Reilly. There was a time that Christian fundies raised a stink about the Star of David, or a Menorah.
Build a bridge, and get over it.
Your lack of respect for other religions undermines your own commendable efforts defending the nation.
EDIT: No wait, I thought about this more and got mad. How come you have the right to get tacky silk flowers, but some other Marine who worked just as hard as you to protect America, and perhaps paid a higher price, doesn't get to lie in peace under his/her own religious icon? You are not obeying the rules of the America game!
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
To post a comment, you'll need to Sign in or Register . Making an account also allows you to claim credit for submitting quotes, and to vote on quotes and comments. You don't even need to give us your email address.
