Friday, January 29, 2010
Religion / Local News Witching hour at the AFA
Posted by J. Adrian Stanley on Fri, Jan 29, 2010 at 3:58 PM
You may want to sit down before you read this.
The U.S. Air Force Academy is constructing a worship circle for Earth-centered religions on the hill overlooking the Cadet Chapel and Visitors Center.
Seriously. We kid you not. It's supposed to be finished on March 10. If you don't believe us, you can check here.
Tech. Sgt. Brandon Longcrier, who identifies as a witch (meaning he has pagan and earth-worshipping beliefs, not that he can fly on a broom), is quoted as saying:
"There really haven't been any obstacles for the new circle. The chaplain's office has been 100-percent supportive."
Wow.
So anyway, in case you didn't already know, the AFA hasn't exactly earned a reputation for tolerance.
There was the Mikey Weinstein debacle a few years ago. Weinstein (who along with his dad and sons represents three generations of military academy graduates) was enraged when his son told him that he was being harassed while attending the AFA. The young man said he had been called, among other things, "a fucking Jew." Weinstein went for the jugular, and ended up embarrassing the AFA into some reforms.
Still, last year AFA officials refused to allow atheist writer Christopher Hitchens to speak on campus last year.
And let's face it, the military as a whole doesn't have the greatest reputation on these issues. The AFA Web page, for instance, notes that a pagan worship circle was built in Fort Hood, Texas in 1999.
"The Fort Hood Open Circle was vandalized on four separate occasions from 1999 to 2000, including an incident Oct. 27, 2000, in which the half-ton limestone altar was destroyed outright," the site notes.
So if anyone sees a bulldozer on the hill above the Chapel, I guess we'll know why.
Comments (3)
Showing 1-3 of 3
Thanks for the post, but I do want everyone to know that not everyone who practices Earth-Centered / Pagan spirituality considers themselves to be a Witch. The practice of Witchcraft is not what most people think it is. In the group that I run at the Academy, we participate in all kinds of things that are considered "Witchcraft", but as far as I know, myself and the person who runs the group with me are the only ones who really embrace the word "Witch" as something that we associate with ourselves. Some of the things that we do in the group that are considered Witchcraft would probably surprise most out there. We're not as exciting and crazy as many think. I have CDs that are part of a series by Christopher Penczak that are filled with meditations that we participate in all the time. The title of these CDs does contain the word Witchcraft, but just to give you an idea of what you might find on a "Witchcraft CD"; a meditation that we just did last Monday had us all in a meditative state, relaxing, and visualizing / cleansing our Auras. Other tracks that you might find on the CD include Tree Meditation, Sun and Moon, Heartbeat Control, Candle Meditation, and others. So next time you hear that a group of people are doing Witchcraft, think about it for a minute before passing judgment and know that they are most likely either trying to heal their own bodies or the Earth itself with their actions.
Brandon Longcrier -
like
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Posted by
Tabias
on January 30, 2010 at 11:40 AM
I for one applaud Mr. Longcrier for having the courage to pursue this in a military environment. After all, this is the land for "freedom of religion" is it not? How many resources and tax dollars have been spent on chapels at military installations not to mention the cost of training and salaries for chaplains over the years. For a nation under God...of many religions, I think it is high time they recognized at least one other religious base other than Jewish or Christian origins. Really though, compare the cost of an outdoor circle to a lavish chapel and it becomes a non-issue financially. Also, how many chapels have been destroyed over the years by earth centered religions; I think none. So which religious base has acted more Christ-like over the years. The fact that the chaplain has been open about this tells me he has more confidence in his God and his faith than most. The basis for our society, paraphrased: we have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness AS LONG AS our pursuit does not interfere with the pursuit of our fellow citizens. So far the only religious base that has interferred has been on the side of Christianity. I think it's time to let go and let God, so to speak. Just my two cents...
Posted by
dizzydee
on January 30, 2010 at 12:13 PM
Finally, somebody is getting somewhere with this issue...But what's it gonna take to get the Atheists/Freethinkers recognized as a club at the Academy?
Posted by
BornAtheist
on February 1, 2010 at 1:02 PM
