WE ARE AMONG YOU

Ok, so personally I lean slightly in the direction of the Freedom From Religion Foundation when it comes to government property and keeping it clear of religious symbols and other trash. And WSJ writer Bill Weinke put it very well if graphically when he mentioned people sacrificing goats on the lawn. (By the way, very few of us do that anymore. At least unless the goat is very ill. Or looks tasty.) Dave Zweifel of the CapTimes has another clear arguement about why we separate church and state.

But this controversy over the Nativity Scene being the only symbol allowed to stay up at Green Bay City Hall is giving pagans a chance to be visible in a way that we rarely take advantage of.
(an email update from Circle Sanctuary indicates that the mayor of Green Bay, Joe Schmitt, is unwilling to further discuss including any religious symbols but the Christian ones.)

It's coming from all directions. A story on NPR, an article on About.com, and don't forget the political insights offered on the Wild Hunt Blog (if you want in-depth pagan analysis go here.) It's not like the discussion isn't already happening.

Many pagans (an anecdotal survey puts it as high as 70%) come from a different religious tradition, often Catholic or Evangelical Christian. They were raised to believe that someone else has the answers, and when they discovered the answers they were getting were wrong and damaging they were hurt. Add to that the tendency of most pagans to be fascinated with wandering around the woods by themselves, and you get a bunch of people who don't much need other people and don't trust them, either.

We're not well organized, is what I'm saying. We don't talk about our philosophy or religion much and we certainly don't proselytize. We might have a bumper sticker if we're militant. Rev. Selena Fox of Circle Sanctuary is about as much of a political activist pagan as I've ever seen, leading the fight in Green Bay and she was the major force behind getting the VA to allow military pagans to have the pentacle on their gravestones.

But as the sticker says, we have to come out of the broom closet sooner or later.
Here's the OpEd I sent to the local papers. Very few people in this town know about my pagan affiliation, so we'll see if I hear anything about it. And if you're out there, people, send some Awen my way for the holiday with family, ok?

Three lights to guide your feet: imagination, action and reflection
Random

We are physicians, business owners and police officers. We are neighbors, parents, sons and daughters. We believe in freedom of choice and individual responsibility. We are pagans, and we are among you.
A series of events-- a Wiccan Solstice wreath on City Hall in Green Bay vandalized, followed by the assertion from the Green Bay City Council (deciding vote from Mayor Jim Schmitt) that no symbol other than the Christian religion’s symbol can be set on City Hall property, followed by Schmitt’s refusal to discuss an “equitable policy” this year—violates the trust of those who value diversity in our communities.
When the Mayor invited other religious symbols, what did he have in mind? Perhaps if Rev. Selena Fox had raised a traditional Yule Tree, or hung mistletoe and holly branches (all symbols from long before the advent of Christianity) they would have been allowed to stay.
This controversy affects not only Green Bay but all cities in Wisconsin and in our region. As we seek to attract the best and brightest and to keep talented young people here, other communities pander to the squeakiest wheels. Please, Madisonians, don’t fall into the Green Bay mindset. Just because we’re not trying to convert you doesn’t mean we don’t exist. Thank you to those who really appreciate the diverse sphere in which we all can evolve.