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| Witchvox Chapter: Wren's Nest News | Chapter Page Views: 56,552,121 |
 Pentacle Wreath No Longer Welcome In Green Bay But Nativity Stays Author: Edited by: Michael Hess Source: BBS News Title: PENTACLE WREATH NO LONGER WELCOME IN GREEN BAY BUT NATIVITY STAYS Late yesterday afternoon, Rev. Selena Fox, Senior Minister of Circle Sanctuary, met by phone with Jim Schmitt, Mayor of Green Bay, Wisconsin, a city that continues to be embroiled in a growing controversy over the display of religious holiday imagery at its City Hall. Fox requested the meeting Tuesday and Wednesday in a series of phone conversations with staff members in the Mayor's office. During the meeting, Fox endeavored to clear up misconceptions about the Wiccan religion that may have been behind the Mayor's recent public negative remarks about the religion and his refusal to let Circle Sanctuary's Yuletide pentacle wreath be reinstalled next to the Christmas nativity scene at City Hall where it had been last weekend. | |
| Community Thoughts: There are 27 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Another Thought | Dec 23rd. at 11:40:23 am EST |
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Day Star (Asheville, North Carolina) - Email Me Someone might want to enlighten the mayor to the fact that many pagans fly below the radar in relation to their spiritual views - many of us do not walk around with pentacles blazing for all to see. Many of us do, however, vote. I can only hope the pagans of Green Bay remember their mayor's actions when comes time to elect a new mayor. |
| I Added This | Dec 22nd. at 3:19:34 pm EST |
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Owl (Hamilton, Ontario) - Email Me to their comment section...I guess I have just reached an age where I can hope we will soon be free to follow our own paths, encouraged by support and live. "I have a hard time comprehending the fact that some people don’t acknowledge that there are belief systems besides their own. Display of other religious symbols are not an attack on your religion, but rather a conformation that we are each individuals and honor the divine as we hold it in our hearts. It should not separate us, but rather draw us closer as we ascertain to discover the magnitude of the higher power our path leads us to. Whatever your day of honor, be it Winter Solstice, Kwanzaa, Bawali, Yule or the numerous other celebration days that are held dear at this time, remember the reason for the day. May you reflect on family and friendship, blessings received, and be joyous in the universal mystery we are all a part of." |
| Same Here | Dec 21st. at 4:58:46 pm EST |
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armand (shreveport, Indiana) - Email Me I sent an email to the mayors office also. Got some lame little letter back. I told him to show some backbone. Also is it just me or do you think the "Christians" are the ones tearing up any display that is not their own. I had one in my front yard that got stolen. But none of the "christian" type decorations in the neighborhood were touched. Just mine. MMMM |
| What About The Constitution Rights?? | Dec 20th. at 11:19:31 pm EST |
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Sharon (Lake Charles, Louisiana) - Email Me So, if you let one religion be represented then is it not fair to allow other religions to also be represented in a public place?? According to the first amendment of the Constitution I do believe, "Freedom of Religion" is written. Therefore, the act of the discrimination of the pentacle wreath being tossed around and destroyed could possibly be considered a religious hate crime?! It really makes me sick to see that Christianity and the Nativity Scene (etc...) and/or any other religion can be the only thing represented or associated with Christmas/Yule city and public displays. Are people so closeminded that they only see one religion these days? That is in fact a rhetorical question isn't it... *sigh* |
| From Secular To Religion | Dec 20th. at 11:16:19 pm EST |
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Arachne Priestess (Cookeville, Tennessee) - Email Me We have almost the same problem where I live. At the beginning of the holiday season city hall was decked out in numerous secular hot air balloon displays. It was really quite nice and fun to look at. But then someone came and knifed all of the displays. And in its place they put up a cardboard nativity scene, decked out in Christmas lights. I'll grant you that Christianity is the prevailing religion around here, and I've been told that they would be willing to display other religious symbols, if they come forward. But I can't escape the feeling of being ostracized, especially after reading articles like this. Because I can see the same kind of treatment rising out of this town, as in Green Bay. Sigh. |
| Sent Email | Dec 20th. at 11:12:35 pm EST |
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Katmandu (elba, Alabama) - Email Me I sent my previous statement to the mayor via e-mail that way. Gotta love COPY-N-PASTE!!! |
| Oops | Dec 20th. at 11:03:41 pm EST |
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Gina (Sacramento, California) - Email Me that should have been "christmas". Freudian slip, huh? |
| Did Everybody Forget | Dec 20th. at 11:02:20 pm EST |
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Gina (Sacramento, California) - Email Me On dec. 11, 2007 the "christams " resolution was passed. Are we not getting it? [Web LINK] |
| Ill-itated | Dec 20th. at 11:01:39 pm EST |
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Katmandu (elba, Alabama) - Email Me Mayor, if you're gonna let one religious group in your area be represented, let them ALL be represented. It's only fair. And by casting the vote you cast and then just trying to ignore the other stuff IS NOT gonna make the issue go away. It's only gonna return and it's gonna spread. I don't care if the Jolly Fat Elf and Tree are ancient pagan symbols. I don't care even if the Nativity can be used to illustrate the ancient belief in the newborn Sun and Divine Parents. Those are beside the point. I want it to be known that if one religion is represented that the others should be, too. Heck, even let the atheists put up a scientific symbol of their choice if they choose. One big display allowing everyone to speak, or no display at all. If I was a tax-payer in that area, that'd be what I'd want. |
| Mayor's Office Email Address | Dec 20th. at 10:50:54 pm EST |
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Arachne Priestess (Cookeville, Tennessee) - Email Me I say we flood his office with emails. Here is his email address if you feel the need to say something to him. jimsc@ci.green-bay.wi.us Namaste |
| Plagirism | Dec 20th. at 10:31:05 pm EST |
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David Eagan (Cleveland, Wisconsin) - Email Me Most of this article is suspiciously similar to the press release by Circle Sanctuary from yesterday. |
| I Smell A Lawsuit | Dec 20th. at 9:38:50 pm EST |
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Erihu (Sunset Beach, North Carolina) - Email Me The council has lost it's collective mind. I'll be sending off my donation to AU tomorrow, and intend to call Circle Sanctuary and ask them what I can do to help. |
| What An Idiot | Dec 20th. at 9:01:45 pm EST |
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Lunetta (Pleasanton, California) - Email Me First of all, everyone knows that nativity scene shouldn't be there in the first place. How you can be a mayor and not understand this is beyond me. Second, if he MUST have the nativity scene, then other symbols need to be allowed too. There is absolutly NO REASON why that pentacle shouldn't be allowed. What especially iritated me was this quote; "...out of consideration for Christians celebrating Christmas in the community..." ...so what, let's ignore all the Pagans in the community? Don't they deserve consideration too? I'm disgusted. |
| It Figures. | Dec 20th. at 8:46:10 pm EST |
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bigcat (peoria, Illinois) - Email Me Now that he found out the Pentacle belongs to "evil" Pagans, they are no longer welcome. While I might not find his nativity offensive, the location is, along with the attitude. Frankly if Pagans can't be there, he shouldn't be either. After all, Pagans are also citizens and taxpayers. This fiasco should not be allowed to be swept under the rug, as politicians are wont to do with any embarrassing situation. He may be a mayor, but even he has to answer for his determining just what symbol is fit to sit at city hall. I believe in the separation of church and state, and city hall is not a church. The nativity is a symbol that does not need to be there. And he should not be able to invoke his private desire on everyone else. After all, anyone else would be arrested if they did. He's breaking his own so-called moratorium. |
| Ridiculous | Dec 20th. at 8:20:20 pm EST |
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argilcath (Rapid City, Colorado) - Email Me This whole episode is foolish. But, from many years' residence not too far from Green Bay, I'd like to point out the absence of the *ONE* competing religion which would be more than welcomed on any public property: Had a holiday Greens + Gold ribbon wreath been submitted honoring the One True Faith: Green Bay Packerism, it would *still* be gracing the roof line. None of the good people who work their Sunday worship around game times would stand for vandalism of so holy an object. Neither the Gates of Hell, nor lawyers of either wing, could prevail against it! in laughter- -argilcath |
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