Some
Brief Points for Modern Pagans
By Dana D. Eilers, J.D.
Written for The
Witches' Voice and used with their permission and the permission
of the author
The source
for religious freedom is the United States Constitution and specifically,
the First Amendment which states simply: "Congress shall make no
law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free
exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press;
or of the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition
the Government for a redress of grievances." The opening clause of
the First Amendment is commonly known as the "Freedom of Religion" clause
or the "Establishment" clause. By operation of the Fourteenth Amendment,
the First Amendment is binding upon the states; however, most state
constitutions have a similar phrase somewhere within them. So, an
action which is in violation of the federal constitution will usually
be a violation of the state constitution, as well, thus giving a
potential litigant dual causes of action: one in federal law and
one in state law.
This does not automatically entitle Pagans to wave athames in public parks,
run around naked, or have multiple spouses anymore than it entitles the Seventh
Day Adventists to deny their children medical care or the Mormons to have multiple
spouses. The courts and government have been in the business of putting restrictions
on religion from the very beginning of our nation's history. Additionally,
the only court that every court in this country is legally obligated to follow
is the U.S. Supreme Court. Just because the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals says
that an apple is an apple does not automatically mean that the Supreme Court
of Massachusetts is obligated to say that an apple is an apple. Courts and
legal precedent are tricky things, often misunderstood by lay people.
There is no United States Supreme Court case which declares Wicca a religion,
or Paganism a religion, or the Temple of the Purple Klingons a religion. There
are some state and federal court cases which are very favorable to Wicca and
other Pagan spiritual traditions, however.
Various Wiccan traditions have been recognized by both the federal and
state courts of this country. In those cases, the specific Wiccan tradition
under scrutiny met the standards for determining what is a religion as
set forth by the U.S. Supreme Court in such cases as Thomas v. Review Board,
450 U.S. 707 (1981); Welsh v. United States, 398 U.S. 333 (1970); United
States v. Seeger, 380 U.S. 163 (1965) (please see Justice Douglas' concurring
opinion therein where he mentions religions whose central figure is a goddess);
Torasco v. Watkins, 367 U.S. 488 (1961); and United States v. Ballard,
322 U.S. 78 (1944). An excellent case which sets forth guidelines for "what is a religion" is
the case of Int'l. Society for Krishna Consciousness, Inc. v. Barber, 650
F.2d 430 (2d Cir. 1981). What should be patently obvious here is that courts
can and do routinely determine what is, and what is not, a religion for
purposes of the First Amendment.
Courts which have specifically considered Wicca have found it to be deserving
of First Amendment protection. The hallmark federal case is Dettmer v. Landon,
617 F. Supp. 592 (Dst.Ct. East. Dst. Va. 1985) and affirmed by the Fourth Circuit
Court of Appeals at 799 F.2d 929(4th Cir.1986). The state courts have taken
a similar position: Roberts v. Ravenwood Church of Wicca, 249 Ga. 348, 292
S.E.2d 657 (Ga. 1982). The United States Supreme Court has specifically recognized
the validity of another alternative religious tradition, which is arguably
Pagan: Santeria, which is an amalgamation of traditional African nature religions
practiced by the Yoruban people and some elements of Roman Catholicism. This
was the case of Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye, Inc. and Ernesto Pichardo v. City
of Hialeah, 508 U.S. 520 (1993). Therein, the United States Supreme Court asserted: "...we
have often stated the principle that the First Amendment forbids an official
purpose to disapprove of a particular religion or of religion in general." Id.,
at 533. It should be noted that the courts which have considered Wicca have
used that term synonymously with Witchcraft. Thus far, in most legal cases,
no distinction between the two has been made. Thus, it can be asserted that
modern Wicca/Witchcraft enjoys First Amendment protection.
The United States Military Courts of Justice have spoken upon the subject
of Wicca/Witchcraft. The United States military courts have upheld the
rights of Wiccans and have found Wicca to be a bona fide religion meritorious
of First Amendment protections: United States v. Phillips, 42 M.J. 346
(1995); and 38 M.J.42. Judge Wiss, who wrote the concurring opinon in that
case, stated: "First,
Wicca is a socially recognized religion. It is is acknowledged as such by the
Army. See Dept. of the Army (DA) Pamphlet 165-13-1, Religious Requirements
and Practices of Certain Selected Groups: A Handbook for Chaplains (April 1980),
revising A Pamphlet 165-13, Religious Requirements and Practices of Certain
Selected Groups: A Handbook for Chaplains (April 1978). Further, it is acknowledged
as such in courts of law."
Regarding the wearing of pentacles in schools, federal courts have considered
cases involving the rights of public high school students to wear these emblems
of faith, and in the landmark case of Crystal Seifferly v. Lincoln Park Public
Schools, Cause No. 90-DV-60070-DT, United States District Court, Eastern District
of Michigan, Southern Division, the defendant school board settled the lawsuit
in which the right of an honor student to wear her pentacle was the central
issue. That settlement included payment of over $14, 000 in legal fees to the
ACLU, who represented Ms. Seifferly. This issue has been well litigated, and
the rights of Wiccans to wear the pentacle as an emblem of their faith is well
settled.
Wiccans have successfully sued employers for Title VII discrimination. See
Kosten v. Family Health Management, Inc., 955 F. Supp. 898 (19970, aff'd. 124
F.3rd 373 (7th Cir. 1998). Therein, the Northern District court of Illinois
specifically found Wicca to be a religion for purposes of Title VII. The most
recent case is Robert Hurston v. Henderson, Postmaster General, U.S. Postal
Service, 101 FEOR 3054 (EEOC , Jan 19, 2001).
If, however, you find yourself in a position where you believe that you
have been or are being discriminated against based on your religious beliefs,
you should procure the counsel of an attorney licensed to practice law
in your state and from the jurisdiction in which you live. Representing
yourself pro se is risky business. Pagan communities have been known to
raise funds to pay attorney fees, and many lawyers will take a good case
which has the potential for a favorable jury verdict on a contingent basis.
However, there are time limitations regarding the length of time you have
to litigate potential claims based on religious discrimination and if you
wait too long, you will lose your opportunity for a day in court. Do not
sit around too long bemoaning your fate because you are losing precious
time. As lawyers would say: "The statute is
running." This actually means that your time to bring your lawsuit is running
out.
Regarding religion and child custody, the basis for determining where a
child is placed in a divorce proceeding is governed by state law. Each
state has its own set of statutes setting forth the factors to be considered
in a child custody matter. However, the majority of states utilize a standard
known as "the
best interests of the child" in determining how to place a child when there
is a dispute between the parents. The language of the particular statute will
govern but in many cases, religion will be considered if an actual threat or
a perceived threat to the welfare of the child through the religion of a parent
can be found. Other states have statutes broadly phrased in terms of morality
such that religion could be considered as a factor within the language of the
statute. However, it should be noted that to remove a child from a home or
a parent based solely upon religion is unconstitutional: "Court have repeatedly
held that custody cannot be awarded solely on the basis of the parents' religious
affiliations and that to do so violates the First Amendment to the United States
Constitution . . . . " Pater v. Pater, 63 Ohio St. 3d, 588 N.E.2d 794 (1992).
If you are entering a court situation where it is remotely possible that your
Pagan religious beliefs and/or practices are going to be in question, then
you must be prepared to articulate your beliefs to the court and importantly,
to your attorney, if you have one. If you have an attorney, then you are the
source of education. Educate your lawyer. Prepare a list of resources such
as books and websites and insist that your attorney read these before you go
into court.
Once in court, understand that the judge in the court in which you are appearing
is, more or less, omnipotent. The Judge can do as he/she likes. Your attorney
must be prepared to make sufficient legal objections if proof you would like
to enter is refused by the Judge. If the legal objections are overruled, then
your attorney must make an offer of proof to preserve the record on appeal.
There must be a reporter in the courtroom transcribing the testimony and proceedings.
If the Judge commits reversible error, that error must be preserved for appellate
purposes. Otherwise the error, no matter how awful, is lost and cannot be heard
on appeal.
Once the Judge issues a final Order, then there will be a limited time within
which to file a Notice of Appeal, assemble the Record on Appeal, and file the
Appeal. As a general rule, continuances or extensions of time may be granted
if applied for, but such requests must be filed within the specified time period.
Usually, if you blow a date for filing an Appeal, then the merits of your case
are lost.
The preservation of one's legal rights cannot be taken for granted. This is,
as most minority groups can attest, an ongoing struggle which requires sacrifice
and constant vigilance. We, as Pagans, are not the first to undergo this struggle.
We will not be the last.
Dana D. Eilers
Email: revdana@mindspring.com
Bio:Dana is a practicing Witch and for seventeen years, was a civil
attorney with trial firms and worked in the states of Missouri and Illinois.
She is a Smith College graduate and a 1981 cum laude graduate of The New England
School of Law. She is currently semi-retired from the active practice of law,
but she serves as a member of the AREN Legal Resource team, has an active interest
in Pagan civil rights, and has published articles both in print and on the
internet.
Written for The
Witches' Voice and used with their permission and the permission
of the author
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