The "Burning Times Award" given to U.S. Rep. Bob Barr of Georgia

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Quotes:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..." The establishment clause in the 1st Amendment of the U.S. constitution.

"The military should rethink their position. That's not a religion."  G.W. Bush, governor of Texas, referring to the Wiccan religion. ₁

₁₄ The award:

Occasionally, a North American political figure makes a statement or performs an act that is profoundly religiously intolerant or which violates the federal constitution in a major way. We recognize such events by issuing a Burning Times award. More details about these awards.

This award was given on 1999-MAY-20 to Rep. Bob Barr of Georgia, in recognition of being the North American political figure whose behavior most closely exemplifies the spirit of the Witch burning times of the 15th to 18th centuries.

Representative Bob Barr's Statements:

U.S. Representative Bob Barr (GA-7) has been a United States Attorney, and currently serves on the House Judiciary, Government Reform and Banking committees. ₂

On 1999-MAY-13, he issued a press release titled:

"BARR: CAUSES OF YOUTH VIOLENCE FOUND IN ADULT CULTURE." ₃

He lists as one of the causes of youth violence the practice by the U.S. military to permit Wiccan personnel to observe their religious faith. Wicca is a benign, earth-centered religion, which is somewhat similar to Native American Spirituality. A second source of youth violence that he cites is the increasing acceptance by university students of humanism, a secular, non-theistic philosophy with a strong ethical component.

On 1999-MAY-18, he issued a second press release. Copies were delivered to military and congressional leaders. Recipients included Army Secretary Louis Caldera and Lt. Gen. Leon S. LaPorte, commander of Fort Hood, TX. It is titled:

"BARR DEMANDS END TO TAXPAYER-FUNDED WITCHCRAFT ON AMERICAN MILITARY BASES." ₄

He is reported as having viewed a report on The O'Reilly Factor, a program on Fox News. It featured vernal equinox ceremonies by soldiers at Fort Hood, TX. He had heard that military chaplains at Fort Hood, and other bases "are sanctioning, if not supporting the practice of witchcraft as a 'religion' by soldiers on military bases."

It is unclear exactly how the toleration of Wicca (a.k.a. Witchcraft) and other minority religions are taxpayer-funded. Large armed forces bases frequently have one or more Protestant ministers, Roman Catholic priests, and a Jewish rabbis on staff. The Christian and Jewish soldiers' religious needs are met at some taxpayer expense. The military pays clergy salaries, provides chaplains with offices and support staff, etc. In a hypothetical case of an army base with 5,000 soldiers, and 3 chaplains at $75,000 per year each, the government allocates $45 per year for the spiritual support of each Christian or Jewish soldier. But there are, to our knowledge, no Wiccan Priests, Priestesses, or chaplain office at any base in America. Wiccans are expected to fend for themselves, and provide their own priests and priestesses from within their own membership. The cost per Wiccan for spiritual support is essentially nothing. Some news sources stated that the Army had increased security at Fort Hood "in order to deter members of Christian groups from intimidating the witches, who meet in campgrounds..." ₇ The army would certainly incur costs due to the need for this increased security. However, that is not the fault of the Wiccans. It is caused by perceived threats from some Christian sources.

Barr stated that allowing Wiccans to follow their religion on base: "...sets a dangerous precedent that could easily result in the practice of all sorts of bizarre practices being supported by the military under the rubric of 'religion.' "

He rejects Wicca (a.k.a. Witchcraft) as a legitimate religion, even though:

Rep Barr continues: "What's next?  Will armored divisions be forced to travel with sacrificial animals for Satanic rituals?  Will Rastafarians demand the inclusion of ritualistic marijuana cigarettes in their rations?..."

Religious Satanists do not engage in the ritual sacrifice of animals. Teenage dabblers in Satanism sometimes have been known to kill a dog or cat or small animal; but this is quite rare. Whether Rastafarians should be allowed exemption from drug laws is a matter for the courts to decide. Some Native Americans have been allowed to consume peyote as part of their religious services -- they follow a tradition which dates back millennia. Roman Catholics are permitted to consume wine during Mass. Allowing Rastafarians to use marijuana in their religious rituals may be similarly guaranteed by the 1^st Amendment to the U.S. constitution. Only a court case would tell for certain.

He ended his press release with the following: A print of the painting, 'The Prayer At Valley Forge,' depicting George Washington on bended knee, praying in the hard snow at Valley Forge, hangs over the desk in my office. If the practice of witchcraft, such as is allowed now at Fort Hood, is permitted to stand, one wonders what paintings will grace the walls of future generations."

He seems to be expressing the feeling that only Christian themes should be used in American religious artwork. We have scanned many Wiccan and other Neopagan web sites and find some of their artwork to be quite spiritual in nature.

We get the impression that Rep. Barr's concept of Wicca and Witches is primarily based on the religious propaganda from the 15^th and 16^th century, and is almost completely unrelated to the reality of 20^th century Wicca. He may have obtained his knowledge of Wicca from some of the Christian religious hate sites on the Internet.

Reasons for Representative Bob Barr's award:

We feel that Representative Barr's statements and actions are sufficiently bigoted to warrant receipt of our second Burning Times Award. Our decision is based on his:

Further developments in the Barr case:

"This is a direct attack on the Constitution of the United States. All religions are protected, not just those that Congress, the President or the Supreme Court determine. All religions are and should be permitted free practice on military bases, within reasonable limits, to insure that the service can accomplish its mission, and to quote Chief Justice Rehnquist, 'foster instinctive obedience, unity, commitment, and esprit de corps...' .  Wicca, also known as witchcraft, in no way prevents the military from accomplishing its goals.  By allowing service members and dependents to worship on post they are increasing morale of the troops and families as well as fulfilling their Constitutional obligation." _5,6

"Rep. Barr of Georgia's 7th Congressional District not only ridiculed and defamed the Wiccan religion with his remarks, but demanded that the US Military treat the Wiccan religion differently than other religions in accommodating the religious needs of military personnel. Having seen a news report about Wiccans in the military taking part in a Spring Equinox ritual at Fort Hood in Texas, Rep. Barr called for an end to Wiccan circles being held at military installations and began his campaign against fair and equal treatment of the Wiccan religion by the US government.

Barr's press release and his subsequent remarks about this are specifically directed toward Wiccans and contain comments that are insulting, demeaning, and derogatory to the Wiccan religion.  Barr advocates that the United States military treat those who practice Wicca in a discriminatory manner, by revoking their Constitutional right to worship. Barr maintained his stand even after he was inundated with educational material and other feedback from numerous Wiccan and Pagan sources, including Wiccan constituents from his own district.

This type of attack from an elected official of the United States government sets a dangerous precedent and challenges our basic Constitutional right to worship in a manner of our personal choosing. The impact upon the Wiccan-Pagan community could be horrific.   Because of the First Amendment implications of this campaign, it should be of concern not only to Wiccans and Pagans, but to those of all religions."

Related essays on this web site:

References:

1. George W. Bush on 1999-JUN-24, Interviewed on ABC's Good Morning America. Peggy Wehmeyer. asked for his opinion about the U.S. military's policy of allowing Wiccan soldiers to practice their religion on the Fort Hood, TX army base.
2. Bob Barr's Email address is: [email protected]  His web site has a guest log at: http://www.house.gov/
3. Bob Barr, "Barr: Causes of youth violence found in adult culture," 1999-MAY-13. See: http://www.house.gov/
4. Bob Barr, "Barr demands end to taxpayer-funded witchcraft on American Military Bases," 1999-MAY-18. See: http://www.house.gov/
5. Press release, "Response by the Military Pagan Network," Ellicott City, MD, 1999-MAY-19.
6. The Military Pagan Network has a web site at: http://www.milpagan.org/
7. Current News Summary, Religion Today, for 1999-MAY-21
8. Lady Liberty League News, "News Alert: Wiccan religion under attack," 1999-MAY-25, #3
9. "Hot issues of the day," The Witches Voice, at: http://www.witchvox.com/
10. Press Release, People for the American Way, 1999-MAY-27
11. Nancy Coleman, "Rep. John Lewis and Peter, Paul & Mary hailed as 'Defencers of Democracy'," People for the American Way,  http://www.pfaw.org/
12. Linda Garcia, "Johanns creates 'Bible Day,' refuses solstice proclamation," Lincoln Journal Star, 1999-JUN-19.
13. "Kindred Military Groups," The Sacred Well Congregation, at: http://www.sacredwell.org/
14. The image was taken from the website "The Killings of Witches: A Chronicle of the Burning Times" at: http://www.illusions.com/

Copyright © 1999 to 2005 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Date posted: 1999-MAY-20
Latest update: 2005-JUL-20
Author: B.A. Robinson