Idle Ramblings

Religious freedom, but for who

How would you feel if someone told you you couldn't share your religious beliefs with a member of your family? What if that someone was a judge with a court order and the family member was your own 9-year-old son? Doesn't sound like something you'd expect from a country that likes to let the world know about the religious freedom guaranteed in our Constitution's First Amendment. Does it?

In Indiana, a Wiccan couple going through a divorce has been prevented by a judge from exposing their son to any "non-mainstream religious beliefs or practices." apparently, the court felt that exposure to these "non-mainstream religious beliefs" would be damaging to the 9-year-old, who had already been brought up with these very beliefs.

To me, it seems the question must be asked, would this ruling have been put into place if the "non-mainstream religion" was something other than Wicca? And what constitutes "mainstream?" The number of people who adhere to the beliefs? The estimated number of Wiccans and neo-pagans in the U.S. is anywhere between 400,000 to several million. The number of places of worship? Wiccans and neo-pagans consider all of nature their "temple." The number of people who are taking up the belief? Wicca is currently the fastest growing religion in the U.S.

And what is it exactly that might be damaging about this "non-mainstream" religion? It it their reverence for nature? Is it the Wiccan creed that basically said you can do what you want, but be sure you do no harm to others or yourself ? I've spent a lot of time over the past few years hanging around with a number of Wiccans, Druids, and other neo-Pagans. I will be the first to admit that I knew next to nothing about Wicca and neo-Paganism before I met these people and what I did "know" I learned from great academic sources like Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Since my exposure to "different" religions is basically akin to trying a limited number of flavors on vanilla ice cream, it was very eye opening.

Increasingly, it seems like people in this country freakout in a major way when it comes to a religion different from their own. It was already bad enough before 9/11, but since then, it seems to have gotten much worse. The rhetoric is much more harsh and unaccepting. Many people in this country, people of all faiths, seem less and less willing to try and open up a dialog and find some common ground.

This case will eventually sort itself out as it travels through the court system, but for this family and this child, the damage has already been done. Basic rights such as freedom of expression and freedom of religion have already been trampled on for all three of these people. This is a case everyone should be watching closely, no matter what their beliefs or lack of beliefs, because who knows which religion will be next.

posted by Joseph @ 8/07/2005 11:01:00 PM