Motivator #3

The following story appeared in the Washington Times on December 8, 2002. “Suit Seeks to Allow Wiccan’s Invocation,” written by Mary Shaffrey. Mention of the ACLU in the story is not meant to speak negatively of its role in defending the civil rights of Americans.

The Virginia chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is suing the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors for refusing to allow a Wiccan leader to give the invocation at the start of its meeting.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Richmond and says the Board of Supervisors is violating the constitutional ban on state-sponsored religion by denying Wiccan priestess Cynthia Simpson the opportunity to offer an invocation.

The lawsuit also says the board’s policy violates the constitutional guarantee of equal protection. “They are supposed to be making laws, not theological judgments,” said the Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, which has joined in the suit with the ACLU. “They do not believe Wicca to be a religion like Christianity, but government officials cannot be making these decisions.”

The board regularly opens its meetings with a voluntary invocation by a leader of a Judeo-Christian denomination. Earlier this year, Miss Simpson asked the Board of Supervisors to allow her to give an invocation. She was denied. “Chesterfield’s nonsectarian invocations are traditionally made to a divinity that is consistent with the Judeo-Christian tradition,” wrote Chesterfield County Attorney Steven Micas in a letter to Miss Simpson denying her request.

In response to this article, I have mixed feelings. My first thought is that why is there a big hub-ub over a County Government meeting? It seems to me to be a little nit-picky. My second response is that the equal protection of religion that our country guarantees should be protected; If I was living in a country like Saudi Arabia, where my religion was a minority, and I had equal protection of religion, I would like that. The next question I have is whether or not the County Government is imposing a Judeo-Christian viewpoint on the population of Chesterfield. It doesn't seem like that is the case.

In the end, I think that the county either has to let everyone of every religion have an opportunity to pray, or not do it all. As a Christian, I would love to see only Christianity be the predominant religion in my country, but being that there are other religions, we have to be respectful of them. The beauty is that we can be respectful without supporting or agreeing with their beliefs.