A Christian Minister Says the Right Things (Mostly)

The US Air Force Academy’s official site for Pagan ritual has received a lot of attention. I first mentioned it on January 27 when I saw the Air Force news release.

In faraway Virginia*, Eugence C. Buie, a retired Disciples of Christ minister, wrote an op-ed piece criticizing his local newspaper’s own editorial about the USAFA stone circle:

It is unseemly to make fun of things we may not understand, particularly religions chosen and valued by others. That is not a strange thing to say in America where it used to be customary to honor and respect everyone’s “freedom of choice,” especially where religious beliefs and practices are concerned.

Some people I know jumped on one phrase in the piece, “Granted, some kinds of Wiccan worship could be considered evil.” Frankly, I have no idea what he meant, since he just tosses that line out there without any further explanation. Sex in the circle? Drumming all night? Wearing too much crushed velvet?

(And, yes, he is conflating Wicca and to some extent Druidism with all Paganism.)

It’s a tribute to all the Pagans who do interfaith work that people like Buie are, however grudgingly, started to respect our right to be here.

Getting one Pagan blog—Jason Pitzl-Waters’ Wild Hunt— ncluded in a survey of the religious blogosphere is progress too. (I remember when BeliefNet wanted my own blog on their Blog Heaven page but some months later purged it along with other non-monotheist blogs, no explanation given.)

* Virginians are not required to comment.

3 thoughts on “A Christian Minister Says the Right Things (Mostly)

  1. Hecate

    Out here in the wilds of Virginia, we're more tolerant than others might believe. 😉 The LtE was generally quite good.

  2. Snoozepossum

    "Eugence C. Buie, a retired Disciples of Christ minister, wrote an op-ed piece criticizing his local newspaper's own editorial about the USAFA stone circle"

    Good to know!

    Even if he could use some tweaking in the Wicca/evil/lumping things department, I'll take that inch, and the one after that, and the one after that . . . ;0)

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