I'm going to lay my (Tarot) cards right on the table: I'm Wiccan-friendly. Folks threatened by Wiccans and the practice of witchcraft strike me as being somewhere in the vicinity of pinheaded dolts.
Of which there is at least one prominent example in Dover, Delaware, where a local Baptist preacher named Jeffcoat helped convince a well-known department store to cancel a class for shoppers on "spiritual awareness" because of the Wiccan overtones of the consumerist program.
Now, local Wiccans are claiming discrimination, and while I generally am unsympathetic to such bias claims, I wonder if this one might have some merit.
Candle making is OK, but not candle magic. You can study "Communication from Beyond," but not tarot cards. Reflexology is in, but numerology is out - at least in Dover.The Delaware Human Rights Commission has been asked to settle a dispute between Boscov's and a group of people who claim the Pennsylvania-based department store chain discriminated against them by canceling classes they planned to teach at the company's Dover store....The teachers argue Boscov's canceled the "spiritual awareness" classes, which included instruction in tarot cards, numerology, psychic readings and herbs, after a local Baptist preacher complained.
....the store began receiving complaints last year after class schedules were published in local newspapers and advertised at Dover's annual Pagan Pride Day celebration in August...(Class teacher and local psychic Donna) Jackson and her supporters blame the Rev. William Jeffcoat, pastor of Capitol Baptist Church in Dover, who led a protest during Pagan Pride Day last year....Jeffcoat said he learned of the classes when a member of his congregation showed him an advertisement touting "spiritual awareness" classes with subjects such as tarot cards, creative talismans, charms and "witch balls."
"When we saw that, we could not stand by silently," said Jeffcoat. After moving to Dover in 2004, he said, he was surprised to learn about Pagan Pride Day and the "foothold" Wiccans had established in the community. "We consider it to be a dark religion," he said.
Hard-line religious conservative Christians in the U.S. too often behave like insecure ninnies, as the great hue and cry over the "War On Christmas" demonstrated. This is another bleak episode in their history.
TECHNORATI TAGS: DOVER, DELAWARE, WICCAN, CLASS, BOSCOV'S, RELIGIOUS RIGHT, DISCRIMINATION
Posted by Matt Rosenberg at February 13, 2006 09:38 AM
I am very disappointed in the contraversy of this spiritual awareness, wiccans very much believe in GOD and the greater or higher spirit. We also believe in a 6th sense and another level or higher plain and that has nothing to do with Devil worishipping, some people on GOD's green earth need to educate their self before they speak on matters they know nothing about, we wouldn't dare got into a baptize church or any other church and speak on matters we know nothing about that is passing judgement and the last I read GOD is the only one that will be passing judgement on judgement day, no pastor or congeration will be passing judgement that day for they will be also judged.
Posted by: Ronni Redman at February 15, 2006 04:02 PMDear Mr Jeffcoat
As you know, we are all intitled to our own opinion; here's mine.
You need look-up the meaning of "SPIRITUAL AWARENESS", then; you need to explain your findings to the people concerned here so that we can all get an understanding of why all the fuss that is going on. These poeple in this store are not practising voodu or witchcraft, they are healthly, good human beings, practising Spirtual awareness. Do you know the difference Mr. Jeffcoat? You might think you are trying to do the right thing here, but I think you have misread this into being something it is not. As a result, you are leaving a lot of us poeple out here with a bad taste in our mouths about your Church. I believe in God, and if I lived in your area, I would not be going to your church, I would be praying at home.
I'm asking you to at least investigate this before you cast stones and judge these people. My grandmother was a Tarot reader and also said her roseries very night before going to bed, as she was a true Christian. She was a good person and was loved by many, many people because she was a good person.
I am sure you will be hearing from many others on this issue. I will pray for you and hope that you do the right thing here.
Sincerely,
Darlene B
We thank you so much for your words of support.It is encouraging to see how this story has reached so many at such a distance and to know that this fight is not in vain, that there are some that will benefit from the pressure these complaintants have endured.
Blessings from the Donna Jackson camp,
Traci Coleman