Category Archives: religious freedom

Virginia State Senator proposes bogus “religious freedom” amendment

Virginians, contact your state legislators to ask them to oppose SJ 287, a proposed amendment to the state constitution that is yet another semi-stealthy attempt to justify government support for Christianity. Hemant Mehta over at the Friendly Atheist has the … Continue reading

Posted in religious freedom | 3 Comments

Virginia recognizes me as clergy!

My reapplication today was successful! The Arlington County Court has officially granted me authorization to perform marriages. The process was not entirely painless. Once again, the person who handles the paperwork – I’m not sure if she’s a secretary or … Continue reading

Posted in announcements, civil rights, magic, Pagan, politics, recognition, religious freedom | Tagged , , , , , , | 40 Comments

At Forging Futures: Choice and the Goddess

Over at Forging Futures, I’ve written about why I think honoring the feminine divine means that we must trust women to make their own choices about their bodies – especially the choice to have an abortion. Given the juxtaposition of … Continue reading

Posted in feminism, politics, religious freedom | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

At Hail Columbia: Pulpit Freedom Sunday encourages illegal Christian electioneering

Today is so-called Pulpit Freedom Sunday, when an extremely conservative Christian legal organization encourages pastors to break the law and preach a sermon for Mitt Romney. That’s what it boils down to. It’s a shameful attempt for them to get … Continue reading

Posted in religious freedom, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

AU sends letter in support of recognizing me as clergy

Today Americans United for Separation of Church and State sent a letter to the Arlington County Court in support of my application to perform weddings. They are very clear about the situation: Your denial of Priestess Hurley’s application violated the … Continue reading

Posted in Pagan, religious freedom | Tagged | 3 Comments

Wiccans in British Columbia, and an example of mediocre framing

I’ve been quiet lately because I was trying to get ready for an exciting trip with family, but I’ve come down with an annoying infection and am not allowed to travel. It’s proving pretty stubborn, so I’m resting a lot. … Continue reading

Posted in Pagan, religious freedom | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Friendly Fire

Before the recent community kerfuffle, I was talking about the Pagan blood libel and how that affects the experience of being Pagan and Wiccan today. I want to share a couple of my own experiences to try to convey just … Continue reading

Posted in Pagan, religious freedom | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

The Pagan Blood Libel and the Bad Jackie test

Trigger Warning: imagined threats of kidnap, abuse, and murder involving both adults and children In the course of my interview with her, Vanessa asked me more than once why I think Pagan oppression occurs. I gave answers that I think … Continue reading

Posted in Pagan, religious freedom | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

The myth of nonsectarianism

Sometimes someone has to say that the emperor has no clothes. Here goes: There is no such thing as nonsectarian prayer. “Nonsectarian” is a polite euphemism for “generically Christian,” and more specifically “generically Protestant, but probably acceptable to nearly all … Continue reading

Posted in ethics, politics, religious freedom | Tagged , , | 11 Comments

Christian Privilege

Here’s a very interesting reflection on the nature of Christian privilege that includes an “invisible knapsack” type list of specific examples of privilege. I recently thought about constructing a list like this, but ultimately decided not to; it would be … Continue reading

Posted in religious freedom | Tagged | 16 Comments