Religious Discrimination has our Society Really Progressed ~ or are We Only Kidding Ourselves?

My husband (a non-Wiccan) and I moved to an area of British Columbia known as "The Kootenays" in 1998.

For the first year, I kept my Wiccan religion quiet, wanting to 'test the climate' in this village of 1200 people, where everybody seems to mind everybody else's business as well as their own.

Wearing my pentacle pendant was the only outward symbol ~ and there was hardly a comment.

So, after a year of hopefully becoming known as a decent person, I came out of the closet, and began my mission of establishing a public Wiccan presence. Well, guess what? That's when things started to get very interesting.

For the next six months, "Letters to the Editor" began appearing in the local paper condemning wiccan practises as "Ungodly" (to say the least), and there were a lot of anti-wiccan biblical quotes, along with many shockingly vicious diatribes. Any flyers advertising events or seminars which I put up on local notice boards were ripped off ~ sometimes within half an hour ~ and then came the capper; a threat was made to burn our house down, because I am a witch.

Well, sure, the newspaper articles were irritating, but what the hey, everybody's entitled to their opinion, right? I could let them slide and try to laugh it all off: and I was capable of replacing the stuff on the notice boards frequently; but threaten to burn down our home because of my religion! Darn it all, that was just plain going too far! Reprinted next is the "Wiccan Rebuttal" Letter to the Editor from the January 2001 edition of our local paper. Strong words, yes, but you better believe the hassling stopped immediately. (By the way, we passed the arson threat over to the Police).

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, THE SALMO VALLEY NEWSLETTER, JANUARY 2001

Dear Editor, As we enter the 21st century, perhaps it is time to remind your readers and contributors of the legislation existing at both the Provincial and Federal levels of Government, as laid out in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, excerpts of which are quoted below. (italics are mine MF)

Part 2, "Guarantee of Rights and Freedoms," section 2 states: Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:

(a) freedom of conscience and religion; (b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media; (c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and (d) freedom of association. Under Section 2 of the Charter, Canadians are free to follow the religion of their choice. In addition, they are guaranteed freedom of thought, belief and expression. Since the media are an important means for communicating thoughts and ideas (the term "the media," covers newspapers and public notice boards, radio, television, telephone and the Internet), the Charter also protects the right of the press and other media to speak out. Even though these freedoms are very important, governments can sometimes limit them; for example, laws against hate propaganda are reasonable limits on freedom of expression because they prevent harm to individuals and groups.

Part 2, "Equality Rights," section 15 states:

(1) Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability. The Supreme Court of Canada has stated that the purpose of section 15 is to protect those groups who suffer social, political and legal disadvantage in society. Discrimination occurs where, for example, a person, because of a personal characteristic (such as their particular religious belief), suffers disadvantages or is denied opportunities available to other members of society.

Section 24. "Enforcement," sub-Section (1) states:

Anyone whose rights or freedoms, as guaranteed by this Charter, have been infringed or denied may apply to a court of competent jurisdiction to obtain such remedy as the court considers appropriate and just in the circumstances.

Now, in response to the submission by Ms. Iris Lamb in the "Letters to the Editor" column in your November-December 2000 issue: As a member of the Wiccan faith, I personally found the aspersions cast in Ms. Lamb's letter not only hateful to myself, (and other members of my chosen religion), but insulting, and highly offensive. As an ordained senior clergy, and a member of a duly registered, non-profit Wiccan Religious Society, I perceived Ms. Lamb's written statements of hate, libel and religious discrimination to be in direct contravention of both Sections 2 and 15 (and to potentially render her liable to action under Section 24,) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Whilst Ms. Lamb's rights to her personal religious belief system are also totally protected under the Charter, she and others might do well to acknowledge that Christianity is not the only religion; and that no person retains the right to distribute discriminatory or hateful statements against, or to wilfully deface, or tear down or remove, or to utter threats of arson against, or to damage the reputation or property of any other person in any manner; on the basis of religion, race, national or ethnic origin, colour, sex, age or mental or physical disability.

Respectfully submitted, Maggie Frost, Salmo, B.C.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR FOR JANUARY 2001 EDITION

The Editor, Salmo Valley Newsletter,

In response to the most recent letter to the Editor from Iris Lamb, I would like to begin with three simple words for Mrs. Lamb: YOU NEED HELP !

It is my sincere hope that, with the help of HER GOD, Mrs. Lamb will leave the 14th century and join the rest of us in the 21st century.

Whether she likes it or not, the Wiccan religion is alive and well; is a recognised World Religion, and is here to stay.

Lastly, I would like to thank those members of the Christian community who have privately expressed their dismay at Mrs. Lamb's fanaticism, and offered much-need emotional support to my wife during these vicious and discriminating attacks on her religious beliefs.

Rainer W. Frost

So, fellow Wiccans, it is my sad duty to inform you that religious discrimination is alive and well even today. What can we do about it? We can hide ourselves back in the closet, and live our life in fear. Or we can fight by reminding people the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects us all ~ Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Wiccan: as well as all individual religious choices. We can be militant or pacifist, depending on our personality.

I certainly cannot and will not tell you how to respond, that choice is up to you. I can only tell you how I attempt to live in this world

~ keeping as my focus the Wiccan Rede..."an it harm none, do as ye will." Live in the light, and blessed be, Magi Frost.

By Maggie Frost