Holiday Pentacle Update
Wednesday December 12, 2007
Following Monday night's vandalism of a pentacle placed on display at the Olean, NY, city hall, residents have ended the battle between the Nativity scene and the pointy star, by removing both to private properties.
Yesterday, a Nativity scene located next to the damaged pentacle at city hall was moved down the street to the lawn of a Baptist church. Shortly afterwards, John Garlow, husband of Wiccan resident April Garlow, came and retrieved the silver and lavender pentacle display, which he took to the couple's home. The pentacle had been up for three days, and the battle was starting to get ugly prior to Monday's vandalism. Garlow said that messages on the Internet said that his wife deserved a beating, and that threats were made towards a local professor who objected to religious signs on public property.
The really shameful part? When the pentacle was originally at the Garlows' house, prior to being placed at city hall, someone threw eggs at the display. It seems like these folks can't get a break -- no matter where they put their display, someone has to be nasty about it. However, to give props to most of the people of Olean, several residents said that while they were disappointed with the removal of the Nativity scene, they also felt it was wrong for someone to have driven a pickup truck over the Wiccan pentacle.
Yesterday, a Nativity scene located next to the damaged pentacle at city hall was moved down the street to the lawn of a Baptist church. Shortly afterwards, John Garlow, husband of Wiccan resident April Garlow, came and retrieved the silver and lavender pentacle display, which he took to the couple's home. The pentacle had been up for three days, and the battle was starting to get ugly prior to Monday's vandalism. Garlow said that messages on the Internet said that his wife deserved a beating, and that threats were made towards a local professor who objected to religious signs on public property.
The really shameful part? When the pentacle was originally at the Garlows' house, prior to being placed at city hall, someone threw eggs at the display. It seems like these folks can't get a break -- no matter where they put their display, someone has to be nasty about it. However, to give props to most of the people of Olean, several residents said that while they were disappointed with the removal of the Nativity scene, they also felt it was wrong for someone to have driven a pickup truck over the Wiccan pentacle.
Try as we might, acceptance is still a long and arduous journey.
Some folks are just uneducated. I never did understand why people think that they have the right to take their ignorance on some one else and it doesn’t seem to matter what spiritual path we follow.
Its sad that something like this happens, but unfortunately I’d say the same would happen where I live if I displayed the pentacle on my door. No one ever seems to take you serious when you first say you’re of the old religion, then when they do they treat you like a mental case. America in general I think just isn’t ready to accept us yet.
Goodwill to Men and peace to all certainly does not seem to apply for this festive season with some people.
To learn the many truths of many religions is hard for some to do, but if they only followed the tenants of their own teachings this would not happen.
TT
M
It’s disguesting the way we are treated by people who call themselves followers of Christ. I guess “let he who is without sin cast the first stone” doesn’t apply to other small, round objects one can throw.
Thankfully, they’re not all this bad. I’m blessed with many Christian friends who actually have a brain that they use and feel compassion. Let’s hear it for the true Christians
“Judge not and ye shall not be judged” is in a particular book, as I remember. Yet people who still practice that religion NEVER seem to remember it.
Why so much hatred? Are they really that threatened? Do they REALLY want a cookie-cutter world?
Oh, and Happy Yule everyone!
I feel sorry for those who view the pentacle as a sign of evil because their fear is borne from ingnorance.They are being deceived by those with religious power who want to dominate. Ironic that the people who preach tolerance are themselves the driving force behind this intolerance of Wicca or other religions in general.
Yule is the celebration of the return ing of the light…maybe the light of understanding and acceptance will follow with it..
Blessed Be to all my fellow Wiccans and polytheists out there
It is a terrible shame that some religions are so judgemental. It is born out of fear and ignorance. Those people need to take a good look in the mirror and see deep down in themselves, just what kind of person they really are. And then practice what they preach. This is the YULE season and it needs to be remembered of it’s original foundation. And not one that was moved to represent something else. Brightest Blessings & Merry Yule to all…
If religion is a crutch, then those who attempt to remove it are in for a struggle; …with salvation denied to those who, either way, do not fight hard enough!
Happy Yule to all! It is a shame that people are so weak, that they need to bully other religions, because they fear the truth of their own. They would have no holidays, if they didn’t rob all the pagan holidays. So let us celebrate ours…because without Yule, there would be no Christmas..or, no nativity scene. I feel sorry for the man in the pickup truck…He’ll get what’s coming to him, 3 times over! Blessed Be, and Happy Yule, my Wiccan brothers and sisters!
It saddens me to hear that the rising of a pentical, which in reality is just a star, and has many different meaning to different people, could bring so much hate esspecialy at this time of year, it is sometime’s hard to belive that as far as the world has come we still have a long way to go. I wish that people would bring to mind that we are all human dispite where we are from or what we believe.
I hope that dispite the resent happening everyone has a Merry Holiday, what ever one you may celibrate.
Will they NEVER learn? Has it EVER occured to ANY them that they are only making themselves look bad by such a display of intolerance? OR, is it that they are so PROUD of their intolerance that they proudly display it in such manners as this??? Hm…
Anyway, Blessed Yule to you all, and the Brightest Wishes for a healthy and happy new year!
HAPPY YULE EVERYONE!
I agree with everyone’s comments.
If everyone would just educate themselves we could all live in peace and harmony around the world.
When I became Wiccan I discovered that it is more religious than any other religion I know about. And it doesn’t judge others!
Again Happy Yule to one and all!
Blessed Yule to all..
What a shame ..! there are things even time will never change ..ignorance of other religions is one of them, especially among our wiccan / Pagan faiths
Why can’t everyone live and let live?
The reality of the fight was never about religion…it was always about control. The christians are nothing more than a huge group of gutless cowards that would rather live in the blind faith of self-serving leaders than see them for the back-stabbing heretics that they are!!! “Ignorance is Bliss” is the only truth these people understand, though they view themselves as the greatest thing since the beginning of the world!!! How sad that they have to force a war they have NO CHANCE of WINNING!!!
Blessed Be the True Witches!!!
So Mote It Be!!!!!
It was probably a teenager who drove over the pentacle. Still, there are a lot of crazy religious zealots out there. I’m glad the Garlow’s put themselves out there and fought for their beliefs. If we all hide out we’ll never change the way society views paganism and pagan symbols.
I am a pagan an proud of it! So now that I have had my Yule feast and welcomed back the Sun, I can sit back and watch all the others freak out ant the malls and shopping centers. What a joke christmas has become to those who have lost what little meaning christmas once had!
Happy Yule everyone, may truth and justice prevail now the light has returned!
Blessed Yule to all! I live near this area, and when I heard about the conflict and vandalism, I was quite angry. I am pagan and very, very proud of it and it is getting tiresome to explain to people that “No, this is not the star of David” and “No, I do not worship Satan.” I cannot wait for the day when people aren’t offended by who we are!
what happened to freedom of religion? I cant believe some loser did this.