Libertarian Candidate OK With Wiccans
Saturday April 5, 2008
In what is surely guaranteed to sent his right-wing opponents over the edge in a frenzy of bible-thumping, Libertarian presidential candidate George Phillies seems to be happily courting the Pagan vote. In a recent campaign statement, Phillies referenced the Salem witch trials, and said, “Our Constitution enshrines freedom of religion. Do our elected officials want to return to 1690? Alas, some Republicans do."
He added some pointed digs at George Bush and anti-Wiccan comments made by Republicans in the past, and said, "No real Libertarian will ever ask that a religion’s harmless practices be banned."
I don't know if this guy has a snowball's chance in hell of actually winning, but it's nice to see someone running for office who is willing to publicly say he doesn't think we're all a bunch of kitten-slaughtering devil-worshippers.
He added some pointed digs at George Bush and anti-Wiccan comments made by Republicans in the past, and said, "No real Libertarian will ever ask that a religion’s harmless practices be banned."
I don't know if this guy has a snowball's chance in hell of actually winning, but it's nice to see someone running for office who is willing to publicly say he doesn't think we're all a bunch of kitten-slaughtering devil-worshippers.
Comments
It’s a good step and I see more people opening to the fact that we are not evil regardless of their belief.
I will repeat a previous comment. Bravo, George Phillies. Keep up the good work and maybe religious freedom will finally be a fact in this country, instead of a myth.
It is funny to me that we even have to applaus this man when this is how the country is SUPPOSED to be. The pilgrims came here seeking freedom from religious persecution. That is why this country was founded! I say way to go! If I am not hurting you or anyone else, leave me to my beliefs.
How true Kelly, well put.
Has anyone been to this man’s website and read his stances on the major issues? Okay, so while I agree that Wiccans (or really any non Judeo-Christian religions) absolutely should not be persecuted or denied, that particular stance is not a good enough reason to vote for someone who’s obviously thought long and hard about how to skirt AROUND the major issues. This guy takes Libertarian a little too far, and is a little too vague about most of his views. And some of them are just downright funny.
Well its nice to know at least someone is standing up for us….even if he doesnt win…
I’m just glad their candidate this year has gotten off of the Legalized Marijuana bandwagon that Libertarians seemed to have been on in past years. There are more important issues, like battling religious discrimination, to be dealt with.
That said, yes he’s a little wishy washy, but at least he seems to have the guts to come out and say what need to be said, and remind us all of the things Bush has done to hinder the growing Pagan population. I know its like beating broken drum because we all know about it, but lets remember Fort Hood and the off-color and downright discriminatory comments Bush made while Governor of TX.
@Amber:
Libertarian candidates have always had more to say than “Legalize Marijuana”. One of the ways the media has been able to help keep the two-party system intact has been to make all third-party candidates un-electable. By sound-biting the candidate to a “Legalize Drigs” agenda, middle-America will never vote for anyone other than a Republocrat.
And also, if the similarities between freedom to choose to injest plant material, and the freedom to practice a chosen religion aren’t obvious to people, I would suggest a Nexxus/Lexxus search on freedom and the “Articles of Confederation” authored by the framers of our constitution.
Bob Barr, past author of the Defense of Marriage Act, past voter for the Patriot Act, and with a past history of saying that Wicca was not a “real religion”and thus should not be allowed to be practiced on military bases, won the Libertarian Party nomination.
What WERE they thinking?
Now what?