My name is Lois Phares, and I am a Wiccan Elder. I noticed that the copy under my photo was changed-how interesting.
The bit about "a pagan religion", and "finds that she has plenty of room", has been taken out. I AM both a pagan, and a Wiccan. The historic roots of both paganism and Wicca, can be traced back over 35,000 years. I publicly "came out of the broom closet", (as we Wiccans term it), on October 30th, 2006-in the Daily Advance. The feature made the front page. I came out publicly to bring attention to the ever present ignorant; uneducated, and politely put, "misinformed", religious intolerance towards both pagans and Wiccans, in this "City of Hospitality". When the article came out, I was refused service, and told to leave the premises of a downtown pharmacy, because, as the co-owner told me, "because you declared yourself a witch". Myself, family, friends, and other pagan/Wiccans we have known, have been subjected to both verbal and physical threats. I was also told the past two previous years, that the National Day of Prayer event was "for Christians only". I was told this point blank over the phone, by one of the head organizers of the event. I went anyway, as is my Constitutional right to do so. According to the National Day of Prayer website, the event is open to all religions. Most disturbing at this year's event was the comment made to me by a young Christian man, who interviewed me for his paper. He kept questioning my right to be there, and said "you don't see a Muslim here". The pagan/Wiccan community comprises about 35% of this area's population. We have been here for generations. We Wiccans do not worship the Christian devil-we don't believe in it nor the Christian concept of hell. We have over 100 ordains/laws, and we believe in whatever we do will come back to us threefold. Pagan is Latin for country dweller. We believe that we are all connected, that we have a responsibility to care for our fellow human beings, all creatures, and Mother Earth. I will always stand up for my civil and religious rights-and will do so for others. I will also stand for in remembrance of the over nine million men, women, and children, who were murdered because they were called "witch". "The Burning Times" will NEVER happen again. I am pagan, Wiccan, and proudly WITCH. Blessed Be. P.S.-IF this makes the paper-I and many others will be surprised. -(It's going to other Wicca/Pagan websites regardless of the Daily Advance editors and publisher).