Mark W.
Posted on 12/06/2001 6:01:55 AM PST by gdani
Wiccan is new state prison chaplain
Some a bit bothered by hiring of Rev. Witch
By NAHAL TOOSI
of the Journal Sentinel staff
Last Updated: Dec. 5, 2001
The new chaplain at Waupun Correctional Institution is a Wiccan.
And a Witch.
The Rev. Jamyi Witch, who has voluntarily ministered to Wisconsin inmates for at least two years, began her new full-time position at the maximum security facility this week. She is believed to be the first Wiccan chaplain in Wisconsin and one of only a handful nationwide.
Department of Corrections officials on Wednesday defended the hire, saying Witch met the position's requirements and that it would be unfair and illegal to bar her from serving because of her faith. They also said that because the facility has another chaplain, and because inmates will have access to numerous volunteer ministers, that no one would feel uncomfortable with Witch.
However, a state lawmaker questioned the process, saying it made little sense to have a chaplain who practices a religion with fairly few followers.
Rep. Scott Walker (R-Wauwatosa), said the committee he leads, the Assembly Corrections and Courts Committee, may look into Witch's hiring.
"I can't imagine that most of the inmates would feel particularly comfortable going to that individual," Walker said. "I would think, in some ways from a religious standpoint, it might actually put inmates in a position that talking to (a Wiccan) is contrary to what some of their own religious beliefs might be."
Witch, whose address is listed as Mount Horeb, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
While Wicca is associated with paganism, many of its followers refer to it as a religion. The traditions of Wiccans, in general, celebrate nature and the Earth.
Followers are sometimes referred to as witches, though many dislike that term, calling themselves goddess women or, merely, Wiccans.
Out of 1,200 inmates at the institution, 30 are Wiccan, 400 are Christian, and the rest are either non-religious or practice other religions, including those in the Islamic and American Indian traditions, said Gary McCaughtry, the institution's warden.
McCaughtry said about 10 people were interviewed for the civil service position, which does not require ordination or a theological degree. Witch's interviews, references and background propelled her into the top slot. One selling point was that Witch has extensive knowledge of alternative religions, having previously made presentations on the topic to corrections officials.
"Basically, a lot of it has to do with the duties and character of the individual, and Jamyi is an outstandingly approachable person - somebody that I wouldn't mind approaching on spiritual matters myself," McCaughtry said. "If biases are present, it's a matter for us to work through those biases."
There are some limits on the faiths of chaplains and volunteer ministers, he said. Satanists or members of some violent cults, especially those associated with hate groups, wouldn't be allowed to serve.
McCaughtry did not have information on Witch's salary on Wednesday evening. He said the other chaplain is Protestant.
The Wisconsin corrections system has 36 chaplain positions, said spokesman Bill Clausius. "Times have changed," he said. "It's not just Catholic and Protestant anymore."
Discomfort with hiring
The hiring of a Wiccan chaplain leaves the Rev. Timothy Maschke, a professor of theology at Concordia University Wisconsin, "uncomfortable." He said he worried about how much ministering Witch would do.
"The rest of society is not expecting a prison to be a conversion place for Wiccans or for witches," Maschke said. Concordia, in Mequon, is associated with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.
Though Witch may be the first official Wiccan chaplain in Wisconsin, Wiccans have been volunteer ministering to inmates for many years, said Tizzy Hyatt, development director for the Reformed Congregation of the Goddess in Dane County. Hyatt said she knew of five people in Wisconsin alone.
Wicca is "a very fast-growing religion, and also there's so many misconceptions about it," Hyatt said. "We're just like any other ordained folks. We have ordained priests and priestesses. Most Wiccans in general do not proselytize. We don't ever try to convert anyone."
According to press reports, about 50 Wiccan chaplains are in hospitals and prisons in the United Kingdom. In the United States, chaplains in the armed forces recognize Wicca, and its followers sometimes meet on military bases.
Selena Fox, a senior minister with Circle Sanctuary, a Wiccan congregation in Mount Horeb, said she has performed ministerial duties in prisons as far back as 1980 and serves as a consultant to the U.S. Department of Justice on religious accommodation for Wiccans and followers of other nature religions.
Estimates of Wiccans in the U.S. vary greatly, from 200,000 to 5 million, Fox said, adding, "in the state of Wisconsin, I'm sure there's over 5,000."
And, no, this is not all Harry Potter's fault......
Love, Do
I can see why it would be especially important to people in prison (and the army, for that matter) to have religious teachers around them. It would seem to me it should be especially important to those religious leaders to provide that instruction without sticking their hands in the public purse.
It's about the souls, not the dole, isn't it?
Agreed. Those who take consider themselves religious should be particularly concerned because such policies lead to either:
A) Other faiths eventually being represented - something not acceptable to many - or
B) All faiths being represented in a general, mushy feel-good sense that is also unacceptable to many who would rather keep the lines between religions and denominations brightly drawn.
By the way, I *think* the issue of prison chaplains, military chaplains, police chaplains, etc has been litigated with the outcome being that tax-payer funded clergy in these instances are acceptable so long as they do not favor their own denomination and do not actively proselytize.
Mark W.
No, it shows corruption and collusion which is typically manifested in hiring people unqualified for the the position.
What a great way to kick off a Christian-bashing thread!
Come on all you Liberaltarians, pile on!!
It's not Christian-bashing at all. It *is* bashing those who always gripe about religious liberty for their own faith but howl when other faiths receive the same benefits. Such howling is not limited to those who are Christians either.
If that doesn't describe you, then don't worry about it.
In a way, that's weirder.
It seems to me that if you really, really believe you have a handle on the one and only True Answer to Salvation, you must favor your own denomination and actively proselytize.
I'm not religious, so maybe I'm missing something important here. But whenever somebody says to me "I never let my religion interfere with my _________", I always assume they don't really believe. If you really and truly believe something, it should permeate with every aspect of your life, shouldn't it? This non-proselytizing, non-denominational stuff is like The Church of Having Someplace to Go on Sundays Before Lunch Because There's Nothing Good on TV. In which case, you might as well be a Wiccan. Or even a Unitarian.
To ask is to answer. Here they have an ally in opposing "Orthodox" religions, ant the ally actually has some believing [it] is no different from orthodox.
Where does this show collusion or corruption?
" McCaughtry said about 10 people were interviewed for the civil service position, which does not require ordination or a theological degree. Witch's interviews, references and background propelled her into the top slot. One selling point was that Witch has extensive knowledge of alternative religions, having previously made presentations on the topic to corrections officials. "
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.