Word: belief
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...definition provided by Congress is equally vague: In the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Congress defines religion as “a belief [that] must be sincerely held, and within the believer’s own scheme of things religious.” It is easy to see how either of these legal definitions could apply to most of the 4,000 or more world religions. So where did the VA go wrong...
...currently lists 39 official “emblems of belief,” including the recently added Wiccan Pentacle and an atomic symbol that is characterized as “atheist.” Of the official symbols, 17 are directly related to Christianity, including such obscure denominations as the Aaronic Order Church, a 20th-century outgrowth of the Latter Day Saints movement that has fewer than 2,000 members nationally. Contrast that to the 130,000 self-identified Wiccans in the U.S. in 2001, according to a poll conducted by the City University of New York. The Pentagon...
...Although the VA has rectified this specific mistake, it is no closer to a more expansive definition of religious legitimacy. In January 2007, the VA proposed a new set of criteria to determine when it ought to recognize a new emblem of belief. The new criteria seeks to ensure that “there is an immediate need” for a new emblem, and that the belief system is a “genuine and non-frivolous group of religious opinions, doctrines and/or principles believed or accepted as true by a group of persons...
...Second, the VA requests a “concise written description of the main tenets” of the belief system, as well as “information about the structure” of the organization. The VA should be blind regarding the specific structure and tenets of a religion. As Chief Justice Warren E. Burger wrote in Lemon v. Kurtzman, “This kind of state inspection and evaluation of the religious content of a religious organization is fraught with the sort of entanglement that the Constitution forbids.” Rather, the VA should adopt a methodology...
...Finally, the criterion for a new emblem of belief specifically excludes “social, cultural, ethnic, fraternal, trade, professional or military emblems.” This rule inadvertently discriminates against nonreligious people who do not expressly identify as atheist. There are many other identifying organizations and affiliations that may be equally important to a person besides his religion. The way in which a veteran is remembered should not be limited solely to his religion. Although there certainly may be cost constraints to the VA’s ability to provide any and every emblem requested, the VA?...