Pagan Response to Establishment
of White House Faith Office
By Ven. Oberon Zell, Church of All Worlds
Contact: oberon@mcn.org
March 1, 2025
Modern Pagans, who embrace a Nature-centered spirituality, comprise a significant constituency in America, with dozens of denominations, hundreds of organizations and millions of adherents. We expect that, as an established community of faith, we Pagans would be protected by this Office:
· The White House Faith Office will empower faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship to better serve families and communities.
Various Pagan churches have been legally incorporated as 501(c)(3) religious organizations for over half a century. Feraferia (1967) (https://feraferia.org/) and the Church of All Worlds (1968) (www.CAW.org) were the first to do so. Witchcraft was legally recognized in the US in 1985 (Dettmer v. Landon: https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/617/592/2246829/). Therefore, we are glad to know that the White House Faith Office will empower Pagan religious organizations “to better serve families and communities.”
· The Office will be housed in the Domestic Policy Council and will consult with experts within the faith community and make recommendations to the President regarding changes to policies, programs, and practices to better align with the American values.
Pagan religious organizations will gladly provide “experts within [our] faith community [to] make recommendations to the President regarding changes to policies, programs, and practices to better align with the American values” which we Pagans uphold: “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness;” “with liberty and justice for all.” (https://pagansolidarity.us/)
· The Office will coordinate with agencies on religious liberty training and on identifying and promoting grant opportunities for non-profit faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship.
This sounds wonderful! How can Pagan “non-profit faith-based entities” apply for such grants?
· The Office will work in collaboration with the Attorney General to identify failures to enforce constitutional and Federal statutory protections for religious liberty.
Good. Circle Sanctuary’s Lady Liberty League (https://www.circlesanctuary.org/Lady-Liberty-League) will be glad to collaborate “with the Attorney General to identify failures to enforce constitutional and Federal statutory protections for religious liberty.”
· Yesterday, President Trump signed an Executive Order establishing a task force to eradicate anti-Christian bias.
Since the 1st Amendment to the US Constitution stipulates that “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, nor prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” this task force must also endeavor to eradicate anti-Pagan bias—as well as bias against Jews, Moslems, Buddhists, Hindus and all other religions..
· In 2017, President Trump stopped the Johnson Amendment from interfering with pastors’ rights to speak their minds.
“Under the Internal Revenue Code, all section 501(c)(3) organizations are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office. Contributions to political campaign funds or public statements of position (verbal or written) made on behalf of the organization in favor of or in opposition to any candidate for public office clearly violate the prohibition against political campaign activity. Violating this prohibition may result in denial or revocation of tax-exempt status and the imposition of certain excise taxes.” (https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/charitable-organizations/restriction-of-political-campaign-intervention-by-section-501c3-tax-exempt-organizations)
Does this “absolute prohibition” by the IRS no longer apply? We need clarification…
· In 2018, President Trump established the Faith and Opportunity Initiative which recognized and promoted the essential contributions of faith-based organizations.
That Initiative would have to include Pagan faith-based organizations.
· In 2018, President Trump reversed the Obama-era policy that prevented the government from providing disaster relief to religious organizations.
What “Obama-era policy” is this? Can we Pagans apply for disaster relief for damages from fires, hurricanes, flooding, earthquakes, etc.?
· In 2019, President Trump hosted a Global Call to Protect Religious Freedom event at the United Nations and called on the international community and business leaders to work to protect religious freedom around the world.
We Pagans are certainly eager to have our religious freedom protected around the world!
· In 2020, President Trump issued new guidance to protect religious liberty and expression in public schools.
This means the religious liberty and expression of Pagan students in public schools will be protected—such as wearing jewelry and T-shirts with Pagan images and symbology (Pentagrams, Ankhs, Mjölnirs, Awens, Triskelions, Goddesses, etc.); having Pagan prayers and rituals in schools; postings of Pagan Principles; and other expressions of Pagan faith.
Fact Sheet: President
Donald J. Trump Establishes White House Faith Office
February 7, 2025
ESTABLISHING A FAITH OFFICE: Today, President Donald
J. Trump signed an Executive Order to establish the White House Faith Office.
·
The White House Faith Office will empower
faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship to better
serve families and communities.
·
The Office will be housed in the Domestic Policy
Council and will consult with experts within the faith community and make
recommendations to the President regarding changes to policies, programs, and
practices to better align with the American values.
·
The Office will coordinate with agencies on
religious liberty training and on identifying and promoting grant opportunities
for non-profit faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of
worship.
·
The Office will work in collaboration with the
Attorney General to identify failures to enforce constitutional and Federal
statutory protections for religious liberty.
DEFENDING RELIGIOUS LIBERTY: President Trump is
committed to protecting the liberty and freedom of our religious communities,
organizations, and students.
·
In his first week, President Trump pardoned
Christians and pro-life activists who were persecuted by the weaponized Biden
Administration for praying and peacefully living out their faith.
·
President Trump reinstated service members
forced out of the military over the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, including those
discharged over their religious objections to the vaccine.
·
Last week, President Trump signed executive
actions to ensure Federal overreach and taxpayer dollars will no longer force
individuals to violate their commitment to life.
·
Yesterday, President Trump signed an Executive
Order establishing a task force to eradicate anti-Christian bias.
PROMISES MADE, PROMISES KEPT: These actions build on
President Trump’s longstanding commitment to safeguarding the fundamental right
to religious freedom, as evidenced by his first term.
·
In 2017, President Trump stopped the Johnson
Amendment from interfering with pastors’ rights to speak their minds.
·
In 2018, President Trump established the Faith
and Opportunity Initiative which recognized and promoted the essential
contributions of faith-based organizations.
·
In 2018, President Trump reversed the Obama-era
policy that prevented the government from providing disaster relief to
religious organizations.
·
In 2019, President Trump hosted a Global Call to
Protect Religious Freedom event at the United Nations and called on the
international community and business leaders to work to protect religious
freedom around the world.
·
In 2020, President Trump issued new guidance to
protect religious liberty and expression in public schools.
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20500
