Religious intolerance is alive and well in Springfield Missouri. The question is, to what degree, and in the terminology of "The Burning Times", how high are the flames?

In 1999, the court case of Jean Webb vs. The City of Republic was a headliner and major topic of conversation in this community. Republic, a small suburb of Springfield which predominantly featured the ichthus, known as a Christian symbol, on the city logo was under fire from a self- proclaimed Witch who had the audacity to claim that this symbol violated her religious rights.

Jean Webb, a member of the Wiccans, a non-Christian religion had moved to Republic in 1995. She said that the fish symbol on the city seal made her think her religious practices would not be tolerated in Republic so she and her children concealed their beliefs. After she wrote an opinion piece in the Republic newspaper opposing the city seal, Webb says she received hate mail and harassing phone calls and that her children were ostracized. Webb sued the city in July 1998. Her attorneys were from the American Civil Liberties Union.

ACLU members searched for someone who lived in Republic for the lawsuit after the Republic Board of Alderman refused to remove the fish symbol voluntarily from the city seal. Jean Webb moved from the city to avoid the harassment that she says she received, but Judge Clark said the suit could continue even though she no longer lived there. Attorneys for Republic argued that there was a dispute whether the ichthus is really a religious symbol. They also argued that the city did not intend to endorse a particular religion or exclude others by adopting the city seal.

U.S. District Judge Russell Clark ruled in favor of Webb first without a trial in what's known as a summary judgment. Clark said the ruling is appropriate because "there is no genuine issue of material fact present in the case." Clark said, "Webb brings overwhelming evidence before the Court to show that only one conclusion is possible: when viewing the fish on Republic's flag, a reasonable observer would conclude that it is a Christian religious symbol."

This stirred up all kinds of intolerance. Jean, a personal acquaintance of mine, lost her home because she had to move, her husband died of a respiratory ailment, her Coven found the public scrutiny too much to handle so Jean released the Coven. She lost a lot. The intolerance towards her was rather dramatic. It even culminated in a rather mild statement seen on local cars in the form of a bumper sticker featuring the ichthus stating, "Republic, this fish is for you". Quite a few people I personally know as well as I, had cars with Wiccan or Pagan bumper stickers defaced around this time.

Currently, in another suburb of Springfield called Ozark, there is a sensational ongoing murder case of a woman of the "Wiccan faith" murdered by another "Wiccan " with his "ritual knife" over a drug deal. This case is too new to discuss here, but the religious connection has been mentioned in the local paper, the News Leader.

The headlines in this laid back little Ozark town are slightly inflammatory. Where are the flames today, and who or what has created tolerance from intolerance?

Republic has since removed the ichthus from it's city vehicles, flags, stationary, and literally anywhere it was displayed. Few bumper stickers are seen now stating, "This fish is for you". Stores such as Renaissance Books and Gifts, the local New Age/Craft store does not report any hate mail or problems like in the early days when it first opened, and no one wearing a pentagram has been reportedly asked to leave any of our local establishments as in other Ozark cities in earlier years. My car with it's large blue and black Wiccan bumper sticker has not been attacked in the last 8 years, and unlike in the 80's in Springfield, no one has found their pets, again, dead in the mailbox. No Pagan person's business has been burned to the ground because it was found out they were Pagan, as happened here in the 70's.The local Unitarian Universalist Church with it's Covenant Group of Earth Based Religions has not been targeted for adverse publicity, as was done also in the 80's. The local public TV station continues to air the Pagan Pagan Show Friday nights on Channel 26 without protest or protestors. The Annual Pagan Pride Picnic is held every year at Nathaniel Green Park with no problems noted from the public. The First Annual Witches Ball was held with guests Gavin and Yvonne Frost and daughter Bronwyn, and no picketers visited.

In Springfield Missouri, the home of the rather intolerant Assemblies of God World Wide Ministries, Pagans and Wiccans are today alive and well, living and seemingly tolerated in this Ozark Community. Well, well. How do you suppose THAT happened. Inflammatory headlines, but where are the flames? Where did they go, and why did they go away?

Go and get a copy of Drawing Down the Moon by Margot Adler. Go ahead. It won't bite. Turn to page 514 and look for Greenleaf Coven. Oh, can't find a copy?

"Greenleaf Coven. Greenleaf is a loosely knit group of Witches, Pagans, Shamans, and Independents who come together for worship, work and fellowship. The traditions are eclectic, though primary influences from Celtic and Germanic traditions, and there are ties with the Church and School of Wicca. Greenleaf is totally public, publishes Spider, a free monthly newsletter, and considers its primary focus to educate and communicate. It also presents classes, marches in the local St. Patrick's Day parade, communicates with the media, has an active prison ministry, and works with the homeless and people with AIDS."

Who are these Greenleaf people and what are they doing for our Community?

Located here in Springfield Missouri since 1976 when they were originally chartered by the Church and School of Wicca, Greenleaf became a legal Church in l993.Greenleaf's web site says, "We teach karma, reincarnation, and the Law of Multiple return. The Mother Earth and all life is sacred and should be treated with love and respect. We encourage people to express gratitude every day for all that we are given. We also encourage people to ask questions, to recognize and develop their ability and talents, and to try to get through life doing good and causing as little harm as possible."

How do they do that? Well first of all, Greenleaf began publishing it's newsletter now called Spider, but originally called The Web, in approximately 1986. Targeting the Wiccan/Pagan community, it was filled with recipes, gossip, cheery news and quotes, and liberally spiced with teachings of Wicca. Cleverly interwoven in this publication was networking information. Yes, actually how to meet (gasp) witches. However, in addition to handing this little publication out free to all stores and persons even remotely related to Wicca, it was also hand delivered to law enforcement officials in Springfield. The local Springfield Police Department was the first stop, right along with popular record stores, candle shops, and head shops. Then soon, the three local TV stations were added to the list, shortly followed by the PBS TV Channel, and the local Newspaper mentioned previously called The News Leader. What an idea. Let the public know who we are, and what we are doing, and combat intolerance in a positive manner.

Next, Greenleaf approached an offshoot of the Unity Church called the Oneness Center and other businesses like the now defunct Celestial Horizons Bookstore, and began having public classes. Free classes were held. In hosting and teaching these classes, people from Greenleaf dressed casually, in a manner completely non-descript, and usual for this town and climate. Again, what an idea. Let the public see who we are, and in a positive, non- threatening manner.

Shortly after open Wicca classes began, open Sabbats were held in local parks and other public places, like Busiek State Park. Obtaining the necessary permits was easy, and again dress was casual. Some times the Newsleader came and did stories and took pictures. Seeing these sources, local colleges contacted Greenleaf for speakers to come and do presentations to college classes.

In l997, having established a working relationship with the local PBS Channel, the Pagan Pagan Show was born. Still featured Fridays, it has been running for 5 years now. Greenleaf says again, "Every week we stick our faces out there to let our town know who we are and what we are about. We let them see our kids, our pets, and we tell them about ourselves. We pass along information about the Wheel of the Year, the Gods and Goddesses, and a little bit about what we do in ritual. Remember, most people do not know anything about Wicca, and most of what they hear or think they know is not true. We are trying to dispel the myths. The Pagan Pagan Show can been seen in areas of New York and Illinois. Segments of the show have been featured in articles carried by "USA Today" and Greenleaf has been contacted by "The Daily Show" on Comedy Central."

Members of the show and the Church continue to speak to local college classes, and have expanded to now make themselves available and are called in on Police matters as expert witnesses. In October 2000, they were featured on local radio stations US 97 and Alice 95.5 to promote the Samhain Seminar and First Annual Witches Ball.

Now new groups like Portal of Light and DragonStar Rising Coven have reopened The Pantry, originally opened in about 1996. The Pantry is the only free food bank in town that delivers and is open on weekends and evenings for people who have jobs. I was nominated for Springfield Woman of the Year in 1998 in the KGBX program sponsored by Today's Woman Magazine for my work in forming and running this Pagan Organization. The Pantry is an approved Community Alternative Sentencing Program site where offenders can do their community service that is court ordered.

All of this activity has been taken, not with a plan to combat intolerance, but to serve our community and make Wicca accessible to seekers of the faith. It has been a realistic progression of becoming public, and coordinating with the community.

Greenleaf began the process, and now others of us are following.

The causes of intolerance are too numerous to mention. Shall we start with, "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live". Yes, even in Springfield Missouri, occasionally intolerance continues. Last week the HP of Greenleaf was yelled at due to her beliefs. But then again, last week Greenleaf won third prize in the Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade for their parade float, and were awarded a trophy and $100.

I am able to wear my pentagram, display my bumper stickers, run my Coven, hold classes, run The Pantry and go to a public park for the Pagan Pride Picnic because Greenleaf has worked all these years, and taken all these steps, realistically, lovingly, and with the guidance of the God and Goddess to overcome intolerance in my community. Greenleaf, thank you.