Glossary - exWitch Australia (formerly 'Born Again Pagan')

HELMS AMENDMENT

Wiccan and Neo-Pagan churches and organizations may apply for tax-exempt status in the United States, just as may other religious organizations. In 1985 two members of Congress, Senator Jesse Helms of North Carolina and Representative Robert Walker of Pennsylvania, introduced bills to remove this exemption for Wicca and Neo-Paganism. Both measures failed.

The effort was begun by Helms, who queried Secretary of the Treasury James Baker about Wiccan and Neo-Pagan groups. Baker replied in a letter that several organi-zations that "espouse a system of beliefs, rituals and practices derived in part from pre-Christian Celtic and Welsh Traditions which they label as 'witchcraft' " did indeed have tax-exempt status. Baker also pointed out that any group that is sincere in its beliefs, does not break the law and conforms to "clearly defined public policy" can qualify for tax exemption.

Of the hundreds of Wiccan/Neo-Pagan groups that rise and fade around the US, only a handful ever apply for tax-exempt status. Most operate on very slim budgets.

Nevertheless, the congressmen introduced their bills. Walker's legislative assistant told the press, "If a person is praying for horrible things and sticking pins into voodoo dolls, that is not the kind of religion that should be supported by a tax exemption."

The bills were opposed by the American Civil Liberties Union and numerous Wiccan/Neo-Pagan groups, among them the Covenant of the Goddess, a Berkeley, California, organization that is tax-exempt and represents about 70 Neo-Pagan groups around the country; Circle Santuary, an international Wicca and Neo-Pagan networking organization based near Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin; and the Church and School of Wicca, New Bern, North Carolina.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) called the bill "the crudest example of First Amendment infringement." Witches, who organized a massive letter-writing and flyer campaign, termed the bills a throwback to the Witch-hunts of the Middle Ages. The issue became known as the Helms Amendment.

Neither the Helms nor Walker measure survived to be incorporated into the sweeping tax-reform legislation passed in 1986.

PLEASE NOTE:
One of the major problems with 'defining' Paganism and/or its beliefs and practices is that it is an 'organic' movement, in that it is undergoing constant change and re-evaluation from within, and as such any 'one-size-fits-all' approach to understanding Paganism will be found wanting.

Due to the very 'organic' nature of Paganism, and the many differing Paths and Traditions within it, in many cases no one definition may be universally accepted by all Pagans. Therefore, where such cases of possible conflicting and/or contradictory meanings of certain terms occur I have endevoured to give not only the generally accepted meaning, but also any major 'variations' in belief and/or practice.

Christians who believe this difference in meaning of certain key terms, beliefs and practices to be unique to Paganism need to remember that such conflicts also arise within the Body of Christ - the Church. Take for instance the differing practices amongst Christians concerning Baptism and the different attitudes towards women in the clergy.

- Jean-Luc

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