Terminology: Wicca, Wiccan

For many practitioners within the Craft, Paganism, Alternative Religions, and Alternative Spiritual Paths residing in the United States--the terms "Wicca, Wiccan" are only used due to the fact that Wicca is a legally recognized religion in theUnited States which "permits" us to practice the rites, rituals, and spells of Witchcraft in connection with the physical laws of Nature and the metaphysical laws of our Universe (or Cosmos). The Legal Basis For Wicca "Dettmer vs. Landon -This is the court case that made Wicca a legally recognized religion in the United States."The case was Dettmer v. Landon. A 29 year old inmate incarcerated at the Powhatan Correctional Center in State Farm, Virginia claimed that his First Amendment right to the free exercise of his religion, the Church of Wicca, was violated by prison officials who refused to give him any access to his religion's worship materials. Prison officials said that the worship materials that Dettmer seeked--candles; a statue; a white robe; incens[e]; and either sulfur, seasalt, or uniodized salt--would be hazardous to prison security. The prison officials also claimed that the Church of Wicca is not areligion entitled to First Amendment protection..." Full Article: Alternative Religions Educational Network (AREN) www.aren.org/documents/purplebook.pdf