To Congressperson/Senator______
I write to you today to request congressional assistance with a community concern of great importance. The United States Army has paperwork that requires a religious preference to be chosen from an approved list. In the last few years, several religious organizations have tried to add “Asatru” and “Heathen” as preferences to that list for military members that share my faith.
Recently CH(COL) Bryan Walker, (mailto:) a chaplain in the Chief of Chaplains office, stated that a new system is being designed that would mitigate this issue. However, he estimated that this new system would take several years to implement. Several years have already been spent in pursuit of this request. Waiting several more years for a new system to be designed and realized while service members, who share my faith, pass away is both distressing and unacceptable.
The leadership of the Open Halls Project (openhalls.org) has been at the forefront of this request. They were recently interviewed on related issues on PRI's The World in a program broadcast on NPR (theworld.org/2013/07/thor-hammer-approved-symbol/). They feel, as I feel, that it is incredibly important that this religious preference be authorized so the needs of our military members are met.
These religious preference additions would recognize a polytheistic religious tradition, with a basis in the worldview of the Norse and Germanic pre-Christians. One of its central tenets is the belief in service to one’s community and nation. There are members of this faith, my faith, that serve in every branch of the military. We serve as firefighters, police officers, and in every sector of public life. We are a minority faith in the United States, but a large majority of us have raised our right hand to defend the Constitution.
Many terms have been used to refer to this religious tradition but two terms, widely recognized, are “Asatru” and “Heathen.” These are the two terms that have been requested to be added as religious preferences. “Asatru” is the Icelandic word for "faith in the Aesir" (the Norse Gods). “Heathen” is a traditional word that originally meant heath dweller or country person, but evolved to mean those who follow the old tradition.
I am contacting you in the hope that you will be able to help encourage the United States Army and the Department of Defense to make these additions to the current preference list. Please join me in showing support for our service men and women.
Sincerely,
Further information can be requested through Josh or Cat Heath at . The Open Halls Project is acting as the point of contact for this advocacy.