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By Carey King
Religious debate returned to Sylva last week as a local Baptist
preacher and pagan high priestess traded volleys during an Oct.
2 meeting of Sylva's town board.
Speaking for the pagans, High Priestess Lianna Costantino-Cardon
of the Sylvan Hearth Pagan Temple refuted statements the Rev.
Larry Perry made about her group during the board's Sept. 4 session.
"I've spoken with Larry Perry and corrected some of the assumptions
he made. I believe he made his statements with no malicious intent,
and I forgive him," Costantino-Cardon said.
"We do not believe in drug use or in converting children,
unless we're asked to do so by a child's parents," she said,
adding that Perry got some of his information from a Web site
not affiliated with her group.
Costantino-Cardon said she was once a police officer in Los Angeles
and has served in the U.S. Army as a chaplain for Wiccan soldiers.
"Wicca is recognized by our goverment as a legitimate religion,"
she said.
Costantino-Cardon asked that community members "not act on
mistaken assumptions" in the future.
"Dialogue more. If you want to know what a pagan person believes,
ask me. I'm a nice person, I think, or I try to be," she
said.
Costantino-Cardon said people should "not confuse my compassionate
nature with weakness," and said the pagan group would continue
to meet in Sylva's parks.
"I can assure you the seminary, temple, and interfaith retreat
are being built, and that the Western Carolina group is going
through," she said.
The group plans to gather without advertising location or meeting
dates in order to prevent confrontations like one that took place
a month ago in Poteet Park.
Referring to the Sept. 7 conflict between pagan group members
and street preacher Dean Moore, Costantino-Cardon thanked Sylva
Police Chief Jeff Jamison for his "professionalism during
a difficult time." She also thanked those present at the
board meeting for listening to her comments, "even though
they may not agree with me."
Pagan supporters in attendance included representatives from the
Buncombe County-based Coalition of Earth Religions for Education
and Support. Byron Ballard, CERES president, offered her organization
as a resource for information on neo-paganism, saying Scots-Irish
people in Western North Carolina "have been practicing what
we practice for 250 years."
The Rev. Larry Perry, pastor of Tuckasegee Baptist Church, addressed
Sylva board members for the second time in as many months.
"I'm not here to say that anyone does not have the right
to speak or worship," Perry said. "That is not what
I intended to do.
"I was asked by a lot of people to circulate a petition,
so that members of our county could let their names be known in
opposition," he said. "I'm very much opposed to the
pagan religion because of my faith."
Perry indicated he would continue his stance against the group.
"I won't oppose (the pagan group) violently, because I don't
support violence, but I will fight with all the resources I have
to keep Christianity strong in Jackson County," Perry said.
Perry spoke Sept. 4 in opposition to the planned Sept. 7 pagan
meeting in Poteet Park, saying he didn't believe it was right
to use public parks for religious services.
Mayor Brenda Oliver cut short the dialogue between Costantino
and Perry after some 20 minutes.
"I have been advised by my attorney that this is not a forum
for religious opinion," Oliver said as she ended public comment.
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