Award Dinner Moved to Allow Pagans

February 10, 2001

Source: Akron Beacon Journal

http://www.ohio.com/communities/akron/moreabout/2001/February/10/docs/000442.htm

On February 10, 2001, The Akron Beacon Journal published an article entitled, "Pagans are grateful for understanding." "Pagans praise the decision by the Akron Area Interfaith Council to move dinner rather than cut the pagan singing group from the program...Following objections from the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, the council decided to hold their annual award dinner at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, instead...The Rev. John Dainty, a member of the council and executive director of the Association of Churches, said he understood the Orthodox Church's objection, yet the mission of the council is to promote freedom of religion, equality and tolerance, and 'for us to do anything but what we did would have gone against everything we stand for.'...The Welches, two members of the clergy at Spiral Oak, say, 'we are constantly fighting against age-old prejudices of other people's interpretations of us...We are just grateful to the Interfaith Council that they stood up for us and said we should be respected for who we are.'"