Pagans and the Law [Paperback]

Dana D. Eilers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 4, 2009

Dana D. Eilers now brings her legal education and experience to the Pagan community with this new book. A 1981 cum laude graduate of New England School of Law with a history of private civil practice for 17 years in the states of Missouri and Illinois, Dana has written an informative and educational resource to help Pagans understand the law and how it works. This book touches upon constitutional law, employment discrimination, family law, land use, landlord/tenant issues, and other areas of the law that are of interest to Pagans. It helps you understand your rights as a Pagan. It also provides an overview of the American court system and how it works, with some hints on finding and working with attorneys. Additionally, Dana presents a historical perspective on religion and government so that the modern Pagan can truly appreciate the unique moment in history in which we live.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An indispensable guide to anyone facing religious discrimination or any legal issue where your religion may become a factor." -- Terri Paajanen, paganwiccan.about.com

"If I had to choose one word to sum this entire book up, it would be "excellent"." -- Daven, davensjournal.com

"Ms. Eilers has done the Pagan community a great service with the writing and publication of this book." -- Michael Gleason, reviewer for Pagan Moon, Pagan Times, among many other media outlets

Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Career Press (March 4, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1564146715
• ISBN-13: 978-1564146717
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #901,074 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dana D. Eilers is the author of The Practical Pagan (New Page Books). She is a practicing Witch and Pagan Civil Rights advocate who has worked both in a coven and as a solitary for more than 10 years.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars EVERY Pagan needs this book!, July 2, 2003

By 

Janet K. Schmidt "book maven" (Belleville, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pagans and the Law (Paperback)

Dana Eilers has written a book that is a must for every Pagan's bookshelf. Every HP or HPS certainly needs to add this to their reference shelves.

Dana has written a clear, concise and wonderfully readable guide to Pagans and the Law, just as the title says. This book is not a substitute for a lawyer for a specific legal problem, but, it educates a person to know fully and thoroughly what our rights really are. It is a wonderful starting point for any attorney representing or thinking of representing a Pagan. In fact, this book would be an excellent gift for Pagan friendly attorneys you know. It will fill a great need at Yule time as a great gift all your Pagan friends can use. (Unless they buy it first, but, I believe this book will end up being one of those that "disappears" so think about that when loaning it. Tell your friends to buy a copy for themselves so they will have it handy.)

Rights for Parents, Schools, Employment - they are all covered. Child Custody, one topic that seems to come up constantly has a very informative chapter. Wondering how to go about starting a legal church? Read this book, the information is included. Along with case law, citations, and a very understandable explanation of the Constitution.

Dana has a great writing style that makes you feel like you are just sitting having coffee with a friend who knows all about the law and how it applies to Pagans. But, a friend you can get advice from any time day or night. Never preachy, always informative, Dana writes for everyone without any condescension.

This book fills a void in Pagan reference books and I am very grateful that the Pagan community has Dana Eilers writing for us.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must for Any Pagan Library, September 28, 2003

By 

Boudica (Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pagans and the Law (Paperback)

Dana Eilers has done all the research you will need to give to your attorney should you find yourself in a situation where you need to defend your religious position.

Presented here in one place is a book on practical advice for pagans with legal issues and legal briefs on various cases involving court decisions on pagan issues and common sense to apply to various legal issues involving religious intolerance and the American Court System.

This book presents very general and simple explanations of modern paganism witchcraft and Wicca. It does not go into the complexity of these spiritual paths but gives enough information for both a competent lawyer and the court system to be able to understand and use in possible cases.

The author then presents landmark cases involving rights of Pagans in courts, the stand of the government on the validity on Wicca as a religion, the courts decisions on the religious practices of Pagans in specific situations, such as how it would effect child custody cases, employment discrimination, housing issues and land use issues to name a few.

This is not a book to be taken lightly. It is a book you take to your lawyer who may not be familiar with either your practice, your situation or how the courts have ruled in the past regarding specific situations. It is a most valuable tool saving most lawyers' hours of research (and you money) and time in presenting a case involving a Pagan and their rights.

It is also a book on how you should handle your own personal part of being involved in a court case. How should you address your particular issue? Do you even have a case... how to know when to see a lawyer? What is it going to cost you? Is there anyway you can locate a pagan friendly lawyer or can you use a lawyer you have locally? What groups would be available to assist you in your case? How should you present yourself to a court? Just an example of the practical advice Ms. Eilers is well known for.

This book is a gem that should be read by everyone whether or not you ever find yourself in a situation where you would need a lawyer. The practical advice, the cases involving various pagan groups and the resource should you ever need it are well worth the price of the book. Ms. Eilers has not done any shortcuts here with the amount of information and advice she gives. Her years of experience show in the quality of the research and her writings.

This is a must for any group library. And I plan on adding this to my top ten must have books on Paganism. boudica

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book every Pagan should read, July 25, 2003

By 

Ellen E. Hopman (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pagans and the Law (Paperback)

"Pagans and the Law" is a basic text that every Pagan leader or clergy
person should have on her bookshelf. It is also a book that solitary Pagans
and students should read, in order to understand our basic rights.
It is a practical book that covers nuts and bolts issues such as the
availability of pro-bono Pagan lawyers (there are none), and that gives
guidelines for how to pick a lawyer, internet sites to access, and
instructions on how to navigate the court system.
Eilers' discussion of the First Amendment is especially crucial for
Pagans; "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of
religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof". Towards the end of the
book there is a nice history lesson about the "separation of church and
state" and of the concept of "freedom of worship" in the US and other
countries.
The book covers areas of special interest such as Pagans in the military,
child custody, and job discrimination. Eilers helps the reader to
distinguish between cases of genuine religious discrimination and cases
where the employee or the child is removed for very good reasons.
There are sections on Pagans who have been evicted or refused a lease due
to their religion, and Pagans who have been denied the free exercise of land
use. There are instructions on how to deal with zoning ordinances and for
determining when it is legal to hold a Pagan ritual in a private home, or to
build a Pagan temple or church.
This is a book that I hope every Pagan will read and that I hope no Pagan
will ever have to use.
Ellen Evert Hopman
Author of "Being a Pagan" (ISBN 089281904-9) and other volumes