Chad Anctil

Chad Anctil is a veteran of the U.S. Navy who served for six years before being honorably discharged. He is also a practitioner of Wicca, a nature-worshipping religion that traces its roots to ancient times, and whose members are known as witches. In the following viewpoint, he argues that his religion was never secret from his military peers and superiors, and that it never affected his performance or his unit’s morale or combat readiness. Those who wish to ban the practice of the Wiccan religion on American military bases are motivated by religious prejudice and do not fully understand the American tradition of religious freedom, he concludes.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. How did people in the military who worked directly with the...