The Hammer Project - Religious Freedom for Heathens in the Military

Update:  It looks like the petition is down due to an announcement from the VA.  You can read more from the Hammer Project site link below.

The Hammer Project is an effort to allow the heathen symbol, Thor's hammer, to be placed on the list of Veterans Administration's Emblems of Beliefs allowed on the headstones of fallen soldiers.

Many heathens practice the religion of Asatru, a reconstructist faith of the pre-Christian, Northern European people. There are Pagans of many paths who are veterans and active members of the United States military including those of the Asatru faith.

The creators of the Hammer Project are reaching out to heathens of various beliefs to get their support to help ensure that every heathen soldier can go into battle knowing that a symbol of his or her faith will be placed on their grave if they lose their life. While a complete separation of church and state is what many would prefer, the US government has chosen to already allow other symbols. It's time to allow the hammer.

Thor is the Norse warrior god known for wielding his mighty hammer, also called Mjollnir, in defense of his kin. He has come to embody the warrior aspects so respected in the Asatru faith.

While there are many other symbols of Asatru, the Mjollnir is thought ideal by some to represent soldiers.

Wiccans fought a similar fight for many years. Sgt. Patrick Stewart, a Wiccan, lost his life in service to his country. When his wife asked the VA to place a pentacle, a common symbol of the Wiccan faith, on his government-provided headstone, they denied her request.

After a long legal battle and with the help of the Wiccan community elders and other organizations devoted to the separation of church and state, they won their quest to have the pentacle placed on the list of emblems in 2007.

To support the Hammer Project, visit the link in the resources section below. There is an online petition that will be presented to the VA. The goal is 10,000 signatures. An online petition isn't a legal document of course. One of the goals is to begin to rally support for this important issue.

If you are interested in learning more about Asatru, I've provided links to books on Amazon below that are all good starting points as well as an informative intro on YouTube by author Mike Smith. He has several works free for download on the web at the Temple of Our Heathen Gods website. I personally recommend Ways of the Asatru - Beliefs of the Northern, Modern Heathens as a solid introduction to the Asatru faith. It's short and to the point at 60 pages, and he encourages readers to think for themselves.  You can read my full review of the book here.