Expert Witness and PR Functions

Most of the pertinant info here is common sense. When in doubt, discuss with another person. Two heads, or six or seven, are usually better than one as long as dissent is acceptable. (When dissent is prohibited, we tend to find that groups fall into a negative pattern that professional Helpers call "groupthink")
Before you take up the challenge of acting as an expert witness or performing in a PR capacity, you should evaluate your competancy in such manners. An expert witness or someone in a multi-religious situation should appear professional, well-groomed, and appropriately dressed (a business suit, dress, clerical collar -yes, we CAN and do wear those, too- or appropriate formal wear. NOT ritual wear, that's for rituals. Please leave the Laurie Cabot Makeup at home, it is a battle we have collectively decided to not participate in.)

You must be familiar enough with your faith to answer questions, as well as dealing with aggressive nastiness with grace and eagerness. When you speak of Wicca as a whole, refer to it as "The Religion of Modern Wicca," when speaking of UEW, speak of "the Universal Eclectic Tradition of Modern Wicca."

DO NOT spout false histories or embellishments on the stand, as it will reduce the relevancy of your testimony.

Jayne Tomas, founder of UEW, was famous (infamous) for saying that "if the general public met the average wiccan, not the publicity hounds and outspoken (and needed, in the grand scheme of things) flamboyant minority, they would be most impressed with how very boring Wiccans are."

Being Wiccan is an utterly normal choice in life, and if someone tries to say that someone is crazy because they are Wiccan and the court doesn't do the right thing and throw the issue out as the non-issue it is, your job as an expert witness is not to find new Wiccans or impress or dazzle or seem really neat. Your job is to speak as a leader, and you do not need to defend anyone, just tell the truth, the whole Truth and nothing but the truth.
In a PR capacity, there is room for a little more fun, but never sink to the level of fundamentalist Christians. Keep it clean, no name calling, no nastiness. Remember, however, that an "I forgive you, you probably didn't know any better" is the single best weapon against nasty Christians there is. Remember that Real Christians aren't evil bigots, and always know that anyone who is acting in an evil, judgemental manner is not really acting Christian. Saying "I know real Christians, and they don't act like you," or the more sarcastic, "oh, how very Christlike of you" or the simple mention of Matthew 7:1, is all you need to know. More helps, less is okay, but resorting to the ignorant evil that you are shown sends a message that we want to avoid. When it comes down to it, simply remember that you are representing the highest of ethical humans, and that they are representing the basest. Even if you utterly believe christianity a fiction, out Christ the Christians to the best of your ability:

"the worst they can do is kill you, and who better than a Christian knows the power of a Martyr. If they Kill you, you will rise again, and the world will rise up to meet you."

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