[MR] Religion in the Society (was: heraldry)

[Jonathan Foor]

 Actually: (From Corpora)
> "6. POLICY ON RELIGION (June 1980, revised July 1988)
> Having no wish to recreate the religious conflicts of the period under
study, the Society for Creative Anachronism, Incorporated, shall neither
establish nor prohibit any system of belief among its members. No one shall
perform any religious or magical ceremony at a Society event (or in
association with the name of the Society) in such a way as to imply that the
ceremony is authorized, sponsored, or promulgated by the Society or to force
anyone at a Society event, by direct or indirect pressure, to observe or
join the ceremony. However, this provision is in no way intended to
discourage the study of historical belief systems and their effects on the
development of Western culture.
>
.> "Except as provided herein, neither the Society nor any member acting in
its name or that of any of its parts shall interfere with any person's
lawful ceremonies, nor shall any member discriminate against another upon
grounds related to either's system of belief."
>
> So, You may study all you like, but religion within the SCA is forbidden.
There are three occasions where this Policy is not adhered to, but they are
all for extenuating circumstance
> 1. Weddings- so long as a wedding is performed in a period manner and it
is not a 'mandatory' function of an event, then there is no problem with it
occuring at an event.
> 2. Wakes- Considering that a SCAdien wake is as much like many other
"celebrations" they are rarely, if ever commented against. Firstly, so long
as it is not mandatory for all to attend; secondly, who's going to say that
anyone may NOT mourn the passing of a friend.
> 3. AA meetings- not really religious per se, but the belief in a Higher
Power and the commonality of group prayer at such meetings places them in
the general realm. However, attendance is only on a voluntary basis, such is
the principle of AA. And further, who in their right mind is going to tell
recovering addicts that they cannot gather together and help each other, no
matter where they are.
>
>
> Vels



Good gentles all,
Usually I just lurk on this list, as I have not been active for a number of
years, but I feel compelled to daringly leap in to this particular
discussion.

Simply put, and with all due respect,  how the blazes does the
aforementioned quote from Corpora say that religion in the Society is
forbidden??? (See above)   If so, Houston, we have a problem......
What this is saying is that you cannot imply that the Society is ENDORSING
your particular religious beliefs.  Last time I checked (unless things have
changed drastically in the past four years) the SCA as a rule goes out of
its way to make sure they aren't pressuring individuals into doing anything
they didn't want to do.  If a particular group of individuals want's to hold
a ceremony/ritual/prayer/etc....at an event  (and we all know this goes on
anyway....oh, and by the way, lets not forget about free exercise and
peaceable assembly garunteed by the US Constitution....this is still
America, right????)   the harm to the Society can only occur if it is
implied that the SCA is endorsing this particular "activity".   Now, it
could be argued that the very presence of  such an activity could be
considered endorsement.   But my question is this:   If  Lord Snuffy's (for
example) beliefs are offended by the presence of someone else's privately
located  "religious activity" as he happens across it while pleasantly
making his way across the campground one fine Pennsic's evening, does he not
realize that he has the same right to practice (privately)  his own beliefs
with like minded persons?  And if he's not, then , does he not realize that
that is on him to do so, if he so desires?

 Secondly, these statements contradict each other:

.>"" "Except as provided herein, neither the Society nor any member acting
in its name or that of any of its parts shall interfere with any person's
lawful ceremonies, nor shall any member discriminate against another upon
grounds related to either's system of belief.">

> So, You may study all you like, but religion within the SCA is forbidden.
There are three occasions where this Policy is not adhered to, but they are
all for extenuating circumstance.    ""

Huh??  It seems to me that the first quote is saying that it is unlawful for
the SCA to forbid religious practice...as long as it doesn't imply or
require endorsement by the SCA as a whole.....and since the Corpora states
that the SCA does NOT endorse any particular practice..and it is there for
any literate person to read...and that no sane autocrat that I have ever met
in the society would ever DREAM of running an official SCA event in such a
manner as to imply that they are favoring a particular religious
practice....then where is the issue?  Is it reasonable to judge the whole by
a few members or parts?    By the same token, would it be reasonable or fair
for a gentle to judge the entire SCA entirely on the basis of encountering a
few fighters (if the gentle is more interested in music), or Archers (if
this person is more interested in making garb)  for example.   Friends, the
advantage of, and what attracted me to the SCA years ago was the very broad
nature of  the society.  And I completely expect to encounter Pagans,
Muslims, Catholics, Athiests, Protestants, Unitarians, and many and other
more varied practitioners of other faiths in the SCA.  And I completely
expect all of them to be afforded the right to practice their own faiths as
they see fit as individuals, within the confines of the Corpora, at SCA
events, and I think that this particular passage from the Corpora, when
carefully read, affords them that right..as long as they remember that their
rights stop (as is the case of all free people) where the next individual's
rights start.


my two cents,

Jon