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

[Craig Levin]

Jon: 

> 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". 

Private individuals can do what they want in the comfort of their
encampment. Even as it is said, "A man's home is his castle." That's never
been a problem. 

It's when people start mixing private and public that we get problems.
Consider these hypothetical situations:

o A baron and baroness, who have Byzantine personae, set up an icon on the
table between them in court. Jews and Muslims would have to forego bowing to
them, as it would appear that they're also bowing to the icons. 

o Someone at the head table at a feast asks everyone to join him in saying
Grace. Jews cannot participate in this sort of thing; in fact, Jews are
instructed to leave food that has been dedicated to another religion
*alone*. That kills the feast for them.

o A fighter steps on the field, and calls upon Thunor to aid him.

Believe it or not, all of these are kept from happening by the relevant
section of Corpora. Unfortunately, the BoD no longer has a version in HTML
at the SCA website.

>   Now, it
> could be argued that the very presence of  such an activity could be
> considered endorsement. 

Apparently not as the BoD interprets that section. Again, a man's home is
his castle.

>  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?

I daresay that teaching people about that part of Corpora is the duty of the
Chatelaine.

>  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?? 

Bad quoting software.

<snip>

> 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?  

There's a reason why they won't-that part of Corpora.

Pedro