phytolatry AKA plant worship! is this "religion" ?

[phytolator]

PHYTOLATRY = PLANT WORSHIP


Can this be a recognised religion? Can it's practices be offered protective rights? what constitutes Phytolatry?

*religion does not necessarily imply a God or deity, but is accessed in the practice of worship, which is at it's simplest - declaring profound worth to something - in the case of phytolatry, the kingdom of plants!

Of course everyone is provided the freedom to individually believe in whatever they want, but for a belief to qualify as religion it must represent the beliefs of a community, one person is not enough.
Why would you care whether your beliefs qualify as religion? - because if, as a community, there are specified rights for individuals and these rights are of the highest worth to members of the community and declared as religious, then under The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, that religion and it's practices are protected so long as they do not impinge on another individuals rights.

As far as I understand, individual rights under UDHR can not be compromised by local or national legislation or Bills.
- This means Bills that attempt to regulate possession of plants etc... would not be able to be used to take away rights from an individual whose religious practice might normally contravene a piece of legislation.
Perhaps you could have items confiscated, but you could not be imprisoned.

I am not an expert on any legal aspect of this, but am trying to make sense of it as best I can.

I would like to be part of a community that regards plants as being a sacred counterpart to human existence, and that wishes for it to be a defendable right.
A community that declares plants as being of the highest worth to both individuals and our species.
And of course the belief that every person is born with the right to keep or consult with any plant for betterment of their vitality and appreciation of life.

These simple assertions could have profound implications, sometimes it feels like if we do not assert these rights now it could be too late.

One day all plants will be owned by a corporation and the domestic garden will be a fact of history.

Keen to hear your thoughts, sorry if it's all a bit waffly...

check out phytolatry community on FB, it's young, more material and collaboration wanted!

[vegetarium]

It's very complicated, but my very basic understanding (feel free to correct me anybody) basically the UDHR doesn't mean anything, even if it's been ratified, until Australia passes a domestic law giving legal weight to it. The UDHR specifically is more of a declaration. The more relevant covenants are the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights - which implement the rights outlined in the UDHR. And I don't know off the top of my head the extent to which these treaties have been implemented into Australian law. Just look at the way the right to asylum is being treated.

Also - what about mycolatry? :D We musn't forget our fungal friends.

[phytolator]

thanks for your insight, vegetarium! :-)

yes! mycolatry, no less crucial of course!

In a document included in the phytolatry fb page, I have suggested that the taxonomic disparity between plants and fungi is one of cultural innovation - born of a paradigm where material concerns are paramount (mycelial chitin placing fungi closer to animals than plants) while other qualities and functions of organisms are not observed by the scientific machine of category - like relationship and function, holistic and ecological qualities...
Historically, fungi once sat aside plants in an other kingdom, they may yet again.

Until then it might just remain a footnote that fungi and plants be held in equal regard, as clumsy as that may be.

Interesting what you say about the UDHR, I really do not know. I'm aware of course that churches in the US have been granted permission to possess or consume peyote ritualistically - I don't know if they were automatically permitted under the cloak of religion or had to request exemption from being criminalised.
But I do know that I wouldn't want my right to engage with plants hinge on my commitment to superstitions about the origin of the universe, a man in the clouds, or where we go when we die.

The first step as a community, is defining what our core beliefs are, before we can assume what relevance any laws might have to them.
Because the legal aspect is still only a detail...

- What would be really amazing would be to have a name for the community that share these sentiments, once there is a name then the idea becomes much easier to talk about, rather than leading each conversation with...

"Hey, have you ever thought how whack it is that we see so much beauty and find so much use in plants, that they provide for everything from basic survival to ecstatic bliss? they are like as much a part of us as the billions of bacteria that live in our gut. How on earth did we let someone else place boundaries on our personal relationships with plant life?"

...instead, you just say "Phytolatry" :-)

Once it enters the lexicon, values found in phytolatry will be easier integrated into the world around us.
Without phytolatry, it's like trying to build a house without naming the hammer, hammer.

[woodwoman]

I invented a mock religion when I was young called "Minimalism" and the gist was to do nothing, other than grow plants, interact with them, animals and people in a free, loving, respectful way.

No ditching of family and driving to work to pay for food and roof

"The Ringing Cedars" Series has very worthwhile philosophy of plant-human interactions, worth a read/study if wanting to create a new religion or political party maybe. It has already made a huge mark on the world.

My political party would be called "Free Land For All"

How many would vote for that?

5 acres each is what we need to turn this planet into a Garden of Eden!

I love your Idea Phytolator it is very phytolistic.

[MikeyMagic]

I invented a mock religion when I was young called "Minimalism" and the gist was to do nothing, other than grow plants, interact with them, animals and people in a free, loving, respectful way.

Wow! We ARE alike!

When I was in the first year of high school I started my own mock religion too!

I dubbed myself a prophet of a non-profit religion!

I wrote comical mystical/mysterious/random psalms in my own person bible, which brought me out of my shell for a bit, it started with personal cynicism, but evolved into a running joke with the help of a friend.

A few years ago I decided to allocate myself the title: "Energy conservationist!" (ie Lazy bastard!)

Edit:I did read an article in the 80's about the "pope of pot" which was a registered religion (in California if I remember correctly)

Edited January 25, 2014 by MikeyMagic