Religous exemptions ? and The Fane of the Psilocybe Mushroom

[Guest electro]

a friend of a friend asked me to post his latest diary entry for him ...

having no doubt whatsoever that my use of ethneogens is spiritually based i decided to find a box to fit into so that the laws that supposedly protect us would do just that .. protect us from the protectors.....

Knowing that your usage of ethneogens is spiritual and having an organisation to back you up when you are put in a squeeze are two entirely different things, hence the search and this post...

after examining the idea of neo shamanism as a religion i have decided that my westernised (science) based attitude is imcompatable with this ancient religion and to catagorize my westernised beliefs as "neo shamanism" would be to insult the traditional shamans worldwide.

Bearing this in mind i went hunting for religions with ideas similar to my own ...

The criteria:

a religion which allowed ones own interpretation of events and experience so that my analytical views could

a religion with an emphasis on self discovery, self awareness (in relationship to the planet/universe) which acknoledges the presence of the divine, but stops short of defining what the divine is..

It also had to incorperate hope for knowledge (which i see as the only reason for being here after procreation), the possibility of enlightenment if you will.

the final criteria for the religion was that it accepted entheogens as sacraments which aid in the search for and the experience of the above..

it is probably also noteworthy that as far as i am concerned, divine is not necessarily an entity, a spirit etc (though it may well be). I believe it far more likely that the "divine" will have a logical scientific explanation. The however does not make it any less special, it simply gives logical reason to something others can simply have faith in. it is in a way, a nihilistic view of the spirit world that has already been (and is continually being)experienced through sacramental use of ethneogens. This in itself would be a blatent contradiction had the "divine" not being experienced through the use of ethneogens in the first place as nihilism as i understand it requires belief to be based on fact or experience rather than faith in an unknown. (though maybe my interpretation of what ive read is completley wrong) ...

anyhow..

the closest i found thatr matched this set of criteria was "the fane of the psilocybe mushroom"

I am not sure if they are a religion as such, or simply an association that advocates that entheogens, including psilocybes, are religous sacraments.

Lifted directly from the website (mainpage)

"The sacred mushroom is an essential instrument in the Psilocybean's awakening to the Great Mystery of existence."

and another quote from the disclaimer page

"The principle goal of The Fane of the Psilocybe Mushroom Association is to promote the illumination and enlightenment of individuals through the liberation of awareness and the cultivation of understanding. The Fane is devoted to the presentation of various ideas and philosophies that facilitate the dissipation of illusion in favour of apprehension of Truth"

I like that ... "ideas and philosophies that facilitate the dissipation of illusion in favour of apprehension of Truth" /.// very ambiguous, but still.. nice

Nothing here looked contradictory to my criteria, though not much of it seemed very concrete either, which i assume heightens it's suitability to people as all can interpret as they choose.

having a closer look at membership i found the following

"FANE MEMBERSHIP--

Membership in the Fane is open to all who agree with the three following principles:

That all mushrooms of the genus Psilocybe are sacraments and their ingestion is a religious practice and an aid to enlightenment.

Everyone has the right to expand consciousness and to stimulate aesthetic, visionary, and mystical experience by whatever means one considers desirable without interference from anyone, so long as such practice does not injure another person or their property."

This looked even more enticing than the "overview on the main page" lol

even more i liked

"We do not encourage the ingestion of the sacrament by those who are unprepared."

links to their site can be found below...

http://www.thefane.org

--------------------------------------------

After finding this religion dug up an old copy of the un dec of human rights ... id had a whole bunch on religous freedom ,.. i then discovered this, closer to aus (in aus to be precice)

The 1901 Constitution of Australia forbids the Commonwealth from establishing any religion, imposing religious observances, prohibiting the free exercise of religion or requiring a religious test for public office. The government seeks to ensure that this right is respected in practice.

source: International coalition for religous freedom

http://www.religiousfreedom.com/

Also see the us department of state summary of aus laws protecting religion

http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2003/23821.htm

The 1901 Constitution of Australia forbids the Commonwealth from establishing any religion, imposing religious observances, prohibiting the free exercise of religion or requiring a religious test for public office. The government seeks to ensure that this right is respected in practice.

source: International coalition for religous freedom

http://www.religiousfreedom.com/

Also see the us department of state summary of aus laws protecting religion

http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2003/23821.htm

anyhow .. post back with any thoughts or comments ...???

[ 30. March 2005, 13:23: Message edited by: electro ]

[mescalito]

There's a similar organisation..the the azurescens society or something?? with a similar outline to their beliefs but I guess it all still falls under the prejudice of some sort of heirarchy anyway.

What I mean is that self-guidance if it's instinctively taught to be accepted should be the only way to live and learn.

It's only usually through superimposed beliefs that we fall into disillusion anyway.

All individuals have the power of self-limitation and in turn ullumination if we're not too confused by the many conflicting environmental attitiudes that are imposed on us.

I s'pose my beliefs run pretty close to the 'matrix' in that the only way to freedom is not to play the machines rules too much,but to use the machine with discretion ie.know the difference between what you know you can get away with but not to play into the laws because they're fraught with bugs

[strangebrew]

I've come across the "fane" site before and found it to be an interesting index to psychedelic topics and history and such, but I've never really been able to get much of a handle on the fane org. itself, the sites to ambiguous.

2.B. of their constitution states -

"To encourage Enlightenment which is the realization that life is a dream and the externality of relations an illusion."

Maybe one day I'll manage to pinch myself hard enough!

[t st tantra]

i thought not all psilocybe species were active?

t s t .

[Hamtaro]

This is true

Psilocybe coprophila, Psilocybe semiglobata, Psilocybe merdaria

[Northern Gnome]

I know that somone is forming a religion around Salvia Divinorum so they he can put themselves right in the middle of the fight if Salvia is ever made illegal in this country. Will it work? Donno.

[ 14. June 2004, 14:06: Message edited by: Bodhimalik ]

[Hagakure]

how do you register a religion?

im pretty sure that a couple of dudes getting together wouldnt be accepted in a court of law.

[laughingwillow]

The only registration that should be required of any religion is for tax-exempt status, imo.

To the religious majority in the U$, religious freedom involves their right to tell others how to think and act. And as my religion involves the use of active sacraments, its illegal here.

When I finally came to the realization that active sacraments were an integral part of human's development in general and my spiritual development in particular, I lost most fear of further persecution by the (im)proper authorities.

lw

[laughingwillow]

Doh!

"So, what's me point?" I bet you're asking about now.

And there is a point hidden somewhere in this purple haze......

A religion need not be sanctified by man's law in order to have merit, imo.

And I consider God's law's to trump those of man's every time. So, I don't reach for the cloak of religion to shelter myself from the law. Instead, I pick it up to protect it from being stomped into the mud by the powers -who-be.

[Talby]

Interesting that those quotes from the Fane's site, including

"We do not encourage the ingestion of the sacrament by those who are unprepared."

are extremely close to those of the Neo-American church circa 1967.

I always loved Art Kleps' *Millbrook*, even if the guy was something of a bigot and probably nuts. It seems his precepts were worth following, anyway.

Neo-American Church Page

(look under "membership application")

[t st tantra]

i think it's to be expected that one is part crazy living in western society and yet having 'seen through it'.i feel i fit the bill!lol

and yet i feel saner than most society members!

t s t .

[Slarty Fart Blaster]

Nice find Electro.

http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html

Article 18.

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

http://www.thc-ministry.net/