From: ewright@convex.com (Edward V. Wright)
Subject: Re: Pentacles (was Re: consort gender)
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 22:37:48 GMT
Organization: Engineering, CONVEX Computer Corp., Richardson, Tx., USA
X-Disclaimer: This message was written by a user at CONVEX Computer
              Corp. The opinions expressed are those of the user and
              not necessarily those of CONVEX.

Peter John Harrison writes:

>The S.C.A. should either allow the incorporation of any religious icon or none:
>there is no middle ground, you either allow all expressions of religious 
>faith, or admit to a predjudice toward the membership's religious 
>affiliations.

I know I'm going to get flamed big time for this, but I can't
stay silent any longer.  I have seen this view expressed over
and over again on the Rialto, as if it was one of Jefferson's
"self-evident truths" and a cornerstone of American democracy.
Nonsense.

The SCA should allow any religous icon, huh?  Suppose I say
my religion is "capitalist" and my icon is the dollar sign.
Or that my religion is video games and my icon is pacman.
Does that mean the SCA must allow me to register arms with
the dollar sign or pacman as the primary charge?  No?  Phui,
hypocrit!  You want to register pentacles; you must allow
all of these icons, or neither -- don't you know there is no 
middle ground?

The SCA does not have any prejudice against your religous
affiliation.  It has never said "we refuse to register pentacles
because we don't believe they represent the true religion."  It
has refused to register pentacles because registering them would
violate the rules by which it registers arms.  Pentacles are *modern*
symbols of a *modern* religion, not part of the heraldric tradition
of the era that we depict.  Devices using period religious symbols,
such as crosses, are frequently rejected because they violate the
rules -- conflict with someone else's cross, for example.  No
special dispensation is given because these devices use religous
symbols.  No one says that the College of Arms must accept them 
because of religous freedom.  If a cross is drawn in a modern
rather than a period style, it will never be accepted (assuming
the College doesn't screw up) even if it is the official symbol
of the Reformed Latter-Day Christian Baptist Evangelical Jews
for Jesus -- they get exactly the same consideration you do.  

Unfair?  Hardly.  The College of Arms does not reject devices with 
religious elements because they are religious, or because of they 
are of any particular religion.  It does not reject devices that 
contain *period* religous symbols, provided those devices otherwise 
meet all of the College's rules for heraldic devices which apply to
religous and nonreligous symbols alike. Note the word "period."  If
you want to create a nonperiod devise, with pentacles or dollar signs
or thermos bottles as the main charge, and display it, you are certainly 
welcome to do so -- but not within the context of a group that recreates 
a time and place where such things did not exist.  I don't think that
is unreasonable.

As far as the SCA oppressing Neopagans, I have seen no  
evidence that that is true.  On the contrary, if I were 
to judge by a typical SCA event, I would have to say that 
Paganism was the dominant, if not the only, religion of the 
Rennaissance and Middle Ages.  Neopagan ceremonies seem to
rate a higher degree of tolerance at SCA events than any
other.  I remember reading a message on the Rialto in which
a gentle spoke of participating in a Pagan ceremony "just
a few yards away" (his words) from where court was being held. 
Christian ceremonies, even period ones, are expected to stay
much more in the background.

-- Nicholas van Leyden


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