From: alizard@pil
Newsgroups: alt.pagan
Subject: an announcement
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 92 04:21:07 PST

Regarding the Alliance for Magickal and Earth Religions:
(please post this whereever it fits...)

I stated quite a while back that I was planning to either find or
invent an organization for the purpose of protecting the pagan
community, to provide a central reporting point for anti-pagan
incidents. Luckily for us all, I found one.

If you are harrassed or threatened (note- if it's an immediate
threat to life or property, call the police first) or
discriminated against because of your pagan beliefs, contact
these people.

Also, if you find out about individuals or organizations who are
engaged in harassment, intimidation, or discrimination against
pagans or encouraging such activities, contact this organization.

Whether or not AMER can directly help you or not, SOMEONE has to
be in a position to be able to keep an eye on anti-pagan activity
in the nation as a whole. The health and safety of all of us may
well depend on the ability of our people to integrate scattered
incidents across the US into a coherent picture of how much
trouble we may really be in, instead of scattered local incidents,
word of which never gets beyond our circles, covens, or friends.
It is now possible to report this to a central source in
electronic mail from several networks now and more to come.

I would also suggest that especially if you are an attorney,
contact these people and volunteer your services to defend pagans
in your area against persecution in the courts, which is the
primary arena where our right to practice our beliefs is decided.

Or contact them and find out how YOU can help. (e.g. money is a
good idea.)

                                              Blessings...
                                              A.Lizard
(what am I doing for them? mail relay and getting the word out...)
Here are E-mail contact addresses:
all network addresses on 'Lectrick Blue unless otherwise noted.
VirtualNET 728@5103  WWIVnet or Icenet 728@5077  WWIVLink  728@15050
Fido-Net: AMER@1:161/233  AdultNET 728@5103
Internet amer@Blue.Kludge.com     

The snailmail address is in the announcement below.
---------------------------- announcement ---------------------------
>The Alliance for Magical and Earth Religions (AMER) is a St.
>Louis-based organization made up of representatives of several
>distinct magical and/or Earth-centered religious traditions.  Our
>members include witches, neo-pagans, Satanists, and Christians,
>working together for freedom of religion for all Americans.
>
>STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
>1.  AMER will defend the right of every American to practice his or
>her own religion, insofar as that religion's practices do not
>directly harm anyone.  In particular, AMER will actively campaign
>for tolerance for magical and Earth-Centered religions.
>2.  AMER will work to promote a positive image for magical and
>Earth-centered religions, and to counter negative propaganda about
>such groups.
>3.  AMER will promote cooperation among the various magical and
>Earth-centered religious groups.
>4.  AMER will serve as a source of accurate information on magical
>and Earth-centered religions and practices.
>
>DEFINITIONS
>Magical Religion:  any religious belief or practice which includes,
>as an aspect of its faith or an element in its ritual, the practice
>of what they call magic or the use of psychic powers.
>Earth Religion:  any religious belief or practice which holds as a
>tenet a reverence for the Earth.
>
>HOW DOES AMER WORK?
>AMER will provide speakers to schools, police groups, churches, and
>anyone else who is interested about learning about magical and earth
>religions.
>
>AMER'S members work together to combat negative attitudes about the
>occult by writing letters to individuals and organizations who have
>disseminated incorrect information about the occult.  We also help
>victims of religious discrimination through letters, phone calls and
>personal contact.
>
>AMER AND THE MEDIA
>AMER monitors media coverage of topics which affect the magical
>community. When one of our members sees an article or television
>story which gives unfairor slanted coverage to an event which
>involves "the occult", we contact the news organization in question
>to express our disapproval.  We also write to commend news
>organizations which provide what we see as "good coverage".  We hope
>that our efforts will promote fair media treatment of members of
>magical and earth religions.
>
>AMER AND THE POLICE
>AMER's members are also available to work with police departments to
>provide expert advice on crimes and rumors of crimes which involve
>or appear to involve members of the magical community.
>
>AMER AND THE CLERGY
>AMER works to contact clergy of all faiths and let them know about
>our concerns, in the hopes that they will come to understand, and
>even to tolerate, magical and earth religions.
>
>COMMUNITY SERVICE
>AMER encourages all of its members to participate in community
>service projects such as food drives, disaster relief, or
>environmental projects.  AMER's St. Louis members meet every six
>weeks to clean up a stretch of highway.  We feel that this highly
>visible form of service helps promote a positive image for
>occultists.
>
>WILL AMER TELL EVERYONE ABOUT MY RELIGION?
>The only members of AMER who are required to appear or speak in
>public are the members of the Board of Directors.  If you wish, your
>membership can be kept totally confidential.  In addition, AMER does
>not promote or endorse the activities of any specific religion, so
>you will not be asked to participate in any religious activities.
>
>AMER NEEDS YOU
>None of AMER's goals can be accomplished without a large and
>enthusiastic membership.  We need volunteers for a variety of
>projects, from letter-writing to highway cleanup.  Money?  Of course
>we need it, but we need you even more.
>
>To help with an AMER project, send your name and phone number to
>AMER Volunteers at the address below.  If address only, a small
>donation for postage would help.
>
>TO JOIN
>You can obtain the necessary membership application forms and other
>membership information by writing to AMER at the address below.
>
>TO CONTRIBUTE
>Make checks or money orders out to Alliance for Magical and Earth
>Religions and send them to AMER Treasurer at the address below.
>
>FOR PUBLICATIONS
>To obtain copies of AMER's "The Truth About Human Sacrifice", "Dream
>No Small Dreams", "The Truth About Ritualized Child Abuse",
>"Exercising Your Writes" or our newsletter, The AMER Intelligence,
>send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to AMER Public Information
>Officer at the address below.
>
>ANY QUESTIONS?
>Send your questions and (if possible) a stamped, self-addressed
>envelope to AMER at this address.
>
>Alliance for Magical and Earth Religions
>P.O. Box 16551
>Clayton, MO 63105
>(314)994-1026
>
 ----------------------- end of announcement ------------------------

Newsgroups: alt.pagan