Opinion ID: 153893
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Appearance and Clothing: Some religions

Text: prescribe the manner in which believers should maintain their physical appearance, and other religions prescribe - 13 - the type of clothing that believers should wear. j. Propagation: Most religious groups, thinking that they have something worthwhile or essential to offer non-believers, attempt to propagate their views and persuade others of their correctness. This is sometimes called “mission work,” “witnessing,” “converting,” or proselytizing. Meyers, 906 F. Supp. at 1502-03 (footnotes omitted). The district court emphasized that “it cannot rely solely on established or recognized religions to guide it in determining whether a new and unique set of beliefs warrants inclusion” and that “no one of these factors is dispositive, and that the factors should be seen as criteria that, if minimally satisfied, counsel the inclusion of beliefs within the term ‘religion.’” Id. at 1503. However, in accord with Yoder, the court noted that “[p]urely personal, political, ideological, or secular beliefs probably would not satisfy enough criteria for inclusion.” Id. at 1504. See Yoder, 406 U.S. at 216 (philosophical and personal beliefs are secular beliefs); Africa, 662 F.2d at 1036 (finding beliefs are secular not religious); Berman, 156 F.2d at 380-81 (beliefs which are moral and social are not religious); Church of the Chosen People, 548 F. Supp. at 1253 (beliefs which are sexual and secular are not religious). After carefully examining Meyers’ beliefs derived from his testimony, the district court concluded that his beliefs were secular and, thus, did not constitute a “religion” for RFRA purposes. Meyers, 906 F. Supp. at 1509. The court concluded that: - 14 - Marijuana’s medical, therapeutic, and social effects are secular, not religious. . . . Here, the Court cannot give Meyers’ “religious” beliefs much weight because those beliefs appear to be derived entirely from his secular beliefs. In other words, Meyers’ secular and religious beliefs overlap only in the sense that Meyers holds secular beliefs which he believes so deeply that he has transformed them into a “religion.” While Meyers may sincerely believe that his beliefs are religious, this Court cannot rely on his sincerity to conclude that his beliefs rise to the level of a “religion” and therefore trigger RFRA’s protections. Meyers is, of course, absolutely free to think or believe what he wants. If he thinks that his beliefs are a religion, then so be it. No one can restrict his beliefs, and no one should begrudge him those beliefs. None of this, however, changes the fact that his beliefs do not constitute a “religion” as that term is uneasily defined by law. Were the Court to recognize Meyers’ beliefs as religious, it might soon find itself on a slippery slope where anyone who was cured of an ailment by a “medicine” that had pleasant side-effects could claim that they had founded a constitutionally or statutorily protected religion based on the beneficial “medicine.” Id. at 1508. Finally, the court noted that “Meyers’ professed beliefs have an ad hoc quality that neatly justify his desire to smoke marijuana.” Id. at 1509. We agree with the district court. Under the district court’s thorough analysis of the indicia of religion, which we adopt, we hold that Meyers’ beliefs more accurately espouse a philosophy and/or way of life rather than a “religion.” The district court did not err in prohibiting Meyers’ religious freedom defense.