SLOVENIA:
CONSTITUTIONAL STATUS OF SOME SELECTED BELIEFS
Four examples of freedom of thought about cannabis and psychedelics are compared with 50 beliefs lacking empirical support.
Slovenian residents' legal entitlement to these beliefs was assessed, regardless of their actual prevalence.
Beliefs were considered as not worth having in the abstract, e.g. believing in the right to self-mummification has no value if you won't actually be allowed to do it.
Some like-minded beliefs were grouped as one, e.g. doomsday cults and religions.
An atypical profile for the cannabis and psilocybin beliefs is revealed by a breakdown analysis.
100% of the four representative pro-drug beliefs: mushrooms can cause revelatory life-changing experiences; cannabis can reduce pain; and beliefs in the right to cultivate cannabis and psilocybin, were illegal. Their constitutional status is unclear.
Of 50 non-drug beliefs, seven (14%) were considered to be illegal in Slovenia, and legal problems were detected in four more (combined total 22%). Seven of these 11 (64%) were rated a real or suspected public health issue.
Five (10%) of these other beliefs were reasoned to be unconstitutional, and four more raised concerns (combined total 18%). Six of these nine (67%) were also flagged for public health. Altogether 14 of the 50 non-drug beliefs (28%) were flagged for this. Four more were suspected (combined total 36%).
26 (52%) of the non-drug beliefs were marked as dangerous woo woo, while 15 (30%) were awarded harmless woo woo status, with one additional suspect in each of these categories.
This is an open-ended discussion. If you believe a belief has been mislabelled you are free to argue your beliefs at @television_si. Convincing arguments will effect change.
KEY TO CODES USED IN THE TEXT (X-axis on
the chart)
C = cult or collective illusion
D = dangerous woo woo
E = economic effects
I = illegal
H = harmless woo woo
P = public health danger
R = religion or folklore
S = scientism, or erodes trust in science
C = constitutionally protected belief
U = unconstitutional belief
? adds uncertainty to one preceding code
THE BELIEFS AND THEIR CLASSIFICATIONS
(Y-axis in the
chart)
CARGO CULT CY
MOSES, ANGELS, SERPENT RY
JEHOVAH'S WITNESS TRANSFUSIONS D?RY?
EVIL SPIRITS, CHALEDA, CHUREL ERY
PROCTER & GAMBLE ARE SATAN EHY?
HUNGRY GHOSTS HRY
ROPE TO HEAVEN HRY
LILITH HRY
GOLEMS HRY
BARON SAMEDI HRY
DANCE OF DEATH HRY
GHOULS HRY
CROCODILE GOD SEBEK HRY
TREE OF ZAQQUM HRY
COMETS AND ECLIPSES ARE OMENS CDEY
GHOST DANCE AND GHOST SHIRTS CDEY?
MYTHICAL BEASTS CHRY
EYE OF ATUM AND FLYING HEAD CHRY
RAPTURE, GREAT TRIBULATION C?P?RY
LOVITAR GODDESS OF PLAGUES DERY
BRONZE AGE ANTI-IRON CULTURE DERY
ERATHIPA PREGNANCY STONE EH?RY
HAIR SHIRTS, MASKS AND HONEY CDERY
THE DEVIL CDERY
SHRUNKEN HEADS WON'T REVENGE CDIPY?
BABY TOSSING CDI?RU?
APOCALYPSES NOW AND THEN CDERY
DEMONS CDERY
SELF-MUMMIFICATION CDI?RU?
DEMONIC POSSESSION CDRSY
INCORRUPTIBLE BODIES CEHRY
AVATARS AND SHAPESHIFTERS CEHRY
NO VALENTINES EDPRU
BLACK STONE OF MECCA EHPRY
HUMAN SACRIFICE CDIPRU
WEEPING STATUES CDEI?RY
GETTING CRUCIFIED CDEPRY
CREATIONISM, MARIANISM CDEPRY
72 VIRGIN HAREM IN HEAVEN CDEPRY
TRANSUBSTANTIATION CDEP?RY
RELIGIOUS PROSTITUTION CEI?PRY?
FAITH HEALING CDEP?RU?
SLUGGISH SCHIZOPHRENIA CDEP?SU
RAT REINCARNATIONS CDIPRY
DO WHAT THOU WILT CEIRSU
ANIMAL SACRIFICE CIPRSU
VIRGIN BIRTH CDEI?PRY
SNAKE HANDLING CDEIPRY
KHMER ROUGE MEDICINE CDEI?PSU?
VOLCANO-PREDICTING BLOOD CDEPRSY
MUSHROOM REVELATIONS EIU?
CANNABIS CAN REDUCE PAIN EIU?
RIGHT TO CULTIVATE CANNABIS EIU?
RIGHT TO CULTIVATE PSILOCYBIN EIU?
Priests in Italy have been using some old blood to try to predict volcanic
eruptions and similar doom. As Abbot Vincenzo De Gregorio explains (or rather
doesn't): "The blood has been preserved as a sign of martyrdom and thus of a
faith that goes beyond human logic. This is the Treasure of San Gennaro, the
real treasure."
CDEPRSY - Reliance on the unreliable volcano data provided by the blood might
supplant official safety assurances, causing unnecessary evacuations, or injury after
failure to predict an actual eruption. Can be seen as a cult-like subset of an
official religion. [See ref. 778
here]
DERY - Among Constitutionally protected beliefs, you
could be anti-iron. The ancient Egyptians regarded iron as an impure metal
associated with Seth, the spirit of evil who according to their tradition
governed the central deserts of Africa. Ultimately this distaste for the metal contributed to their
being overwhelmed from ~800 BCE by the Assyrians, whose iron weapons were
superior to the bronze ones of the Egyptians.
The Khmer Rouge based their medical policies around
"...distrust of the outside world and the almost complete isolation from the
world that the regime tried to create for itself, the idea of self sufficiency,
and the banishment of medical specialists from earlier regimes who were thought
to be politically suspect. As a result, Khmer Rouge medicine was a heterogeneous
and inefficacious mixture drawn from the traditional pharmacopea, from
biomedical protocols, and from a belief in the intrinsic ability of
revolutionary consciousness to prevent disease." [See ref 1149
here]
CDEI?PSU? - a dangerous collective illusion based on isolation, does not provide
the best medical outcome, is political medicine. Difficult to imagine that were
such a system to exist in Slovenia it would not run into legal and
constitutional difficulties. [See ref 1417
here]
The Jehovah's Witnesses think they will be rejected by God if they get a blood
transfusion, but are ok with tranexamic acid, prothrombin complex concentrate,
or fibrin glue.
D?RY? - The medical and Constitutional status of this issue in Slovenia is
unknown.
Evil spirits are posited to exist in many religions; In Hinduism beliefs in
demoniacal revenants include chaleda (denied entry into the world of spirits for
some heinous crime like child murder and rape), and churel (another undead
spirit wandering the earth, this one female, such as a husband-murderer).
ERY - Create a problem and sell the solution - a folk remedy or ritual. These
apparently harmless beliefs from, respectively, Himachal Pradesh and throughout
India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, and South East Asia, blur the line between
life and death and are Constitutionally defensible in Slovenia.
CEIRSU - Belief in the maxim "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law" of
Thelema/Crowley necessarily implies some illegality when it comes to sex with
sheep and so forth. Occultist books and paraphernalia for sale, appealing to a
spiritual void. The belief is unconstitutional.
Is the belief that rats are reincarnations of people a
Constitutionally-protected right?
"Everyday about 20,000 rats roam through the Karni Mata temple, which is located
in the city of Deshnoke in northwestern India. These rats are believed to be
re-incarnations of certain dead people who will eventually be reborn as higher
life forms."
CDIPRY - the answer seems to be yes. The religious beliefs of Hindus are
protected by the Constitution.
Is the belief that shrunken heads of slain enemies traps their soul inside and
protects you from revenge a Constitutionally-protected right?
"Up until recent times, warriors of the Jivaro people of South America would cut
off the head of a slain enemy and then shrink it down to a much smaller size.
The warriors believed that this would trap the soul of the dead enemy inside the
shrunken head and prevent it from taking revenge against the killer. For
additional protection against attempts at revenge, the head would be soaked in a
sacred liquid that would remove all hate from the trapped spirit and transform
it into the supernatural slave of the warrior. The shrunken heads were displayed
as trophies and used in religious rituals that celebrated the past victories of
the tribe."
CDIPY? Leaving aside the killing itself, which might be in self-defence, the
shrinking of the heads per se might be constitutionally protected as a belief.
However hygiene issues and public alarm might be legal problems.
Is the belief that a stone fell from heaven to show Adam and Eve where to build
an altar a Constitutionally protected belief?
"According to Islamic traditions, the Black Stone of Mecca fell directly from
heaven thousands of years ago. The traditions also say that the stone has the
power to cleanse a person of his sins by absorbing them into itself....According
to the traditions about the stone, it fell from heaven to show Adam and Eve, who
had left the Garden of Eden, where they should build an altar. The location of
this altar was submerged during Noah's flood, but the stone remained at the
original site and was eventually found by the Hebrew patriarch Abraham during a
trip to Arabia. After he found the stone, Abraham told his son Ishmael to build
a temple at the location, and this temple was the original Kaaba....Along with
the Sacred Mosque of Mecca, it is annually visited by more pilgrims than any
other religious site in the world."
EHPRY - despite being among the world's biggest tourist motivations, infectious
transmission and frequent stampedes make religious pilgrimages a risky public
health phenomenon. But all the above beliefs are protected by Slovenia's
Constitution.
Is handling snakes to protect yourself from evil a Constitutionally protected
belief?
"Members of [American Pentecostal] churches believe that snakes are demons in
bodily form, and that handling them demonstrates God's power to protect true
believers from the forces of evil. Unfortunately, more than 100 deaths from
snakebites in religious services have been documented in the United States. As a
result of these deaths, six southeastern states have passed laws against snake
handling. But this hasn't stopped the practice, because most of the churches are
located in remote rural areas where people tend to live by their own rules. Many
of the bitten people believe that God will heal them and don't seek medical
help, so that some cases may not be reported."
CDEIPRY
- snakes are dangerous and cruelty to snakes is illegal which includes forcing
them to join your religion. But it's a religion, so
I guess it must be constitutionally protected.
Is the belief that greedy people will be reinacarnated as "hungry ghosts" a
Constitutionally protected belief?
"One notable aspect of Buddhism is the unusual role played by strange creatures
called Hungry Ghosts. These are phantom-like creatures, only half-alive, who are
constantly tormented by an intense hunger. Their bodies are so starved that
their arms and legs have shriveled down to mere skin and bone. But they can't
eat anything, because their mouths are the size of a pin hole, and their necks
are extremely long and thin. The only part of their bodies that isn't thin is
the huge bloated belly. But this belly is always empty, and because it is so
big, it produces intense hunger pains.
"Buddhists believe that a very greedy man will be punished in his next
incarnation by being reborn as a Hungry Ghost. This punishment can result from
various kinds of greed, such as a gluttonous appetite for expensive food and
drink, or an obsessive lust for money and power, or a hedonistic quest for
sensual pleasures."
HRY - objectively harmless, the bogey man could cause either moderate lifestyles
or psychological harm.
Egyptians once believed in the Eye of Atum, which the junior god of the Egyptian
creation story pulled out of his head and sent off to look for his kids Shu and
Tefnut. When they came back with it, the Eye shed tears on the fertile soil
which gave birth to the first men and women.
"The Iroquois Indians of the eastern United States have legends about a strange
creature called the Flying Head. According to the legends, this creature
originated from a head that was chopped from the body of an ancient tribal chief
and thrown into a lake. Somehow this chopped-off head was transformed into a
giant flying head more than six feet tall, with eyes made of fire, and fangs as
sharp as needles. It flew by means of its long flowing hair which could spread
out like wings to catch the wind.
"The Flying Head would descend from the sky at night and devour both humans and
animals. Although it was just a head without a body, it was still big enough to
eat enormous amounts of meat. The people of the region were so terrified that
many of them packed up their belongings and moved to other areas. But finally
the monstrous head left the region and was never seen again."
Are beliefs in such a Flying Head or the roving Eye Constitutionally protected
in Slovenia?
CHRY - Neither belief in the Eye of Atum nor, despite its reputation, the Flying
Head present any special problem or exception to the Constitutional law on
belief.
Some people are critical of the Devil, while others worship him.
"Almost everyone has noticed that evil people often have great success in life,
whereas many good people suffer terrible misfortunes. One common explanation for
this injustice is that it is the work of the Devil."
Jesus took a trip up a mountain with the Devil, is that correct?
"Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the
kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 'All this I will give you,' he said,
'if you will bow down and worship me.'" (Matthew 4:8-10).
Is the belief that Jesus and the Devil went hiking and took part in this power
negotiation a Constitutionally protected belief?
CDERY - Obviously dangerous if you can be tortured or burned at the stake, but
conversely could enhance the believers' status or notoriety in some
circumstances. Satanic beliefs, whether figurative or literal, pro- or anti-,
are all constitutionally safe in Slovenia. Economic effects include sales of
protective paraphernalia, Halloween costumes etc..
"The Dagba people of central Africa believe that a glowing rope once dangled
down from heaven to the surface of the earth. Humans could climb the rope to the
upper realm and socialize with the gods who lived there. But the gods eventually
got irritated because people kept asking them for favors and complaining about
the hardships of life down below. The gods finally became so annoyed that they
destroyed the rope and scattered the pieces across the sky. The remains of these
pieces can still be seen, but they are now known as the Milky Way."
HRY - a cosmological belief of no apparent economic, health, or legal
consequence.
"Many people who consume the mushrooms feel that they have entered a hidden
spiritual world where they are in touch with the divine. The experience can be
very powerful, and can cause permanent changes in a person's views of the world
and feelings about life."
EIU? - due to the conflict between constitutional theory and the ZPPPD it is
unclear if these are Constitutionally protected activities in Slovenia. In
essence you are allowed to enjoy the belief, but not the practice. The
authorities are entitled to be timid and clueless in regard to their own
experiences but not to infringe on the experiences of others, religious or
otherwise.
"When a demon gets inside a human body and gains control over it, the resulting
condition is called demonic possession. Because demons are spirits, they
normally aren't visible, but they can produce visible effects. Thus, when a
demon gains possession of someone's body, there are usually major changes in the
person's behavior. For example, possession can cause fits and convulsions,
disorientation, weird facial expressions, and sudden violent actions. The
condition often resembles mental illnesses such as schizophrenia or multiple
personality disorder."
CDRSY - Demonic possession in Slovenia is a Constitutionally protected belief.
The danger is attributable to the possible treatment exposures rather than the
malady itself, which followed scientismic legal and diagnostic systems.
"One of the most controversial aspects of Islam is the belief that a devout
Muslim man will find female sex slaves called Houris waiting for him in heaven
after he dies. Islamic writings describe these Houris as young virgins with
sparkling eyes, firm round breasts, and fair skin. In their behavior they are
very modest and submissive, and always ready to do anything a man desires.
Unlike normal women, they don't menstruate and they never get pregnant. They are
like programmed zombies whose only purpose is to give pleasure to men.
"According to some Islamic writings, every man who goes to heaven will be given
72 Houris for his own exclusive use. In other words, he gets a heavenly harem of
72 sex slaves. Oddly, even after he acquires this harem, he may still maintain a
marital relationship with his earthly wife, provided that she also makes it to
heaven."
CDEPRY - suicide cults emphasising this belief cause economic harm, e.g. WTC.
Reinforcement of misguided ideas about women engender public health concerns.
Still, a belief in houris itself is constitutionally protected in Slovenia and
not illegal.
"Some Christians believe that the bodies of very holy people are miraculously
preserved indefinitely without any change at all. This isn't due to artificial
preservation or mummification, but instead is a divine supernatural effect.
However, it only happens to the bodies of people who were very holy. Some
Christians think that these preserved bodies will be resurrected to life again
during the End Times.
"Many incorrupt bodies produce a distinctive scent known as the 'Odor of
Sanctity', which resembles the fragrance of rose blossoms. Some of these bodies
also have a miraculous power to heal sick people who touch the preserved flesh."
CEHRY - as these remains are very old, public health issues are presumed to be
negligible. Promotes tourism. Physical harmlessness differentiates this
Constitutionally protected religious belief from the one with the volcano blood.
"Heaven's Gate was a small doomsday cult that was active in the United States
during the late 20th century. Most of its members committed suicide in 1997
after they learned that a comet named Hale-Bopp was approaching the vicinity of
the earth. They thought that the comet was an omen which foretold the impending
destruction of all civilization....[and] believed that Jesus was an alien
visitor in disguise."
CDEY - The belief that comets or eclipses are omens is Constitutionally
protected. The fact that the completed suiciders probably misjudged the
situation is not unique to extraterrestial beliefs. The economic tag relates to
YPLL in suicide cult members.
Christian Gaviria Alvarez predicts the Second Coming of the Messiah, when he
opens the 7th Seal, will occur on Thursday, September 3, 2026 - and this,
according to Nostradamus, could be going down at Ravne na Koroškem. A busy
itinerary follows, starting with the Rapture on September 20th, ending with the
Final Judgment, and throwing of unsaved persons into the Lake of Fire in the
Valley of Jehoshaphat on the south side of Jerusalem, scheduled for 22 February
2027.
According to Sir Isaac Newton, the world will end in 2060 or a bit after.
"In Christian belief, the Antichrist is an extremely evil man who will appear
shortly before the end of the present age, during a period known as the End
Times. Assisted by Satan, he will gain temporary control over the earth. While
he is in power, he will persecute good people and reward wicked people. His lies
and promises of rewards will dupe millions of people into supporting his rule.
But eventually he and his followers will be defeated and condemned to eternal
torture in hell."
The doomsday group Chen Tao believed in three souls per person, and that God
would be seen on a single television channel all across North America at 12:01
a.m. on March 31, 1998. Chen Tao also believed in wearing cowboy hats.
Another group called the Concerned Christians believed the onset of the
millennium apocalypse would take the form of a massive earthquake, which was to
strike the city of Denver on 10 October 1998.
CDERY - From modest beginnings in 66-70 AD with the revolt of the Essene Jews
against the Romans, to the predicted heat death of the Universe in 10^100 years
(a googol), at least 197 expected apocalypses past and future are listed by
Wikipedia. Modern apocalyptic cults seem more determined than their forebears to
guarantee apocalytpic outcomes, at least for themselves, yet may spend their
last years on earth accumulating cash - rather pointless under the
circumstances. Beliefs about the Antichrist and the End Times, and wearing
cowboy hats, are Constitutionally protected beliefs.
[See ref 1976 here]
"In the late 19th century, many Indian tribes in the western United States were
in a desperate situation. Many Indian warriors had been killed, and the
surviving members of most tribes were freezing, starving, and dying from strange
diseases. But in the year 1890, just when all hope seemed lost, the Indians'
spirits were suddenly revived by reports of a new ritual dance called the Ghost
Dance. According to the reports, performing the new dance could potentially
cause all white people to miraculously vanish from the earth. In addition, the
dance also might bring all dead Indians back to life and re-unite them with
their old tribes. The final result of these changes would be a world in which
the Indians could return to their old way of life in a restored environment
completely free of war, disease, suffering, and death."
"Somehow a belief arose that a specially-designed cloth garment called a "ghost
shirt" had a supernatural power to stop bullets."
CDEY? - Beliefs about the Ghost Dance could be considered an incitement against
white people. Ghost shirt beliefs are Constitutionally protected. While it is
unclear whether you could make these advertising claims about bulletproof shirts
in Slovenia, you could probably get around it with a form of words or a small
print disclaimer.
"Lilith became the first wife of Adam, but didn't get along with him and left
him in anger. God sent three angels to try to make her return to Adam, but she
refused. She then slept with the Devil and gave birth to many new demons. In
response, God created Eve to be Adam's new wife and punished Lilith by taking
all of her demon children away from her."
HRY - These beliefs about Lilith are Constitutionally protected.
"One of the strange superstitions of the European Middle Ages was the belief
that the skeletons of dead people arose at night and danced on their graves."
HRY - Beliefs about the Dance of Death are Constitutionally protected beliefs.
No data on economic exploitation around this.
In Saudi Arabia, "the religious police have started trying to prevent people
from celebrating Valentine's Day. To discourage gift-giving on that day, they
have searched businesses for valentine cards, and have even confiscated items
such as chocolate candy and red roses from store shelves."
EHPRU - Bits of the original St Valentine are strewn around religious sites from
Rome to Dublin, but his reputation as a romantic loverboy actually postdates his
death by a millenium. His more progenerative role in assisting draft-dodgers by
performing Christian weddings is less well known. Any diabetogenic effects in
the believer population are outweighed by the pleasure derived from harmless
woowoo. Instead of two economically significant Valentine's Days - one for the
Eastern Orthodox Church on July 6, and the Anglican, Catholic, and Greek
Orthodox one on Febuary 14 - Slovenia has chosen just the latter. Valentine's Day behaviour
belongs among Slovenia's protected beliefs. A
Saudi-style ideological grouping would be unconstitutional. Whether Valentine's
Day is dangerous or harmless depends on where you are.
Animal sacrifice is the ritual killing of an animal in the belief that the
action will win favor from a god or goddess. The sacrifice is often intended to
be a substitute punishment, with the sacrificed animal being killed instead of
the sinful person who actually deserves to die.
One of the oldest descriptions of a sacrifice can be found in the biblical story
of Cain and Abel. As described in Genesis 4:2-8, Abel sacrificed an animal to
God, and Cain made an offering of some of the crops he had grown. God accepted
Abel's animal sacrifice, but rejected Cain's offering of crops. The story
suggests that an offering won't be accepted unless blood is shed.
CIPRSU - Nowadays known as false association, animal sacrifice the supposed quid
pro quo in which the divine judgment is either bought off or not for the price
of a dead animal, surely a trivial finger snack to the deity in question. Again,
these superstitions about animal sacrifice could be Constitutionally protected,
were it not for the obvious brutalization of the public space, and violations of
public health, animal welfare and slaughtering regulations that would result
from people killing goats with kitchen knives in the town park.
Although the idea of human sacrifice is abhorrent to most modern people, the
practice was widespread in earlier times. According to one theory, animal
sacrifice gradually replaced human sacrifice as people became more civilized.
But humans were still being regularly offered as sacrifices in some societies as
late as the 18th century, and even today there are occasional reports of
isolated instances.
"One of the oldest references to the practice can be found in a biblical passage
at Jeremiah 7:31-32, which says that children were sacrificed at a place called
Topheth, which was near modern Jerusalem."
CDIPRU - Human sacrifice...Constitutionally protected belief? It's a no.
Some people believe there's the body of a golem in the attic of the Alt-Neu
Synagogue in Prague.
HRY - A Constitutionally protected Jewish belief.
"Hair shirts are under-garments made for the purpose of scratching the skin.
They have traditionally been worn by members of certain religious orders as a
kind of self-punishment. Usually woven from animal hair, such as that of a goat,
they are covered in stiff hairs that constantly scratch the wearer's skin,
producing discomfort that is especially noticeable during movement. Some hair
shirts even have small barbs woven into them to lacerate the skin and increase
the pain. Also, some of them are made to be worn as girdles rather than shirts."
"The practice is less common now than in the past, but it is still compulsory
for members of some Carthusian and Carmelite orders."
"One of the most important teachings of Jainism is the instruction to not do any
harm to other living beings. This instruction, which is called ahimsa, prohibits
the harming of even the tiniest insects. As a result, many Jain monks wear cloth
masks to prevent the accidental inhalation of flying insects, and they carefully
clear any ants or other insects from their path before taking a step forward.
Many even refuse to eat honey, since removing it from a hive might cause some of
the bees to starve to death."
CDERY - Explores the poles of harmful interaction with the environment across an
introversion/extroversion axis. Clothing may raise or lower the risk of
infection. Economically: good for clothing and equipment manufacturers but bad
for apiarists. Beliefs in self-torture, dress codes, entomological protection,
and honey are Constitutionally protected.
"Every year on Good Friday, dozens of people in the Philippines re-enact the
crucifixion of Jesus Christ. They allow their hands and feet to be nailed to a
wooden cross, and then they remain attached to it for a period of time."
and
"According to a witness at one village, a carpenter's hammer was used to drive
five-inch [13 centimeter] steel nails through the palms and ankles of each
penitent. Many of them screamed in agony as the nails penetrated their flesh,
and most continued to weep while on the cross. To prevent excessive blood loss,
they were removed from the cross after a few minutes and taken to a first aid
station. Because there were only three crosses at the scene, most of the
penitents had to wait for their turn. The event was witnessed by a horde of
tourists, including some who had come from as far away as the United States."
In recent years authorities have recommended alcohol soaking of the nail, and
tetanus shots.
CDEPRY - It appears a belief in the right to be crucified in front of a horde of
sightseers under medically supervised conditions is a Constitutionally protected
one. Even though they don't die, is this any less brutalizing than animal
sacrifice in the park? More people have died playing football than this.
"Some Christians eagerly look forward to an expected future event known as the
Rapture. When the expected moment arrives, Jesus will suddenly appear in the
clouds and miraculously pull all true Christians up to him, then take them to
heaven. Non-Christians and insincere believers will be left behind on the earth,
where they will have to go through a period of terrible suffering called the
Tribulation.
"During the Rapture all saved people will be pulled up to Jesus at exactly the
same moment, thereby vanishing instantly from the face of the earth. At the same
time all dead people who lived good Christian lives will be resurrected and also
pulled up. During this process, the bodies of all the chosen will be transformed
into an immortal state of perfect health, and their minds will be freed from any
tendency to do sinful things or even to have sinful thoughts. This
transformation is regarded as a necessary step in preparing a saved person for
entry into heaven.
"During recent decades the idea of the Rapture has become very popular among
certain groups of Christians. But there are also numerous doubters, and many
people consider this to be one of the weirdest Christian beliefs."
C?P?RY - Apocalyptic cult or moral crusade? The public health implications of
the Great Tribulation are vague, with Futurist Pretribulationists, Prewrath
Tribulationists, Midtribulationists and Posttribulationists, as well as those
who believe it already happened at various times in the past, offering competing
narratives. Though rather divisive, beliefs in the Rapture and Tribulation seem
certain to be Constitutionally protected in Slovenia.
"In Hinduism, an incarnation of a god or goddess is called an avatar. Many
Hindus believe that avatars of the god Vishnu have appeared on the earth at
crucial moments in history in order to save the world from an impending
catastrophe.
"Other spiritual beings such as the Devil, the angels, demons, and genies can
also temporarily convert to a physical body. Thus, although the Devil is
normally invisible, he sometimes tries to trick people by disguising himself as
a handsome man or beautiful woman. Some people believe that the snake which
tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden was Satan in disguise. Other snakes are
sometimes regarded as incarnations of demons."
CEHRY - Protective amulets are available. Beliefs about gods in human or reptile
are Constitutionally protected beliefs.
"In 1963, Russian poet Joseph Brodsky was seized and sent to a mental
institution. At his trial the following year, authorities charged the
24-year-old with 'social parasitism' and called him a 'pseudo-poet in velveteen
trousers.' He had failed to 'fulfill his constitutional duty to work honestly
for the good of the motherland.'"
"You had to be crazy to oppose Communism in Russia. Or if you weren't, the
Soviet state medical system made sure you were at least classified that way."
"Symptoms of sluggish schizophrenia came in the form of 'reform delusions',
'struggles for the truth', 'a heightened sense of self-esteem', and
'perseverance."
Or Nikita Kruschev once said:
"A crime is a deviation from the generally recognized standards of behavior
frequently caused by mental disorder…To those who might start calling for
opposition to Communism on this basis, we can say that…clearly the mental state
of such people is not normal."
CDEP?SU - The use of fake diagnoses like sluggish schizophrenia for political
purposes are presumed prohibited by Articles 18 and 51, as well as general right
to freedom of belief. However attempts have been made to weaponize psychiatry in
right wing media Slovenian
analyses of "loony leftists".
Despite the lack of supporting evidence, you might believe in the slaying of a
dragon by Marduk, a Sumerian deity.
"Bizarre beasts play a role in many religions. One of the most famous is
Behemoth, a gigantic super-strong animal mentioned in the bible. Some people
believe that it resembled a huge mammoth or hippopotamus, whereas others say
that it was a dinosaur. But although it was enormous, it may not have been the
largest in the world, because the bible also mentions a giant sea-monster named
Leviathan that could have been even larger.
"Another type of strange creature is the hybrid between a human and an animal.
Hindu myths describe several of these, including Hanuman (a hybrid between a
monkey and a human) and Narsimha (a combination of lion and human). Other
well-known hybrids include the centaur (horse and man), the minotaur (bull and
man), and the mermaid (woman and fish). Also, in medieval Europe many people
believed in strange creatures called werewolves, which could shift back and
forth between a man and a wolf-like beast.
"A mythical creature called a Basilisk has the body of a dragon and the head of
a rooster. Its foul smell is strong enough to kill anyone who comes near it, and
its fiery breath will burn up anything in its path. A mere glance from its eye
will also kill, first penetrating the brain and then the heart. The easiest way
to destroy it is to hold up a mirror so that it will see the reflection of its
own eye, which will cause it to burst asunder."
CHRY - Beliefs like this about dragons and weird beasts are Constitutionally
protected?
Although outlawed in India in 1988, prostitutes still "marry" gods associated
with local temples:
"During past centuries young girls in India were sometimes sent to live at a
Hindu temple, where they went through an initiation ceremony which "married"
them to the god or goddess associated with the temple. These girls, who were
known as Devadasi, were often only eight or nine years old when they left their
families. After they went to live at a temple, they were trained in arts such as
music and dance so that they could take part in the elaborate rites performed
during most Hindu worship services. Some of them may have also had other duties,
such as working on temple decorations or helping to grow the flowers used in the
ceremonies.
"Originally these Devadasi were virgins from high-caste families, and they were
admired and honored throughout their lives. But over the centuries the system
slowly changed, until eventually most of the girls came from low-caste families
and served as 'sacred' temple prostitutes instead of sacred temple virgins. This
transition from high-caste virgins to low-caste prostitutes occurred because
political and economic changes gradually reduced the funds that temples received
from royal patrons and wealthy donors, so that new sources of income were
needed. Obviously it was easier to turn low-caste females into prostitutes, and
after the shift had taken place, high-caste families wouldn't allow their
daughters to become Devadasi in any case."
"They want this association because it supposedly gives 'religious sanction' to
a life of prostitution, thereby making it seem more respectable."
So the idea of "respectability" and "appropriateness" (e.g. in the ZPPPD) are
very closely connected.
Pulling tricks in church can't be one and not the other, can it?
CEI?PRY? - Are they married for tax purposes? Non-profit or building use laws
might make the right to marry a temple god and the church's connection with the
dignity of sex work illegal. On the other hand, brothel-keeping could remain Constitutionally protected as a religious
activity.
RY - Moses meeting God up a mountain, angels, a talking snake: these are
protected beliefs in Slovenia.
Salamanders are the oldest known parthenogenic vertebrates. Parthenogenesis has been found in pit vipers, boa constrictors, sharks, Komodo dragons - and in Americans unable to communicate basic facts about sex from generation to generation.
Despite a lack of independent verification, belief in Mary's virgin birth - and the doctrine of her perpetual unavailability (aeiparthenos) - is Constitutionally protected in Slovenia.
But the credibility of health advice is lowered by the presence of religion. The creation of uncertainty around reproduction could bias treatment inside and outside of OB-GYN settings, endangering mums who "fell" pregnant by other means and now find themselves seeking advice from moral medicine. Religious people may be more judgemental about pre-marital sex, contraception, abortion, venereal disease and sexual identity.
Religious presence in public institutions in Slovenia is a weird phenomenon and while It may seem like a comfort to some, Messiahs and virgins on display may be equally or more unsettling to others, and ought to be more illegal than they are.
As for those Americans:
"Of 7870 eligible women, 5340 reported a pregnancy, of whom 45 (0.8% of pregnant women) reported a virgin pregnancy....Perceived importance of religion was associated with virginity but not with virgin pregnancy. The prevalence of abstinence pledges was 15.5%. The virgins who reported pregnancies were more likely to have pledged chastity (30.5%) than the non-virgins who reported pregnancies (15.0%, P=0.01) or the other virgins (21.2%, P=0.007)."
and the cracks soon begin to show...
"Parental attitudes and guidance were informative...with the parents
of virgins who reported pregnancy more likely to indicate inadequate knowledge
to discuss sex/birth control (27.7% agree/strongly agree) than the parents of
the other virgins (1.7%, P<0.001) or of the non-virgins with or without
pregnancies (5.2% and 3.9%, P<0.001). The parents of virgins who reported
pregnancy were more likely to strongly agree it was difficult to discuss
sex/birth control with the child (12.2%) than the parents of the virgins not
reporting pregnancies (<0.1%, P<0.001) or of the non-virgins (1.4%, P=0.02). The
parents of the virgins were more likely to strongly agree that their child would
be embarrassed by these discussions (11.5%) than the parents of the non-virgins
with or without pregnancies (2.3%, P=0.002 and 2.5%, P=0.004). The frequency of
discussions about sex was related to pregnancy but not to virginity." -
BMJ
CDEPRY - Good scientific advice might be discarded when it comes from organisations identified with child rape and weird ideas like virgin birth.
CDEI?RY - Belief in the power of weeping statues of the Virgin Mary is definitely Constitutionally protected in Slovenia. However statues rigged to cry are fakes. Money is being extracted, with no meaningful statistics on follow-up. For-profit proffering of false associations with natural events, redemption of sins, or eternal life could be a fraud.
"The Haitian Voodoo god Baron Samedi is the guardian of the crossroads between
life and death. He helps the souls of recently-deceased people pass through the
crossroads into the spirit world, and sometimes he allows spirits from that
world to temporarily come into our world. He is also a master of the occult
forces of sorcery and necromancy. Like many gods, he has several names,
including Papa Guede (or Ghede) and Lord of the Dead.
"As befits a lord of the dead, Baron Samedi has a skeletal body and a skull-like
head. But despite his gruesome appearance, he is actually a fun-loving god who
tries to enjoy himself whenever he can. He loves to smoke and drink, and is
seldom seen without a cigar in his mouth or a glass of rum in his bony fingers.
When he goes out on the town, he always wears a black tuxedo, shiny top hat and
dark eyeglasses, and he likes to twirl a cane as he walks. His Haitian name,
Baron Samedi, means Baron Saturday in English, and derives from his custom of
going to parties on Saturday night. He is notorious for telling dirty jokes and
chasing after women."
HRY - Although not traditionally associated with voodoo, Slovenia's
Constitutionally protected right to believe in Baron Samedi seems unassailable.
"In past centuries some Buddhist monks in Japan were able to turn their own
bodies into mummies. To do so, these monks slowly starved themselves to death by
a prescribed method that gradually transformed their bodies into the physical
state needed for mummification. The method of starvation was so slow that it
usually took more than five years for the monk to die."
and
"In fact, although hundreds of monks tried to mummify themselves in this way,
only about twenty mummies are known to still exist. All of these surviving
mummies date from the 19th century or earlier, and the practice of Sokushinbutsu
is not advocated by any modern Buddhist group."
The full process is described at the source, basically it's a combination of
starvation and poisoning.
CDI?RU? Problems could arise for enablers for failing to render aid or supplying
poison. Whatever the motive, is self-mummification a Constitutionally protected
belief?
"Most demonologists believe that millions of demons exist on the earth."
CDERY - Popular in schizophrenia and with self-harmers, many masons have been
gainfully employed carving demon gargoyles over the centuries. Another
Constitutionally protected belief.
"A group of unusual religious movements known as 'cargo cults' appeared on
several small Pacific islands during the first half of the 20th century. These
islands had been claimed as colonies by various industrialized countries, and
small numbers of foreigners had come to live on them. Most of these foreigners
were Christian missionaries, government officials, soldiers, or businessmen.
After they began arriving, ships would sometimes deliver supplies to them, and
the native people would usually help unload the cargo.
"Many of the items in this delivered cargo amazed the natives. Because they had
never seen any modern manufactured goods, they thought that the items must have
been created through miracles or supernatural effects. Not surprisingly, they
began looking for ways to acquire such items themselves, and this is what led to
the formation of the cargo cults.
"The beliefs and practices associated with these cults varied from one island to
another. For example, the natives on some islands thought that the manufactured
items in the deliveries must have been created by gods. Another explanation,
which appeared on at least one island, was that the items had been made by the
natives' own dead ancestors. In this case the natives believed that the items
were intended for them, but that the foreigners were intercepting and stealing
everything."
CY - If you want to build an airstrip in Slovenia in the belief it will cause
supplies of superior goods to arrive, the law is on your side. Superstitions
like these are Constitutionally protected.
"The belief that diseases and deformities can be miraculously cured through
supernatural effects is found in many parts of the world. It is even common in
some advanced societies where modern medical treatments are available.
Unfortunately, modern medical practices still can't cure many conditions, and
people sometimes become so desperate that they turn to unconventional treatments
like faith healing. It is most often used in attempts to treat conditions such
as cancer, arthritis, paralysis, and tuberculosis. It has also traditionally
been used to cure blindness, deafness, mental disorders, lameness, and leprosy.
"Faith healing is also called divine healing. Attempts to use it as a method of
treatment probably originated in prehistoric times, and many ancient people
believed in its effectiveness. According to the bible, Jesus could cure people
almost instantly just by saying a few words. Saint Paul also performed some
miraculous cures."
and
"Members of some religious groups have such a strong belief in faith healing
that they oppose the use of modern medical techniques, and refuse to see doctors
or go to hospitals. Some people have even been charged with crimes after their
children died from diseases or conditions that could have been successfully
treated by modern methods. But prosecutors in such cases have had difficulty
obtaining convictions, because the accused often use legal guarantees of
religious freedom as part of their defense."
CDEP?RU? - It looks like more bad news for big pharma. Again, no follow up or
analysis of faith healings vs. controls vs. conventional medicine. Faith healing
beliefs construed as failing to render aid could be unconstitutional.
"In ancient Arabian folklore, ghouls are fiendish creatures that open up graves
during the night and eat the rotting flesh of dead bodies. They are a type of
invisible spirit called a Jinn (or genie), but they can also assume a physical
form, and sometimes appear in the guise of a human or animal. However, no matter
what form they take, they always leave the hoof prints of a donkey....In modern
Islamic countries, stories about ghouls are sometimes used to frighten a
disobedient child."
HRY - These appear to be beliefs to which a person is entitled in Slovenia.
"One of the religious beliefs of the ancient Egyptians was that a god called
Sebek (or Sobek) could appear on the earth in the form of a living crocodile."
HRY - No one can argue with your legal right to believe that in Slovenia, can
they?
You could believe in a good god, Ahura Mazda, and an evil one, Ahriman, as in
Zoroastrianism. What would you say to the Zoroastrian practice of placing the
corpses of the dead on towers to be devoured by vultures, so as not to pollute
the sacred soil with burial, or the sacred fire by cremation?
"Many Zoroastrians in India still use the towers, but have run into difficulties
because of a drastic decline in the population of vultures. According to some
reports, more than 99% of the birds have died from exposure to a drug given to
livestock. With fewer birds available, a corpse may lie on a tower for several
weeks before all of the flesh is eaten."
D?EIPRU - This could save money, although the epidemiological effects of a large
human carrion-eating bird population requires further study. The beliefs
themselves would be worthless without a Constitutionally protected right to the
deeds they enshrine, which seems unlikely.
"In Islamic descriptions of hell, the Tree of Zaqqum grows at the lowest level.
Its fruits, which look like the heads of devils, have a horrible taste. If one
of them is plucked from the tree and eaten, it puts out thorns that rip into the
inner lining of the belly. It also becomes so hot that it burns any flesh it
touches inside the body.
"As part of their punishment, the sinners in hell are always starving. In their
search for food, they eventually reach the lowest level and find the Zaqqum
Tree. Driven to desperation by hunger, they eat the disgusting fruit. But it
doesn't alleviate their hunger or provide any nourishment to their bodies.
Instead, it burns and lacerates the inside of their stomachs.
"Hunger also drives sinners in hell to eat the festering pus that oozes from the
sores on their own bodies. Their other possible foods include the burned flesh
of other sinners and the discharge that flows from the private parts of
condemned adulterers. In other words, if you end up in the Islamic hell, don't
expect to enjoy any fine dining there."
HRY - There is little to disentitle these beliefs from a Constitutional
perspective.
"Some Christians believe that our natural tendency to sin is transmitted from
generation to generation by male semen."
and due to the "Fall of Mankind" Adam and Eve's disobedience of God
"...is regarded as the basic cause of all the misery subsequently experienced by
the human race. According to a biblical passage at Genesis 3:16-19, this misery
started with some punishments that God announced to Adam and Eve as they left
the Garden of Eden. God told them that Adam would have to toil and sweat in
order to survive, and that Eve would feel severe labor pains when she gave birth
to children."
but
"Some Christians believe that God exempted the Virgin Mary from the punishments,
so that she didn't feel any labor pains when she gave birth to Jesus."
CDEPRY - Creationist and Marianist cults are at the roots of centuries of
misogyny and are perfectly normal beliefs in Slovenia, protected by the
Constitution. Sales of indulgences continue mainly in the form of publications
and knick-knacks. An unnecessarily high (cultural) standard of female suffering
may underlie substandard OB-GYN treatment.
"Members of the modern Rastafarian sect in Jamaica believe that black Africans
are God's real chosen people. They base this belief on the legend that the Queen
of Sheba had an affair with King Solomon of Israel and bore a son who became the
first king of Ethiopia. They believe that this king passed the blood of the
ancient Israelites to all black people, making them the true chosen ones."
"Another claim to the title of chosen people has been put forward by leaders of
the Unification Church, who teach that Korea is the chosen nation, selected by
God to serve a divine mission."
CDRY - A belief in chosen peoples - whether your own, as in the Third Reich, or
others, e.g. Bob Marley - would be defensible under the Constitutional right to
religious belief.
"People who travel through a certain section of central Australia may pass near
a large isolated boulder known as the Erathipa stone. According to the
aboriginal people who live in the region, this stone contains the souls of
children who have recently died. These souls can look out through an opening in
the side of the stone, and they continually watch for people to pass by. If they
see a young woman come near, one of the souls will leap into her womb and make
her pregnant. This will be the soul of the baby that is eventually born."
EH?RY - Weakly touristic. With no randomized controlled trials or empirically
demonstrated mechanism of fertilization by rocks, disappointment is the worst
that could happen. If a Slovenka wants to believe Slovenian rock can get them
knocked up, you can't persecute them for it.
"In some parts of southern India, in a strange annual ritual known as "baby
tossing", Hindu priests heave babies from the rooftop or balcony of a temple
into a blanket held by men on the ground below. The practice, which is centuries
old, supposedly makes the babies grow stronger and more courageous, thus better
able to face the challenges they will encounter later in their lives. Some
people also believe that the practice will bring future prosperity to the
infants and their families.
"The falling distance to the ground is typically about 10 meters [33 feet]. The
babies, who are usually between the ages of three months and two years, often
scream in terror as they plunge through the air. But as each one is safely
caught in the blanket, the surrounding crowd celebrates exuberantly, and then
the infant is passed from person to person until it is finally returned to its
mother.
"Because of the trauma experienced by the babies, some human rights groups in
India are trying to get the government to ban the practice. But many local
villagers regard it as an important part of their religious tradition and are
resisting the attempts to stop it."
CDI?RU? - Depending on the actual danger and/or trauma, would the courts be
unable to stop baby tossing because of the Constitutional right to belief, if
this brand of Hinduism caught on with Slovenian villagers?
EHY? - Would it be Constitutionally defensible to accuse Procter and Gamble
corporation of having secret connections to Satanism?
"In a Christian ritual called Holy Communion, ordinary bread and wine are
purportedly converted into the flesh and blood of Jesus."
CDEP?RY - Literally the official reason for the Thirty Years' War, and
consequently famine in Europe. Interestingly, transubstantiation would only be
unhygenic if it was true. This may explain the divergent opinions. Because of
the Constitution, you can't be ordered not to believe this in Slovenia.
"In the pagan mythology of Finland, the goddess Loviatar is known as the Goddess
of Plagues. She supposedly created plagues by giving birth to them after being
impregnated by the wind. For this reason, plagues are regarded as her sons. In
addition to plagues, her offspring also include afflictions such as cancer,
scab, and gout."
DERY - Despite its prescient take on airborne transmission, suboptimal health
outcomes would be the likely result of adoption by the NIJZ and public of this
Constitutionally protected religious explanation.
SOURCES
The Internet
with special thanks for quotes from https://sites.google.com/site/weirdbeliefs/?pli=1