[Draft #1] Drug Usage in Indigenous Religious Practices

[Of Altonianic Islands]

A middling, shrewish man with a bright orange cravat wakes into the drafting halls. He settles down in the long-ago abandoned chair for the Ambassador of Of Altonianic Islands.

"Ahem, greetings my friends! I am Ambassador Alistair Green, the newly appointed WA Ambassador from my nation. In my nation's youth, we had a small number of prior proposals that did not progress beyond this stage. I sincerely hope that with some minor acquired wisdom since those times this one can be different. I stand here humbly with a proposal for you all, awaiting your suggestions reverently in order to incorporate the knowledge of this august Assembly."

He coughs slightly and clears his throat.

"The proposal I have today is related to the right of indigenous populations within member nations." He looks up at the gathered ambassadors. "I am aware that is a mildly controversial and daring pick for a first resolution; historically, these sorts of resolutions, like GA #328, have been extraordinarily broad. GA #329 was a swift and brutal repeal. There have, additionally, been a number of drafts related to indigenous rights, all of which my government believes to be too broad to have any chance at passage and none of which, from what I have been able to ascertain, relate specifically and only with the topic of my government's proposal. The proposal I have for those gathered today is, I hope, a measured, narrow guarantee of the ability to practice indigenous religious rights and rituals in accordance with their traditions."

The ambassador politely coughs again, unfurls the proposal, and begins to read.

The World Assembly:

RECOGNIZING the myriad and disparate regulations on drug use among member nations;

ACKNOWLEDGING the additionally complex regulations regarding religion among member nations;

UNDERSTANDING that regulations that seek to enact universal standards on the same can cause deleterious impacts if not done properly;

BELIEVING that risk is worth undertaking to protect vulnerable communities in danger;

Hereby:

DEFINES “indigenous religions” as the traditional religions that exist or have existed among indigenous peoples of member nations including but not expressly limited to shamanism, animism, and the worship of all indigenous pantheons, past and present;

DEFINES “drug use” within the context of this resolution to be the consumption of psychoactive substances for strictly religious purposes, specifically limited to and utilized in indigenous religions, including but not expressly limited to the consumption of ayahuasca, peyote, psilocybin, and others;

MANDATES that member nation law must make allowances for such drug use within the confines of established member nation regulations on religion and drugs;

REQUIRES member nations to take action to protect natural sources of psychoactive substances utilized in indigenous religions that could otherwise be lost forever, particularly with regard to endangered species of flora and fauna;

and AFFIRMS the right of indigenous people across all member nations to partake in their religious practices.

[The Cavalier]

A middling, shrewish man with a bright orange cravat wakes into the drafting halls. He settles down in the long-ago abandoned chair for the Ambassador of Of Altonianic Islands.

"Ahem, greetings my friends! I am Ambassador Alistair Green, the newly appointed WA Ambassador from my nation. In my nation's youth, we had a small number of prior proposals that did not progress beyond this stage. I sincerely hope that with some minor acquired wisdom since those times this one can be different. I stand here humbly with a proposal for you all, awaiting your suggestions reverently in order to incorporate the knowledge of this august Assembly."

He coughs slightly and clears his throat.

"The proposal I have today is related to the right of indigenous populations within member nations." He looks up at the gathered ambassadors. "I am aware that is a mildly controversial and daring pick for a first resolution; historically, these sorts of resolutions, like GA #328, have been extraordinarily broad. GA #329 was a swift and brutal repeal. There have, additionally, been a number of drafts related to indigenous rights, all of which my government believes to be too broad to have any chance at passage and none of which, from what I have been able to ascertain, relate specifically and only with the topic of my government's proposal. The proposal I have for those gathered today is, I hope, a measured, narrow guarantee of the ability to practice indigenous religious rights and rituals in accordance with their traditions."

The ambassador politely coughs again, unfurls the proposal, and begins to read.

The World Assembly:

RECOGNIZING the myriad and disparate regulations on drug use among member nations;

ACKNOWLEDGING the additionally complex regulations regarding religion among member nations;

UNDERSTANDING that regulations that seek to enact universal standards on the same can cause deleterious impacts if not done properly;

BELIEVING that risk is worth undertaking to protect vulnerable communities in danger;

Hereby:

DEFINES “indigenous religions” as the traditional religions that exist or have existed among indigenous peoples of member nations including but not expressly limited to shamanism, animism, and the worship of all indigenous pantheons, past and present;

DEFINES “drug use” within the context of this resolution to be the consumption of psychoactive substances for strictly religious purposes, specifically limited to and utilized in indigenous religions, including but not expressly limited to the consumption of ayahuasca, peyote, psilocybin, and others;

MANDATES that member nation law must make allowances for such drug use within the confines of established member nation regulations on religion and drugs;

REQUIRES member nations to take action to protect natural sources of psychoactive substances utilized in indigenous religions that could otherwise be lost forever, particularly with regard to endangered species of flora and fauna;

and AFFIRMS the right of indigenous people across all member nations to partake in their religious practices.

Belief in or practice of non-Christian religions or spiritual traditions is strictly prohibited within the Commonwealth. We are thus AGAINST any General Assembly resolution which seeks to provide protection for such practices.

[Of Altonianic Islands]

Belief in or practice of non-Christian religions or spiritual traditions is strictly prohibited within the Commonwealth. We are thus AGAINST any General Assembly resolution which seeks to provide protection for such practices.

The Altonianic Ambassador cocks his head.

"Would you deny that drug use plays at least a moderate part in Christian worship? Communion in Catholicism, as an example, involves the consumption of wine as the blood of Christ, in order to deepen one's relationship to Him through religious ritual. Many nondenominational Christians have claimed to use psychoactive substances such as psilocybin to gain a closer understanding of the Lord." He pauses for a moment.

"This resolution was, perhaps, too narrow in scope; the Communion and Sacrament should undoubtedly be protected but they are also at far lesser threat. Would adding such protections for Christianity and other Abrahamic religion rectify your concern? If your issue with this resolution is solely and entirely that it seeks to protect religions outside of Christianity, then I fear we are at an impasse and will remain as such. Protecting the most vulnerable protects us all."

[The Cavalier]

Belief in or practice of non-Christian religions or spiritual traditions is strictly prohibited within the Commonwealth. We are thus AGAINST any General Assembly resolution which seeks to provide protection for such practices.

The Altonianic Ambassador cocks his head.

"Would you deny that drug use plays at least a moderate part in Christian worship? Communion in Catholicism, as an example, involves the consumption of wine as the blood of Christ, in order to deepen one's relationship to Him through religious ritual. Many nondenominational Christians have claimed to use psychoactive substances such as psilocybin to gain a closer understanding of the Lord." He pauses for a moment.

"This resolution was, perhaps, too narrow in scope; the Communion and Sacrament should undoubtedly be protected but they are also at far lesser threat. Would adding such protections for Christianity and other Abrahamic religion rectify your concern? If your issue with this resolution is solely and entirely that it seeks to protect religions outside of Christianity, then I fear we are at an impasse and will remain as such. Protecting the most vulnerable protects us all."

The Commonwealth relies on scripture for guidance in its policies both on drug use and the permissability of other faiths.

The use of psychoactive substances is not an acceptable form of worship under Commonwealth law (Ephesians 5:18, "And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit."), and the wine used for communion within the Commonwealth is of a watered-down form, as would have been typical in Israel during the earthly lifetime of Jesus.

In any case, the impasse the Altonianic Ambassador mentions is in effect, since the Commonwealth will neither vote for nor adopt resolutions providing protection to other religions or spiritual traditions (Deuteronomy 12:2-3: "You shall surely destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess served their gods... You shall tear down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and burn their Asherim with fire. You shall chop down the carved images of their gods and destroy their name out of that place.")

[Kshemarashtram]

Vikrama Deshabandhu, the Dictator of Kshemarashtram, strides into the discussion room and hands Mr Green a piece of paper, containing Mr Green's proposal, alongwith Mr Deshabandhu's comments messily scribbled in blue.

The World Assembly:

RECOGNIZING the myriad and disparate regulations on drug use among member nations;

ACKNOWLEDGING the additionally complex regulations regarding religion among member nations;

UNDERSTANDING that regulations that seek to enact universal standards on the same can cause deleterious impacts if not done properly;

BELIEVING that risk is worth undertaking to protect vulnerable communities in danger;

Hereby:

DEFINES “indigenous religions” as the traditional religions that exist or have existed among indigenous peoples of member nations including but not expressly limited to shamanism, animism, and the worship of all indigenous pantheons, past and present;
And why must the WA have the authority to erroneously determine what the indigenous religions in my country are? Your draft explicitly includes shamanism and animism as indigenous religions in all member nations without any proof of the accuracy of this claim. As such, a shaman foreigner may enter my country and receive extra protections that our actual indigenous religions may not? (I know it says "including but not expressly limited to", but then who shall decide whether or not a religion is considered an "indigenous religion"? And regardless, I oppose recognising religions that are clearly not indigenous to my country as "indigenous religion".)

DEFINES “drug use” within the context of this resolution to be the consumption of psychoactive substances for strictly religious purposes, specifically limited to and utilized in indigenous religions, including but not expressly limited to the consumption of ayahuasca, peyote, psilocybin, and others;
How do you define "strictly religious purposes"? Golly, I remember meeting a bloke loitering outside my house the other day. Wacky fellow! Told me he adheres to the "enlightened" religion of "Troll-ism", which mandates being stoned from 6am to 10am everyday, and given that it coincides with the morning rush hour, requested me to allow driving while stoned! Gave me a chuckle, but for the safety of countrymen, I was compelled to ignore the badgering.

And why explicitly include ayahuasca, peyote, and psilocybin? And who decides which drugs are covered under this law and which are not? Or is it that any and all drugs are covered as long as they are used for "strictly religious purposes"?

MANDATES that member nation law must make allowances for such drug use within the confines of established member nation regulations on religion and drugs;
"Within the confines", eh? What about countries that have wholly criminalised drug usage? Or wholly prohibited the practice of one or more religions? How could such a law possibly work "within the confines" of established national law? They would simply contradict each other.

REQUIRES member nations to take action to protect natural sources of psychoactive substances utilized in indigenous religions that could otherwise be lost forever, particularly with regard to endangered species of flora and fauna;

and AFFIRMS the right of indigenous people across all member nations to partake in their religious practices.
ALL of their religious practices? Nay, Kshemarashtram shall never allow harmful practices (which may possibly include human sacrifice, forced conversions, religiously motivated violence, to name a few) promoted by any religion, whatever they may be.

[Lipizia]

Never! Drugs must be wiped off the face of the earth! Strongly against!

[The Crusader Kings]

This is my first time doing RP in the GA, so if you have any feedback, please TG me

My own ambassador looks up from their seat, where they were polishing their Broadsword.. “You step into this august Assembly, Ambassador, clad in bright silks, preaching tolerance, yet your proposal carries the foul scent of madness. While I respect your noble intent, and your old experience, your draft sows the seeds of Anarchy in the members of the WA. I’ve seen many proposals recently, and this one, admittedly, is not as horrible as most” The ambassador smiles, remarking “And I cannot deny your choice of attire is… colorfully entertaining”

He slams his armored fist on the table, before taking a second to calm himself, saying “You tell us that we must permit the consumption of mind-altering poisons—ayahuasca, peyote, or whatever other mind-altering filth and heresy “Natives” claim bring them closer to God. You claim we must bend to the will of filth addicted shamans, for a “religious exception.”

“In my nation, we do not permit corruption or the Mortal Coil that ties us to God. Yet your flimsy piece of parchment claims we must allow “Native” heretics to consume heretical substances. Put not a while later, you claim that us Member Nations may regulate “within the confines of established member nation regulations”. My ambassador retrieves a piece of parchment from one of their letter cases, marked with the Blood Cross of the Inquisition, and throws it on the Drafting Table.“Our own police force is permitted to use any means necessary to cleanse the corruption of the Soul. But your draft would force us to let drugs, and illegal substances be consumed!”

“The most egregious sin that you ask of us is to outright [/b]DEFEND[/b] the sources of mind altering rot and destructive substances. If a sect of “Native” heretics claim that blasphemous mire is the sacred source of their psychoactive rot, you expect us, and other members of the GA, to defend it? You would have us take up arms to defend the source of a nation destroying plagues? Nonetheless, I have dueled with many an author. But not, in a long time, have I had the honour of dueling with a returning player with a record like yours.

The ambassador puts his hands behind his back, drawing a dagger. He comments “Go back to drafting, ambassador. May you find the wisdom of how to change your proposal" before throwing the dagger, lodging it in your parchment, then sitting back down in his chair, taking a sip of his tea. Picking up his pen and resuming business as usual.



OOC(for those who don’t want to read my Roleplay[which I don’t do a lot, for many reasons]):
“consumption of psychoactive substances for strictly religious purposes”... so you’re telling me I HAVE to let people smoke crack, if they claim it’s “Part of their religion"? And if I have a law that says they can’t smoke?

“within the confines of established member nation regulations on religion and drugs;” The overlap here is noticed. You force me to let people smoke what they want, for “Religion”, but then say I can regulate it based on my own laws… if I keep my own laws about smoking, I break yours, but you tell me to keep my own laws… Ever read Catch 22? Good book.

“REQUIRES member nations to take action to protect natural sources of psychoactive substances utilized in indigenous religions”. Ah yes. So if they claim that I need to keep a portal to Hell around because it shits out THEIR kind of Crack…

AGAINST.



Good day(or night) to you all, and welcome back to the Assembly, Altonianic. May the dice of voting fly high(Should this make it to the floor after the Forum looks into it).

And yes, I am being a little hard on them. However, I’m also not known for my unending love of everybody, am I? And yes, my Roleplaying seems fascist. It’s called Theocratic take nothin’ from nobody.