Message #3772 +quot;MetaPhysical+quot; Date: 15-Aug-89 17:34 To: All Subj: AMER Press Rele

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Message #3772 "MetaPhysical"
Date: 15-Aug-89 17:34
From: Brad Hicks
To:   All
Subj: AMER Press Release #1

Contact: J. Brad Hicks
         11220 West Florissant, Suite #288
         Florissant, Missouri  63032
 
                      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
MAGICAL RELIGIOUS GROUPS UNITE
TO COUNTER "LIES AND PROPAGANDA"
 
(St. Louis) -- Representatives of various St. Louis-area Witchcraft covens
and other religious groups which practice magic or which worship the Earth
recently formed a group called the Alliance for Magical and Earth Religions,
or AMER.  Sunday's meeting was the product of several months of meetings, and
resulted in the formation of the group, a Statement of Purpose, and plans for
future projects.  The group's Statement of Purpose stresses the importance of
standing up for religiousfreedom and countering negative propaganda about
magical religions.
 
Galena Price, who organized the committee which formed AMER, said that she
saw the need for such a group while she was negotiating to use a meeting room
in an area hotel for a seminar on magical religion.  She was informed that a
county official had given the hotel staff a pamphlet entitled "America's Best
Kept Secret."  That pamphlet falsely accuses all Witches and Satanists of
being part of a vast, nation-wide conspiracyto commit mass murder.  Ms. Price
compared the document to the slanderous anti-Semitic literature early in this
century which accused Jews of similar crimes, and ultimately lead to the
Holocaust.
 
Alliance member Brad Hicks claims that the comparison to anti-Semitic
literature is particularly apt.  "These accusations are as false as the
Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion.  The people who are writing and
distributing this trash have never presented any hard evidence at all to back
up such claims.  But we've found that if we don't challenge them to produce
evidence, people will believe their lies and propaganda."
 
The Alliance for Magical and Earth Religion's official Statement of Purpose
commits them to stand up for "the right of every American to practice his or
her own religion, insofar as the religion's practices directly harm no one. 
In particular, AMER will actively campaign for tolerance for magical and
Earth-centered religions."  It also says that they will work to promote a
positive image for such religious groups and to counter negative propaganda.
 
In October, Ms. Price and AMER are planning to hold a public seminar at
which Frank Medina will speak.  Mr. Medina is a Wisconsin parole officer and
nationally-recognized expert on accusations of occult-related crime.
 
-30-
 
For more information, contact:
 
J. Brad Hicks
11220 West Florissant, Suite #288
Florissant, Missouri  63032
 
 
 
                   ALLIANCE FOR MAGICAL AND EARTH RELIGIONS
 
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 in the eastern Missouri area.
 
4. AMER will serve as a source of accurate information on magical and
Earth-centered religions and practices.

--- Sirius 0.50

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gain, ext, top? N
Message #3773 "MetaPhysical"
Date: 16-Aug-89 21:50
From: Crosby!
To:   All
Subj: Hello?

Well, we're new to the echo and are starting to wonder if anyone else is
using it?  Haven't seen any messages here in a few days and KNOW that there's
a lot that can be discussed here.  So, how about someone dropping a line?  If
just to say hello, would be fine.
 
Thanks!


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