Saturday, August 06, 2005

Go, Summums!

The Summum religion has sued the city of Pleasant Grove [Utah] for the right to display the other set of laws they say Moses brought down the mountain.

The city has refused to allow the Salt Lake City-based religion to erect a monument enumerating the Seven Aphorisms, principles they say underlie creation and nature, with a public memorial that includes the Ten Commandments.

Summum leaders believe these were initially passed only to a select few who could understand them, but that Moses also delivered a lower set of laws, the Ten Commandments, which were more widely distributed.

Pleasant Grove's [Ten Commandments] memorial sits in a secluded area that honors the city's heritage. The monument has been on city property since the Fraternal Order of Eagles donated it in 1971, and Summum wants the right to put its monument of the Seven Aphorisms there also....


Yup, that's the principle -- either allow no sectarian displays on public land or allow sectarian displays from everybody.

And I do mean everybody:

Established in 1975, Summum keeps no official membership rolls, nor does the church collect offerings or accept donations. Founder Corky Ra has said more than 250,000 people have received its teachings.

The sect makes sacramental wines that adherents use to enhance seven types of meditation, including sexual ecstasy. Adherents believe mummification is better than burial or other after-death traditions, comparing their beliefs to ancient Egyptian creed. A pyramid in Salt Lake City serves as their temple.


Yeah, baby!

(Link via DU.)

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