COPING WITH XTIANITY: YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS

le VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes it illegal for any employer to discrimminate against an individual on the basis of his/her religion. It is important for everyone of us to know the law and our legal rights concerning our beliefs. Here are some important tips and guidelines to follow that pertain to Spiritual Satanists: 1. If you ever find yourself incarcrated (in jail) ANYWHERE, keep your beliefs to yourself. The authorities in these places, like it or not, DO have it over on you and can do as they please with you for as long as you remain in custody. 2. In these places, a counselor or psychologist will more than likely interview you. Keep it simple. Sound as though you are a sheep and conform. These individuals do not and will not recognize psychic phenomena, spirituality (unless it is moderate and MAINSTREAM, ie, xianity, judaism, islam). Most are trained as atheists or are xtians and openly discussing your beliefs, practices or gifted abilities will result in a full psychiatric evaluation. 3. Coming to the attention of a psychiatrist M.D., will result in being labeled as insane, given psychiatric drugs against your will (they can put them in your food) and you will be sent to a psychiatric ward, to be incarcerated there. Any little thing you do or say there will label you insane, unless you act as though you completely conform. 4. As for black magick, the burning days are over. The authority labels this sort of thing as bunk, on the lunatic fringe and does not recognize such phenomena. BUT, DO NOT make threats to anyone. Making threats of any kind IS illegal. If you wish to place a curse on someone, keep this to yourself and DO IT, don't talk or brag about it BEFOREHAND, as they can get you on MAKING THREATS, HARASSMENT and INTIMIDATION. When the damage is done, they can't do a fucking thing. CONCERNING EMPLOYMENT: Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, employers in the US are prohibited from from discriminating against individuals because of their religion in hiring, firing, and other terms and conditions of employment. It also requires employers to reasonably accommodate the religious practices of an employee, unless to do so would create an undue hardship on the employer. You have the right to practice your religion to the same level as everyone else in your workplace. Everyone should ask his/her Human Resources personnel or other representatives for a copy of your employers policy regarding religion in the workplace. There are many places who do not have this, but in places that do, this is a major help. Read it thoroughly and keep it in a safe place at home. Basic Rights include: Holiday Observances - unless an employer can prove that it will cause undue hardship, they must allow observances of religious holidays. Employers are also restricted from inquiring about an employee's future availability at certain times. Dress Code - employers may not maintain a restrictive dress code in direct conflict with an employee's religious obligations. Discrimination - it is illegal for an employer to fire or refuse to hire an employee based solely on their religion. It is also illegal for employees to be passed over for promotion, excluded from special training programs, or demoted for religious reasons. In 1997, Pres. Clinton issued guidelines for federal employees (government workers) regarding religion in the workplace. Although they are only applicable to federal workers, these guidelines have been used by many business as a framework for their own religious policies. The guidelines include: Expression in Private Work Areas - Religious expressions in areas not open to the public are respected in the same way that non religious expressions are allowed. Specifically, members are allowed to have religious literature at their desks and include religious icons or posters in their work area.* *Now this is for federal employees in the USA and may not apply to most private industry jobs. Expression Among Fellow Employees: Employees are entitled to discuss their religious views privately, as long as those views are not harassing to fellow workers. They are also entitled to display religious messages on clothing, an wear religious medallions or jewelry outside of their clothing. Coercion of Employees - a supervisor is not permitted to use his or her position of authority to coerce employees to change their behavior regarding religion. Supervisors are not allowed to require employee attendance at religious events or use religious factors to determine an employee's status in the company. Harassment - employees are protected from the use of repeated derogatory or inflammatory comments about their religion, whether by supervisors or fellow employees. This includes repeated harassment or unwelcome proselytization, exclusion of the employee from work groups, or repeated verbal attacks. Unfortunately, harassment and discrimination do exist in the workplace despite the guidelines and laws passed in the USA. PROTECT YOURSELF FROM HARASSMENT: According to a 1997 survey, the most common religion related problems in US workplaces were proselytizing and religious harassment. No one should be forced to contend with a hostile work environment, yet many of alternative faiths 'take it' daily, fearing reprisals or firing should they speak up. By taking a few precautions, you can excercise your rights to religious expression without fear of reprisal from supervisors or coworkers. Your EO Officer - Most larger firms employ an Equal Opportunity Officer. This person is in charge of making sure that the company complies with all of the EEOC guidelines and regulations. If you practice a minority religion, or one that is often misunderstood by the general public, make sure that your EO officer understands the facts about your faith BEFORE any problems arise. "Good Employee" - the most common ruse to rid a workplace of an unwanted employee is "poor performance". Make sure that you're prepared! If you receive notes or post-it notes commending your work, keep them in a file with the date and nature of the work. Keep your awards and commendations, along with dates. Keep these at home and in a safe place. If you are fired for poor performance, your file will be invaluable in proving your case. Pocket Journal - if someone makes a rude or derogatory comment about your faith, write it down in a small notebook, along with the date, time, place, and any witnesses to the conversation. Not only will it discourage harassment, but you will also have a record of repeated offenses should you ever need to complain to your superiors. Keep a backup copy at home in a safe place. Religious expression in the office is a balance between faith and business. Don't attempt to make your work area into a "temple away from home". Use coworkers examples and office policy to determine what you should, or shouldn't, place on your desk and walls. Don't Apologize - you have the right to your beliefs. If someone starts a religious discussion that you don't like, tell them politely that you aren't interested. Xtains stating they will "pray" for you is harrassment and intimidation in legal terms on the job. If they persist, inform them of your civil rights and refer them to the EEOC guidelines on religion in the workplace. If that doesn't work, report them to a superior. Remember to keep a record of all of the details- names of everyone concerned, date, time, place, etc. Sometimes, even the strongest warnings and complaints have little or no effect on discrimination. In that case, you may need to report your employer to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) LINK the government agency charged with protecting your civil rights. Charges of discrimination based on religion MUST be filed within 180 days of the incident. Charges may be filed in person, by mail or by telephone by contacting the nearest EEOC office. If there is not an EEOC office in the immediate area, call toll free 800-669-4000 or 800-669-6820 (TDD) for more information. Facts About Religious Discrimination LINK RIGHTS FOR KIDS AND TEENS ATTENDING PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE USA: For those of you who attend public schools in the USA, the constitution protects you and enforces seperation of church and state. Many schools, especially in the area known as the "bible belt" will try any way they can to get around these laws. It is important to keep a record, same as adults who are facing discrimmination in the workplace. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution says that everyone in the United States has the right to practice his or her own religion, or no religion at all. It is important to know your rights. People who violate these rights are breaking the law and are subject to disciplinary measures same as anyone else. It is important not to just let it go, or look the other way. If everyone ignored violations of their civil rights, no one would be free. Xtians are notorious for coercing their religious beliefs upon kids and teens; using fear, bribes and all kinds of other unethical tactics to snare young minds. In a public school setting, THIS IS ILLEGAL!! IT IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL TO TEACH RELIGION IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Public schools are run by the government and funded by the tax payers. They must obey the First Amendment. This means that while they can teach ABOUT the influences of religion in history, literature and philosophy, BUT, they can't PROMOTE religious beliefs or practices as part of the school curriculum. Since private and parochial schools aren't run by the government, the First Amendment doesn't apply to them. Students have the legal right to be excused from some school activities if they conflict with their religious beliefs. A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER IS FORBIDDEN FROM STARTING THE DAY OR A MEETING WITH PRAYER Any prayers, scriptural readings and loudspeaker devotionals violate the First Amendment because they PROMOTE RELIGION. This is true even if the prayer is "non-denominational" (not of any particular religion.) Moments of silence might be unconstitutional -- it depends on whether or not the real reason they're being held is to encourage prayer. STUDENT LED PRAYER IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL AS WELL. Individual students have the right to pray whenever they want to, as long as they don't disrupt classroom instruction or other educational activities; or try to force others to pray along with them. If a school official has told you that you can't pray at all during the school day, your right to exercise your religion is being violated. If you feel your rights are being violated, the first step is to discuss this with a school counselor or principal. If there are more than one of you, there is strength in numbers and you should all go together. If nothing is done or the person in authority tries to soft soap, aviod or make excuses for the issue, warn them you will take this to a higher level if something is not done immediately. The school board, district, ACLU... Most public schools provide a handbook at the beginning of the year for their attending students and it is important to read this and use it if necessary. Unfortunately, most people believe what they are told concerning Satanic practices from our enemies. Inform your superiors that you are law abiding and know your legal rights and should receive the same level of respect as anyone else. Anything less is discrimination. For more information concerning students' religious rights in public schools: ACLU: Students' Rights