Bill Levin despised Indiana’s Religious Freedom Law, because he saw it as opening the doorway for discrimination. But now that it’s passed, he discovered a loophole that allowed him to create his very own religious sect – The First Church of Cannabis.
The church was apparently reluctantly approved by the secretary of state in Indiana. Marijuana is illegal, but since it’s the official sacrament of the church, it’s protected under the new law.
“I created the fastest-growing religion in America last week,” Levin said to U.S. News. “I’ve got to cork the leak up that [Indiana Gov. Mike] Pence caused with love.”
“We have people who will be pilgriming in from California, from Maine, from Florida,” he said. “I planned this to be a small church of three to five hundred, but the numbers have staggeringly grown.”
from US News:
It’s unclear how state officials would react to church worship services, which Levin says will feature a “canna choir” and a band. Indiana does not allow medical or recreational use of marijuana.
Marijuana charges generally are pursued in state courts. But the new religious freedom law says the state cannot “substantially burden a person’s exercise of religion” except when the state uses the “least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest.”
It’s unclear if officials or courts would deem marijuana prohibition a compelling government interest, or if they would uncritically accept the church members’ professions of faith.
“Of course I’m going to test this law. I’m not going to test it, I’m going to beat it,” Levin says. “We’re building a church with the cornerstone of love, the way religions are supposed to be built.”
Valerie Kroeger, a spokeswoman for the Indiana secretary of state’s office, which granted the church’s incorporation, says that process conferred no recognition that the group is a religious association.
“It basically means they filled out their paperwork properly and they are now a registered business,” she says.
“There is no approval process or anything,” she says, adding: “We don’t do religious accreditation at the secretary of state’s office.”
Levin says the church will not grow marijuana for members, but will connect parishioners who bring their own cannabis products. He won’t comment on whether April 20 will become a religious holiday and says the church won’t strictly enforce a religious dogma.
From Nobofeed.com
Levin – now known as “The Grand Poobah and Minister of Love” – savored his victory: “The state will not interfere with religious belief. Well buddy, my religious belief is green with red hairs, and boy do I like to smoke it!
The tenants, or as he calls them “New Deity Dozen” of Levin’s church are founded on 12 principles – including such immortal words of weedy wisdom as:
- Don’t be an asshole. Treat everyone with love as an equal.
- Never start a fight … only finish them.
- Do not be a “troll” on the internet, respect others without name calling and being vulgarly aggressive.
And most importantly,
- Cannabis, “the Healing Plant” is our sacrament. It brings us closer to ourselves and others. It is our fountain of health, our love, curing us from illness and depression. We embrace it with our whole heart and spirit, individually and as a group.
Levin reportedly said, “All these old religions, guys walking across the desert without Dr. Scholls inserts, drinking wine out of goat bladders, no compass, speaking Latin and Hebrew — I cannot relate to that shit. I drive by Burger Kings, bars and corn fields. I cannot relate to an antique magic book. Ours is a new religion for people who happen to live in our day and age.”
Levin is asking that people please donate $4.20 to help the church get on its feet.
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