Proof positive that the
First Amendment's guarantees of
religious freedom don't apply to anyone unless the
government approves. Back in the late 1800s to early 1900s,
Obed Marsh, a wealthy merchant, was
converted to the worship of a
pagan god of the
sea while sailing in the
South Seas. Upon his return to his home in the small coastal town of
Innsmouth, Massachusetts, he established a
church called the
Esoteric Order of Dagon.
Within a few years, most of the
residents of Innsmouth were members of Marsh's church, thanks to a combination of Marsh's
charisma, the
gold he brought from the
South Sea, and
peer pressure from other church members. Marsh
promised that anyone who joined his church would be guaranteed vast amounts of
wealth, as well as
eternal life.
In the late 1920s, rumors surfaced that Marsh was running his church, like many
cult leaders, as a front for other
crimes, including
smuggling, forced
conversions, and even
murder. However, instead of
arresting the leaders of the
cult and those who had perpetrated crimes, agents of the U.S.
Treasury and the
Justice Department swept into Innsmouth in February of 1928 and arrested
everyone in town.
No
trials or
hearings were held for anyone, but almost everyone was incarcerated for the rest of their lives, either in
mental institutions or
maximum security prisons. All property, both
real estate and
personal effects, was seized by the government; none of it has ever been returned. Even today, after government officials have publicly
apologized for racial crimes and inequities from decades past, the
United States government still refuses to apologize or even acknowledge the crimes committed against the citizens of Innsmouth.
The message is loud and clear: the government does not believe that the First Amendment applies to everyone -- just to the most powerful religions. It's only a matter of time before they stage another
crackdown on another
minority religion -- maybe
Wiccans, maybe
atheists, maybe
Seventh Day Adventists...
Research: "The Shadow over Innsmouth" by H.P. Lovecraft