مانی و پیام او

An Explanation of the Anathemas of the Manichaean Church MAR INNAI KHARBA ♦ SEPTEMBER 11, 2012 ♦ COMMENTS OFF Explaining the Anathemas of the Holy and Ancient Manichean Church Introduction Some people like the precepts of our Faith but become uncertain when confronted by the Anathemas. The Anathemas were sanctioned and instituted by the Third Messenger so not only are they 2nd pillar (part of our Traditions), but they are also technically Third Pillar since the Third Messenger authorized and wrote a number of the Anathemas. He sanctified this work in order to protect the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church from those who sought to cause conflict and strife in the Faith. I will present each Anathema, what it says and what it means. God Bless, Mar Innai Kharba Patriarch of the Manichean Church ** Note: The Anathemas of the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church were sanctioned and blessed by the Third Messenger as a safeguard against enemies of the Faith that would seek to introduce false doctrine into the Manichaean Congregations. -Editor’s note. 1. If any Hearer in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should deny the existence of God, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church; if that one is of the Elect, let that one repent and sit as a Hearer for six months or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: This means no Manichaean is permitted to adopt or teach Atheism in the Church. 2. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should deny that God is One, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: This means no Manichaean is permitted to adopt or teach Polytheism in the Church. 3. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should deny that God exists outside of Creation, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: This means no Manichaean is permitted to adopt or teach Monism (The belief that all Creation is God) or Pantheism (That God is in all things in Creation) in the Church. 4. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should deny that all life is governed by Mihr Yazd, the living Spirit and One Created Being of God of whom we are all a part, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: This mean no Manichaean is permitted to teach against the existence of the Living Spirit. 5. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should deny that all life is governed through the celestial servants within Mihr Yazd, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: This means no Manichaean is permitted to teach against the existence of the Amesha Spentas, the Yazatas, the Archangels, Angels etc. that exist within and serve God through the Living Spirit. 6. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should deny that all physical matter is deemed illusion and that is not permanent, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: This means no Manichaean may adopt or teach the view that matter is permanent and that the destiny of humanity resides in matter. 7. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should deny that all light is deemed real because it is eternal, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: This means no Manichaean may adopt or teach the view that the nature of the Divine Light is impermanent. 8. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should deny that the soul is a spark of the Eternal Light trapped in the illusion of matter, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: This means no Manichaean may adopt or teach the view that denies that the Soul is trapped in matter. 9. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should deny that all suffering in the world is rooted in our ignorance of our true nature and our distraction from our real purpose in life, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: Tied into the previous Anathema, this means that no Manichaean may adopt or teach the view that Ignorance is bliss (that Gnosis is irrelevant to the development of the Soul). 10. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should deny that True Religion is sent into the world to awaken mankind to its true nature and to provide the means of returning to its True Home beyond the Physical Universe, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may adopt or teach the view that rejects the teaching that any divinely revealed religion present in the world helps souls to awaken (through Gnosis) and offer the means of returning Home to Heaven through the cultivation of virtues and the laying aside of vices. 11. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should deny that all True Religion comes through Divine Revelation, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may reject the belief or teach others to reject the belief that the active ingredient in any true religion is Divine Revelation which comes from God, outside of Creation and not left the the best guesses or opinions of beings in the physical Creation. 12. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should deny that the worship of and prayer to the One God is the natural state of the soul, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: I once asked the Third Messenger” Why the human soul was created?” He answered simply. “God created the Soul for one purpose and one purpose only to worship God”. To reject this central belief is to be completely oblivious to one’s own nature. 13. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should deny that the cultivation of virtue and the rejection of vice are the means of refining the soul, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may reject the necessity of spiritual practice in order to refine the Soul and return it to its natural state of purity. 14. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should deny that the putting aside of attachments assists the soul in its ascension and return to the Eternal Kingdom of Lights, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: Tied into the previous Anathema, about the cultivation of virtue, the soul must also divest itself of accretions that obscure the soul from returning to its natural state of purity. 15. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should deny that all unnecessary use of force is Anathema to human development, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean will adopt or teach the view that the use of force is acceptable in circumstances that do not require it. 16. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should deny that all obsession and addiction are manifestations of attachment, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may reject the belief that the outward physical evidence of our attachments to the physical world are obsessive and addictive behavior. 17. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should deny that all men, women, all races, nationalities and sexual orientations are equal, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may believe or teach the view that any race, gender or sexual orientation is greater or lesser than any other in the eyes of God. 18. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should deny that the lives of the innocent, which includes animal life, deserves to be protected, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may reject the belief that the innocent deserve to be protected. 19. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should deny that the Love of God is experienced by humanity through the love, compassion, kindness and selfless service of the faithful, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may reject the view that God’s love is experienced by people in the world through those who do the will of God in this world. 20. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should deny that the peace of God is reflected in this world through the actions of the faithful and that through them the world experiences the peace that awaits them in the Eternal Kingdom of Lights, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may reject the view that the company of the virtuous offers peace to seekers in this world. 21. If any Hearer in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should deny the highest priority to the Three Pillars: Scripture, Tradition and Revelation, believing and teaching that a believer may choose to ignore any one or all of the pillars and still remain a Manichaean, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church; if that one is of the Elect, let that one repent and sit as a Hearer for one year, or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may reject the Divine Authority of the Three Pillars of the Manichaean Faith (Scripture, Tradition and Revelation) or seek to promulgate a concept of the Religion of Light that abandons any of these Pillars. 22. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should deny the existence or authority of Mir Fratama, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church; if that one is of the Elect, let that one repent and sit as a Hearer for three months, or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may reject the existence and divine authority of the Mir Fratama, the manifestation of the Third Messenger in this era, He who is the Manichaean Messiah. 23. If any Hearer in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should deny the Prophet- hood of Mar Mani, let that one repent or be excommunicated from Church; if that one is of the Elect, let that one be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: Fairly Obvious: No Manichaean may reject the Holy Prophet-hood of Mar Mani. 24. If any Hearer in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should deny that Mar Mani is the Apostle of Light, an Apostle of Isha Atish, let them repent or be excommunicated from the Church; if that one is of the Elect, let that one be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may reject that Mani was not only a Prophet, but that he was also a blessed Apostle of Isha in 3rd century Iraq. 25. If any Hearer in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should deny the Divine Dispensation given to Mar Mani to bring the Religion of Light into all the world, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church; if that one is of the Elect, let that one be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may reject the belief that Manichaeism is a divinely received religion from God for the entire world. 26. If any Hearer in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should question the authority, integrity or character of Mar Mani in any way, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church; if that one is of the Elect, let that one be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may disparage or questions the authority, virtue, integrity or character of the Holy Prophet Mani in any way. 27. If any Hearer in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should deny that everything Mar Mani taught he received through Divine Revelation and was not previously learned and adapted from other faiths, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church; if that one is of the Elect, let that one be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may reject the belief that everything Mani taught came from the Paraclete. No Manichaean may teach that Mani’s teachings were an amalgam of concepts adopted from other religions. 28. If any Hearer in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean church should question the Authority, integrity or character of the Manichaean Patriarch let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church; if that one is of the Elect, let that one repent and sit as a Hearer for three months or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: This Anathema does not validate the concept of anything approximating “Papal Infallibility”, it means that the Manichaean Patriarch is divinely appointed and as such, is accountable to God through the Third Messenger in thought, word and deed. The Patriarch serves the members of the Faith, but answers only to God through the Third Messenger. All Apostles appointed over any branch of the Religion of Light are answerable for all members of their flocks, but all are answerable to God through the Divine Messenger exclusively. 29. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should question the authority, integrity or character of any living or deceased Manichaean Apostle without just cause, let that one repent for be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: See the commentary on Anathema #28. 30. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should deny the Sapta, which begins every Friday at sunset and ends every Saturday at sunset, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may reject the Sabbath (Sapta) or that the Sabbath begins as sundown on Friday evening and ends at sundown on Saturday evening. 31. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should teach that Mar Mani ever believed in or taught antisemitism, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean will believe in or teach Antisemitism in the Manichean Church. 32. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should teach that God destroyed the Torah for the Hebrews or dissolved the covenants of other peoples, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean will adopt the Christian doctrine that God sent Christ to destroy the Torah of the Jewish People, or that He dissolved the covenants of the Jewish people. 33. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church believes and teaches that man has the right to interpret Holy Scripture, Holy Tradition or Holy Revelation, separate from Divine Instruction in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may interpret Manichaean Scriptures, Rites, Traditions or Revelations on their own. The Three Pillars give validation of one another and the Divine Authority of the Holy Manichaean Church clarifies and validates them. What is presented in the Manichaean Faith comes with divine authority. No Manichaean may arbitrarily select or interpret those elements to suit their tastes. 34. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should teach that Isha was only a man, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: In Manichaeasim, we believe that Isha (Jesus) appeared to the apostles in spirit, in the form of a child. That he was not physically born into a body of flesh. We do not believe Isha was a man at all, but a manifestation of the Third Messenger, Himself. 35. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should teach that Isha is God Almighty, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: Manichaeaism teaches that Isha, whether as the Third Messenger who appears throughout human history to reveal the Light Message to mankind; or the historical Messiah of Judea or the Patbilis or Symbol of the One Soul suffering in the Illusion of Matter, that in all of these manifestations and classifications, that He is never the God who exists outside of Creation. Isha is not Zurvan (The One God). 36. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should teach that Isha was merely a prophet of God, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean believe Isha was a prophet of God. Manichaeans believe Isha was a Divine Manifestation of the Third Messenger on Earth. He is neither God nor man. 37. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should teach that Isha is not a manifestation of Mihr Yazd in this world, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: Manichaeans believe that Isha is a manifestation of the Third Messenger (Mir Izgadda also known as Lord Mithra); The Third Messenger is the manifestation of Mihr Yazd (The Living Spirit) in this Universe. So if a Manichaean does not accept that Isha is the Living Spirit he does not understand Manichaean Theology. 38. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church denies the legitimacy of the Kingdom of Israel for the Hebrews and endorses any action that is hostile to the Children of Abraham, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: Manichaeans respect the covenants of other cultures. We acknowledge them coming from God. It is for this reason, if a Manichaean were to challenge the establishment of a Kingdom of Israel (whether it is the modern day state of Israel or a future kingdom of Israel), they would be at odds with the beliefs of the Manichaean Church. 39. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church denies that Seth was a Divine Messenger of God, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: Manichaeans believe in a procession of Divine Messengers who came from the Third Messenger, Seth, the brother of Cain and Abel, was the first prophet on Earth. Manichaeans should embrace all manifestations of the Third Messenger. 40. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church denies that Zarathustra was a Divine Messenger of God, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: Manichaeans believe in a procession of Divine Messengers who came from the Third Messenger, Zaratushtra presented Monotheism to Ancient Persia and the worship of Zurvan, which was later altered by the Mazdian Cult. Now, only traces of the original Zoroastrianism exist on the Earth. Manichaeans should embrace all manifestations of the Third Messenger. 41. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church denies that Mahavira was a Divine Messenger of God, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: Please see the notes for #s 39 and #40. 42. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church denies that Shakyamuni was a Divine Messenger of God, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: Please see the notes for #s 39 and #40. ‎43. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church denies that Mithra is a Manifestation of Mihr Yazd, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may reject that Mir Izgaddah (Lord Mithra) is the manifestation of Mihr Yazd (the Living Spirit) in this universe. 44. If any person, in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church denies that Zurvan is a name for God, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean can reject Zurvan as the One Created Being outside of Creation (or view Him strictly as the “Persian God of Time”). 45. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church denies that Yahweh is a name of Zurvan, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean can reject the belief that Zurvan and Yahweh are the same God. 46. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church teaches that Manichaeans are subject to the covenant of Noah, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may accept the belief that Manichaeans are under the Covenant of Noah or are Noachides. 47. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church teaches that circumcision is required for believers in the Manichaean Faith, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may believe or teach that circumcision is a required practice for Manichaeans. Brit Mila or the Rite of Circumcision is only part of the Hebraic covenants of Abraham and not part of to Manichaean Covenant. Circumcision was and is a physical sign of obedience as part of the Covenant of Abraham. Today, people may choose to have their male children circumcised for health reasons and that is fine, but it is not required of Manichaeans for religious reasons. 48. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church teaches that Manichaeans must follow the Torah, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: The Torah of Moses is exclusive to the Children of Abraham, the Twelve Tribes of Israel. It is not binding or required of other people in other divinely instituted covenants. The Commandments that Manichaeans are expected to follow are the Ten Manichaean Commandments and to be obedient to the 3 Pillars of the Manichaean Faith. Outside of this no Manichaean is required to learn or follow any other religious instruction, this includes the Torah of Moses. 49. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church teaches that Allah is the same as Zurvan or Yahweh, let them repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: Manichaeans do not believe that the Arabian god that goes by the name “Allah” is the same God as Zurvan or Yahweh or LHA. We do wish to point out that, there is a distinct difference between the name “Allah” and the description of ‘Allah”. The latter is used by many believers simply to mean “The God” or the One God”. In this context, the word “Allah” is the same as Zurvan and Yahweh. But there is also a moon deity of the Arabian peninsula that some historically have called “Allah” and that is not the same as Zurvan. If the person means the One God outside of Creation that is fine. If they mean anything inside Creation, that is opposed to Manichaean beliefs. 50. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church teaches that Muhammad was a Divine Messenger of God, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: Manichaeans do not believe or teach that Muhammad was a prophet of God, or that Islam is a divinely revealed religion. In order for any religion to be divinely revealed, it must have a divine covenant through Mir Izgaddah (Lord Mithra, the Divinity of Covenants). Islam had no such covenant. From Manichaean beliefs, the being that Muhammad spoke to in the cave at Hira was not the Archangel Jibril (Gabriel) but a Jinn (a negative spirit). This does not mean that the higher ideals presented in Islam are not respectable, but that the foundation on which it was built was not decreed, sanctioned or instituted by God through the Living Spirit. 51. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church teaches that the existence and service of Mihr Yazd either negates the Oneness of God or that Mihr Yazd is an associate of God, and not a creation and servant of Zurvan, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean is allowed to believe or teach that the Living Spirit is an Associate of God. That the Living Spirit is Co-Equal to God. No Manichaean may deny that the Living Spirit is eternally the Son and Servant of Zurvan and not a Being of the same status as Zurvan who exists outside of time and is One. 52. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church teaches that merely believing in the existence of Isha spares a soul from hell and grants them entrance into heaven, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may believe that simply by believing in the Manifestation of Isha (Jesus) this automatically saves a soul from Judgment and sends them on the Ships of Light into Bahisht (the Kingdom of Light). As the Epistle of St. James stated: “Faith without works is dead”. i.e. you have to live a life that epitomizes your faith in the Light Message presented by Isha Atish, otherwise believing in Isha as God or some saving deity separate from the Light Message is pagan. 53. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church teaches that by the blood of Isha all souls are saved, let that one repent of be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean can believe the Christian doctrine of being saved by the blood of Christ on the cross. This is a pagan doctrine created by the gentile church. Jesus the Patbilis is the symbol of the One Soul crucified or suffering in the illusion of matter. Jesus the Luminous brings the Light Message throughout all of human history to waken souls and Jesus the Messiah of Judea went to the Cross to awaken the Hebrews to His identity as the Messiah they had been waiting for. In all of these instances, at no point does blood cover anyone or save anyone from anything. The death on the cross, for the Hebrews is a call to return to the covenant of Moses. Isha on the Cross is a reminder to Manichaeans of the One Soul suffering in the illusion of matter that we must be liberated from. There is no such thing as a “Done deal” in any of this. Each soul must awaken to the Call of the Mother of Life and respond, there are no exceptions. 54. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church teaches that covenants are exclusively limited to one culture or people or time, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean will believe or teach that covenants are exclusive to only one religion in the world. Judaism, for example, often refers to covenants in its writings. Christianity refers to the New Covenant. But Mithra is the divinity of Covenants and is not referred to in either modern Hebrew or Christian religious translations of their texts. The word Yoga, is a Vedic word that means to “Yoke oneself to God’. This also implies a covenant with God (This does not mean everyone practicing in yoga studios have a covenant with God, only that the original intention of the word was to signify a union or covenant with the God outside of Creation). No culture or race has a monopoly on God’s grace nor exclusive rights to covenants with God. 55. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church teaches that all souls must reincarnate in order to enter the Kingdom of Light, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean is permitted to believe or teach that reincarnation is the means by which every human soul spiritually progresses to merge with the Godhead, or to attain Nirvana. 56. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church teaches that the path of total harmlessness that all Manichaean seek to walk, prohibits self defense of the defense of the innocent and suffering, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean can assert that Ahimsa or Total Harmless requires Manichaeans from physically defending others from harm. 57. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church teaches that Manichaeans are required to be celibate, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may believe or teach that all Manichaean, Laity, clerics, monks and nuns must abstain from all sexual activity. 58. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church teaches that Manichaeans may only have sex in order to procreate, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: Linked to Anathema #57, not only are Manichaean permitted to have sexual relations, they are not expected to only have sex in order to procreate but are permitted to express their love for one another with sex being a means to convey this. 59. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church teaches that clerics, monks and nuns may not marry, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: Mir Fratama instructed the faithful on this matter: He asserted that a person who is married (male or female) may become a renunciate even while being married. He also said that once a person was a renunciate, if they choose to get married and have a family, they may do so. So there is no prohibition for a person who is married to become a Renunciate and there is no prohibition for a person who has been a renunciate in seeking to get married and have a family life. 60. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church teaches that clerics, monks and nuns, are only allowed to have sex in order to procreate, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: Similar to Anathema #58, clerics, monks and nuns are not restricted in sexual relations only for the purposes of procreation. 61. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church teaches that believers are required to be strict vegetarians in order to be Manichaeans, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean should believe or teach that Manichaeans are obligated to observe a vegetarian lifestyle. Laity may eat what they want. The consumption of meat should be as needed, and with that there should be no blood in the meat. A Compassionate and Plant Based diet is obviously encouraged for those who can do this, but there are no recriminations on anyone who cannot. 62. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church teaches that there are only two genders and that homosexuality is evil or against God, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may believe or teach that homosexuality or lesbianism are a sin. No Manichaean may deny the existence of the Third Gender. First Gender is Heterosexual Males; Second Gender is Heterosexual Females and Third Gender is Homosexual males and females. This is as it was in the very beginning of creation of human life on earth. 63. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church teaches that women are of a lower status than men and that they may not be Elect or Servants of the Faith, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may believe that there is preference for men over women in the Manichaean Church. All men and women may serve equally in all orders of the Faith. 64. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church teaches that abortion is not infanticide, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean will believe or teach that abortion is acceptable in the Faith in any circumstance other than if the mother’s life is at risk (and then the mother may decide if possible). Manichaeans believe abortion is infanticide. 65. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church teaches that all creation is God, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean believes in Monism (That God is all Creation and that we are all God), that is heretical. 66. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church places their ethnicity, nation, race or gender above others in the Manichaean Church, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean will give preferential treatment to any race, ethnicity, nation or gender over any other in the Religion of Light. We are all one spiritual family. To say one culture are race or gender is more family than another, is to refute the belief that all are spiritually equal. To say you believe in equality but then give preferential treatment to only one culture are heritage or ethnicity or gender is to reveals an immature soul. 67. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church denies the existence of evil, let them repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may believe or teach that Evil as a living and conscious entity, does not exist or have influence over life in physical Creation. No Manichaean may believe or teach that evil is simply that absence of Good. While matter is an illusion, the Entity that is responsible for the lowering of the Light, the devouring of Light and that works constantly to distract, deceive, enslave and destroy all souls is very real. 68. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church teaches that evil is merely the “absence of good”, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: See the explanation for Anathema #67. 69. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church teaches that Celestial Beings do not exist, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may believe or teach that there is no Living Spirit that contains all life; no Amesha Spentas; no Sons of Mihr Yazd; no Yazatas; no Archangels; no Angels; no Cherubim and no Tarendrans (beings that are part Yazata, part human). 70. If any Hearer in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church denies the Theology, Cosmology, Eschatology or Philosophy of the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church; if that one is of the Elect, let that one repent and sit as a Hearer for one year or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may reject or deny the Theology, Cosmology, Eschatology or Philosophy of the Manichaean Church. To accept some beliefs but then intersperse them from with ideas or beliefs culled from non authorized, non-Sanctified sources that speak on their own interpretations of Manichaeism or from others religions or philosophies in the world, is synchretism and heretical and disrespectful to the Divinely Restored Faith of Manichaeism. Notice that where the disciplinary ruling in regard to the Elect who do such a thing that they are not eligible to be in the presence of the Elect or minister to the Hearers for one year (sitting among the Hearers does not mean they are permitted to minister to the Hearers but they are only allowed to attend services along with laity during that time. They cannot function in any official status during that period of time. ) Where such conduct for a Hearer is unfortunate, for one of the Elect it is egregious. Elect are role models and guides to the Hearers, if they wander off the path, they endanger those who look to them and follow them. 71. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church rejects the counsel of Mir Fratama, the Patriarch, Apostles, Archbishops, Bishops, Servants of the Faith or Priests, believing that a spirit of egalitarianism exists in the Manichaean Faith, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: The true Manichaean faith is an apostolic faith. This means that God presents mankind with a covenant through a Divine Messenger, the Divine Messenger institutes a religious community with guidelines in order to live the Light Message and honor that covenant with God, that divinely sanctioned institution provides a hierarchy that are each answerable to the level above themselves, the topmost being answerable to the Third Messenger who is answerable to God alone. There is no room for egalitarianism, where every person believes they are their own authority and only picks and chooses whether they will obey the guidance given to them from the hierarchy of the Faith. Imagine a business where every level of employee ignored what the share holders, the CEO, the Managers, administrators, supervisors, and help desk and trainers of that company said. It would be fair to say that the individual in question wouldn’t be with the company for very long or would constantly be having to retrain and re certify just to work alongside the other employees of that company. The point being, a divinely sanctioned and instituted religious body has a form of government that is reflective of the Divine Will that created it. Being part of the program means that each person do their part to make that religious body healthy. Egalitarianism essentially, denies the existence of a divinely instituted government within that respective religious body. Revelation does not work with everybody offering “best guess” or their own interpretation. There is an objective revelation, an objective dispensation and an objective means by which to live that revelation in the world. Egalitarianism in this context, interprets of of this as subjective and by doing this makes the ego that person’s god instead of the One True God outside of Creation. 72. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church sexually abuses a child or a vulnerable adult, let that one be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may be guilty of sexual abuse of any kind and remain in the Manichaean Faith. This does not mean a person who, having done something of this nature in the past, was sentenced and punished by law, may not seek forgiveness from God and be allowed to enter the faith. (Such conduct would need to be presented to the elders of the faith and every step taken to ensure the individual was never in a place to endanger or instil uncertainty and fear in fellow Manichaeans). But this does not mean they could not be forgiven by God and be allowed to live the Manichaean way of life if they have paid for their crimes by law. No person who ever sexually abused someone would ever be placed in any position over others: as a cleric, religious teacher, abbot or abbess etc. A person who entered the faith who had such a record would live as a Hearer and would need to constantly monitor their behavior, avoiding any and all situations that would endanger or instil fear or uncertainty in the rest of the body of believers. If that meant the Manichaean were to live a life of solitude, so be it. If, however, a person, enters the faith and sexually abuses anyone, then they are excommunicated from the Church. Most terms of excommunication are related to how long a person holds wrong views, there are, however, some offenses that go beyond this. The harming of others is an egregious act and no Manichaean could ever do this and honestly call themselves a Manichaean. 73. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church purposely withholds information regarding the sin of sexual abuse committed by another member of the Church, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may withhold information about a person seeking entry or in the faith who is guilty of sexual abuse. This kind of act endangers the innocent and makes that person personally responsible for any potential threats in the faith from the person in question. A sexual predator may try to hide among the faithful but the person who helps to hide them is also a threat to the faithful. 74. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church disciplines a child to the point of causing injury, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may physically abuse a child, not only sexually but in the course of disciplining a child. There are other means by which a parent may discipline a child, physical abuse is not one of them. Also, forms of discipline that cause injury of other kinds: mental and emotional injury are highly discouraged. Discipline and Injury are not synonymous. One is correction, the other is cruelty. Manichaean parents or any Manichaean who oversees children, should know this. 75. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church denies the divine precept regarding the making of alms and tithes, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may reject the divinely instituted precept of alms-giving or the offering of tithes in the Manichaean Faith. In ancient writings, there are three physical acts called for the Hearer: Prayers, Fasting and Alms-giving Prayers means both prayer and worship; Fasting in this context not only means the physical act of fasting but renunciation of worldly things in the greater sense and Alms-giving, not only means the offering of funds, or food or clothing to the Elect, it also means offering service in the Faith: sharing the Faith with others, offering of one’s talents in service to the Manichean Faith, helping out in the congregation to make everything runs smoothly, offering your artistic talents, your musical talents, your writing talents, your ability for building or craftsmanship and so on. alms-giving, like prayer and fasting, are much broader than only giving funds, food or clothing to the Elect. (Though these are a traditional part of Manichaean life). The Manichean who has no funds, can offer whatever they can of their time, talents and energy to the faith. A person is not judged by God for what they did not have to give, they are only judged by what they had to give but chose not to offer up in service to God. 76. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church refuses to make alms and tithes, when it is in his means to abide by the divine precept, let that one repent or be excommunicated. Explanation: Please see commentary on Anathema #75. 77. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church purposely denies his responsibility to assist his fellow brothers and sisters in the Faith, including widows and orphans, by way of food, shelter or finances, when such assistance is clearly in his means, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may believe or teach that it is permissible to allow their Manichaean brothers and sisters to suffer hardship. They must be actively involved in the care of all Manichaeans. 78. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church, with ill intention or by mistake, mishandles a copy of the Manichaean Scriptures, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: The Manichaean Holy Book, the Kitab Pak will be released to all Manichaeans by this Winter approx. mid January 2013, and to the general public in mid-March 2013. At that time, the greatest care should be given to the treatment of the Manichaean Scriptures. (This does not mean every compilation of writings attributed to Manichaeans, but specifically the Kitab Pak, and until its release, copies of Duncan Greenlee’s “Gospel of the Prophet Mani”. Even after the release of the Kitab Pak, the Greenlee’s edition should still be treated with respect. The Kitab Pak is our Holy Book, it is our Vedas, our Tanakh, our Bible, our Qur’an, our Gita, our Guru Granth Sahib. It is God’s Word in our presence and must be treated with this understanding at all time. Any Manichaean who disrespects our Scriptures, disrespects Manichaeism. 79. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church purposely disrespects an image of any of the Messengers, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may show disrespect or mistreat any image of any of the Divine Manifestations of the Third Messenger: This includes images of Enoch, Zarathustra, Akhenaten, Mahavira, Shakyamuni, Isha (Christ), Mani, or Mir Fratama. 80. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church intentionally refuses to pray or to observe an obligatory fast or festival, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean should refuse to attend worship services, abandon daily and weekly prayers, or refuse to fast on proscribed parts of the week or year (like the 30 day preparation fast just prior to Naw Ruz), or refuse of observe Manichaean Holy Days and Festivals. 81. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church causes a division among the brethren, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may cause disunity, division in their congregations. Such persons are guilty of seeking to cause schism which is an offense to the Manichaean Faith. Those who seek to incite division and schism are in grave offense to the Religion of Light. 82. If any Hearer in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should promote or believe the teachings of Christianity as the doctrine of Manichaeism, let that one repent or be excommunicated; ; if that one is of the Elect, let that one repent and sit as a Hearer for six months or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: Manichaeism is not Christianity, if it were, the Christian Church would have not killed thousands and thousands of Manichaean men, women and children. Manichaeism has always been its own faith separate from Christianity. When individuals seek to insinuate that Manichaeism is a type of Christianity, they are very offensive to all Manichaeans. If a Manichaean believes they are the same they are guilty of false views and if they seek to teach that Manichaeism and Christianity are the same, they are guilty of apostasy. While Manichaeans today have no quarrel with Christianity, we are not Christianity. And any Manichaean believing or teaching doctrines that suppress Manichaean beliefs & support this false doctrine are an offense to all Manichaeans. They dishonor the memories of all the Manichaeans who died because of the Persecution of the Christian Church. To make it more clear: There are many religions in the world that have an active covenant with God, Manichaeism being one of them. Christianity, from the Manichaean view, does not have a covenant with God. The Brith Chadasha was offered to the Jewish followers of Isha in Judea, the Didache was offered to the gentiles but abandoned by the Gentile Church, because of this they have no active covenant with God. For Manichaeans to teach Christian concepts in a Manichean congregation or environment is to seek to promote the ideas of a faith with no covenant into a faith with a covenant. 83. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church believes any false doctrine as the doctrine of Manichaeism, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may believe or teach false doctrines as the Doctrine of the Holy and Ancient Manichean Church. All that is taught in the Manichaean Renaissance is Divinely Authorized and sanctified. To adopt non sanctioned doctrines and ideas and seek to present them in a Manichaean Manistan (House of Worship) or congregation is apostasy. 84. If any Hearer in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should promote or practice the worship of idols let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church; if that one is of the Elect, let that one repent and sit as a Hearer for one year or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: This is a transgression of the First Manichaean Commandment: “You shall worship the One God and not commit yourself to the worship of idols; not bowing down to physical objects or ideals in order to worship them.” To worship anything in Creation is to worship oneself since all Creation is One. Worship is only for God who is outside of Creation. 85. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church, should idolize an image of Isha Atish, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: For a Manichaean to worship an image, even of a Divine Messenger, they are falling into idolatry since the image of a Divine Messenger is part of the Creation. Isha is a manifestation of the Third Messenger on this world, not God. 86. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church should teach that Mary is the Theotokos or Mother of God, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: The doctrines about Mary are exclusive to Christianity and not Manichaeism. Manichaeans do not believe Mary is the “Theotokos’ which means “God Bearer”. This idea incorporates three Fundamental Falsehoods: 1. That Isha is God, 2. That Mary was the biological mother of Isha (He appeared in spirit and was not physically born into the flesh in Ancient Judea) and that Mary is the mother of the God outside of Creation. Manichaeans reject all these concepts. No Manichean can believe or teach such concepts without being guilty of apostasy. 87. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church places an object on the altar for the purpose of worshiping it, such as an idol, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church; if that one is of the Elect, let that one repent and sit as a Hearer for one year or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: Manichaeans reject all forms of Idolatry. To place an altar on the Bema (there are two Bemas: one is the altar, the other is the Mercy Seat). is to transgress the first Manichaean Commandment. 88. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church places an an idol on the altar for the purpose of deceiving others in worshiping it, let that one be excommunicated from the Church; if that one is of the Elect, let that one repent and sit as a Hearer for one year or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: Please see previous note. 89. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church places any unauthorized object on the altar, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: Please see previous note 90. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church purposely causes a brother or sister or child in the Faith to consume meat without that one’s knowledge, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: This Anathema does not mean to imply that Manichaeans may not eat meat. What is being expressed here is that any Manichaean that has committed themselves to eating a vegetarian diet should not be made to eat meat against their will (like if they were offered food with meat in it, thinking it was vegetarian, for example). This would be similar to someone feeding an orthodox Jew non-kosher food, feeding a devout Muslim with Haram food and so on. The point being, is if the person in question is observing a vegetarian diet, for another Manichaean to feed them meat knowing they were vegetarians, would be an offense. 91. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church presents a written text to another, claiming it is Manichaean Scripture or Teaching when it is not, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church; if that one is of the Elect, let that one repent and sit as a Hearer for six months or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: All Scriptures and teachings of the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church are authorized resources. For a Manichaean of the Faith to present non authorized scriptures or teachings as authorized scriptures or teachings is a great offense to the faith. 92. If any Hearer in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church appointed with the responsibility of teaching others refuses to perform his duties, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church; if that one is of the Elect, let that one repent and sit as a Hearer for thirty days or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: Religious Education for Manichaeans is not just a good idea or helpful, it is vital for the growth, development and defense of the Faith. If the faithful do not know what their own scriptures say or their own doctrines teach, then what faith are they living? Faith is more than a sign you put on your door or a hat you put on your head. Manichaeans should know what their beliefs are. For those charged with the responsibility of teaching Manichaeans their faith, to take it for granted, to willfully discard it or just not do it in a manner it deserves and the Manichaeans deserve to receive, this is offensive. 93. If any of the Elect in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church refuses his or her appointed duties, let that one repent and sit as a Hearer for thirty days or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: All Manichaeans are held to a high ideal. The greater the sacrifice the greater the reward, spiritually speaking. Hearers are called to be the of the highest caliber in society in virtue, honor, civility, compassion etc. If this is true for a Manichaean Hearer, even more is expected of the Manichaean Elect. For one of the Elect to be remiss in their responsibilities in the Faith, is offensive to the faithful. 94. If any Hearer in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church intentionally speaks a lie to anyone, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church; if that one is of the Elect, let that one repent and sit as a Hearer for six months or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: Manichaeans are called to be a truthful people. This does not mean people do not make mistakes about information from time to time. This does not mean if you make a mistake in stating something that you are culpable, it means if you know you are telling an untruth and tell it anyway, that is a problem. The necessity of being a truthful people is so important it is stated in two separate ways in the Manichaean Commandments “You shall not be dishonest in your ways.” and “You shall not deceive someone in order to mislead them.”. 95. If any Hearer in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church causes a brother, sister or child of the Faith to stumble due to his actions, speech or any other indiscretions against the Cross of Light or the Divine Precepts, let that one be excommunicated; if that one is of the Elect, let that one repent and sit as a Hearer for three months or be excommunicated from the Church; if the one who was stumbled (by one of the Elect) leaves the Holy Church, let the one claiming to be of the Elect be excommunicated from the Church until such a time when the one who was stumbled returns, afterwards the Elect shall repent or remain excommunicated. Explanation: For a Manichaean to act against the Crosses of Light (living beings) or to transgress the Divine Precepts of Manichaeism is not permissible for Manichaeans. For a Manichaean to incite other believers to do these things is unthinkable and is also a great offense. 96. If any Hearer in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church intentionally disrespects the Holy Name of God, let that one be excommunicated from the Church. If the action of the Hearer was by accident or due to lack of knowledge concerning his error, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church; if that one is of the Elect, let that one repent and sit as a Hearer for one year or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean should ever disrespect the Holy Name of God (Zurvan). For a Hearer to do this intentionally, there is not period for repentance, they are excommunicated. For a Hearer who does this accidentally or they were ignorant of their error, they are given the opportunity to correct themselves, and repent. If, however, the Hearer, having been educated as to their error, does not repent, believing that they did not nothing wrong, then they would be excommunicated. For an Elect to make such an error is horrific. The Elect would immediately lose any position as one of the Elect for a period of one year, meaning they could attend services and quietly live their lives but they could not take up any other duty for that year. If, after the period of one year, the Elect person in question, does not repent of their actions, they are then excommunicated. Taking God’s Holy Name in vain is a serious crime in the Manichaean Faith and it is not taken lightly. 97. If any Hearer in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church brings shame upon the Divine Messengers or the Church, in public or in private, let that one be excommunicated; if that one is of the Elect, let that one repent and sit as a Hearer for six months or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean who claims to honor and follow a Divine Messenger can act in ways that are the antithesis of what that Divine Messenger stands for and taught in the world. No Manichaean who claims to be devout can act in ways that are the antithesis of what the Manichaean Church stands for or teaches in the world. 98. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church speaks a lie to a brother or sister or a child of the Faith and causes the innocent one to share the lie as a truth to others, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church; if that one is of the Elect, let that one repent and sit as a Hearer for six months or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: See previous notes on Deception. 99. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church causes anyone to become intoxicated or drugged against his or her will, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may drug someone against their will or be responsible for someone getting drugged against their will. No Manichaean may pressure another person into taking intoxicants. 100. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church considers Augustine of Hippo as a saint, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may view Augustine of Hippo as a Saint, as a person of virtue or integrity or righteousness. The only view a Manichaean may honorably have of Augustine of Hippo is as “Augustine the Heretic” or “Augustine the Murderer” since its was his actions that led to the deaths of many thousands of Manichaean men, women and children. 101. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church disrespects a certain site proclaimed as sacred by Mir Fratama or by the General Council of Elders, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: If Mir Fratama of the Elders of the Faith proclaim a specific place to be a Sacred Site, then to all Manichaeans that location is now a Sacred Site. It is not the place of the Manichaean to second guess the Manichaean Messiah or the Elders of the Manichaean Church. 102. If any person of the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church steals from his or her fellow brother or sister or child of the Faith, let that one repent and make amends and reparations with the victim or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: Commandment #6 of the Manichaean Commandments is that the believer will not commit theft. There is no excuse for a Manichaean for a Manichaean to steal from anyone. For a Manichaean to steal from their own brothers and sisters shows little regard even for those who they claim to love and who are their spiritual family. 103. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church kills and animal and consumes it without draining its blood, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: When people today question whether it is authentic for Manichaeans to consume meat, I reply that the Third Messenger Himself calls for there not to be a prohibition against people of different dietary requirements in this age. As evidence of this, Mir Fratama, Himself, penned this Anathema. It is quite clear that Manichaeans are not forbidden from consuming meat. This Anathema asserts that a Manichaean is not at fault if they kill an animal for food, but that they must drain the blood from the meat before they consume it. In other teachings, the term “necessary” is used in relation to the consumption of meat. That there are circumstance and individuals that require certain nutrients or that their living environment does not produce diverse vegetation in order to thrive. In these circumstances, the consumption of meat is understandable. Necessity is a factor and how the meat is prepared (with or without the blood in the meat). This is a similar injunction given to the gentiles in the Letter of St. James, that they should not eat meat that had been strangled (i.e. with the blood still in the meat). No Manichaean should kill an animal for sport. 104. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church purposely causes serious injury to the earth, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: No Manichaean may desecrate the earth for any reason. The destruction of habitats, ecosystems causes suffering for many lifeforms. 105. If any person after becoming a member of the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church marries a man or woman who is not a Manichaean, let that one be excommunicated for six months. Explanation: This Anathema is not saying that any person who becomes a Manichaean who is already married is required to leave their spouse or to impress upon their spouse to enter the faith (every care should be given to respect the beliefs of the spouse). This Anathema relates to Manichaeans who are seeking to get married. That they marry within the faith. If a person was interested in marrying someone who was not a Manichaean, the only way this would be permissible in the faith would be if the prospective spouse, freely and of their own volition, were to convert to the Manichaean Faith. Outside of this, a Manichaean is prohibited from seeking to marry outside the faith. 106. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church marries a person who is under excommunication or marries a former member of the Church, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: Any Manichaean wishing to marry, who seeks out an excommunicated Manichaean or an Ex Member of the Faith. To seek to marry someone who is offensive to the Holy Manichaean Church or who has left the faith, is to be indifferent to the Manichaean Faith. For this reason, the person seeking this type of union would be excommunicated unless they repented. 107. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church divorces his or her spouse without just cause, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: Manichaeans live by what is right, not by the whims and caprices of modern society. The ease by which people discard marriage in this age is tragic and whole families are scarred because of it. We have generations of children who think the idea of a happy family life is the stuff of fantasy because they themselves have never had the opportunity to experience it. That being said, there are times when couples cannot continue on together without causing suffering to one another or to their families. In such cases, divorce is a sad necessity. But for a Manichaean to divorce their spouse without a clear and valid reason (Not because they were looking for greener pastures), is a serious offense. 108. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church bullies one who has been excommunicated or disciplined in some other manner, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: While the circumstances of a Manichaean undergoing excommunication or some other form of discipline are offensive to members of the Faith, they are not a reason to exacerbate the situation. If the Manichaean is being disciplined then that matter is between the individual Manichaean and the Church itself, not a reason for every Manichaean to harass or bully that individual. 109. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church makes fun of anyone (Manichaean or non-Manichean) because of their personal appearance, or due to a physical handicap, or because of their lack of clothing or funds, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church. Explanation: Mar Mani was adamant that no Manichaean should judge others by appearances. The idea of a Manichean making fun or mocking someone because of how they looked or due to a physical handicap would have been extremely offensive to the Holy Prophet and it is extremely offensive to the Holy Manichaean Church and completely unacceptable behavior. 110. If any person in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church brings an animal into a facility designated as a place of worship for Manichaeans, let that one repent or be excommunicated for seven days; if that one is of the Elect, let that one be excommunicated for fourteen days. Explanation: The compassion for living things notwithstanding, there are places where animals are permitted in a Manichaean Community and places where they are not. A Manichaean House of Worship is not a place for animals. 111. If any scribe in the Holy and Ancient Manichaean Church alters the words of a scroll or any holy text, let that one repent or be excommunicated from the Church; if the altered text reveals a false doctrine and has been distributed among the Faithful, let the scribe be excommunicated from the Church for one year; if the scribe is of the Elect, let him be excommunicated for three years. Explanation: There are two transgressions listed in this Anathema: A scribe who changes Holy Scripture, and the willful presentation of a completely false and fabricated doctrine due to the corruptions of the texts; Both are abominations in the Holy Manichaean Faith. VARIOUS POLICIES IN RELATION TO THE ANATHEMAS Unless otherwise stated, excommunication is not permanent. The Patriarchate or the Bishop, unless otherwise clearly stated within the official documents of the Manichaean Church, shall determine the period of time for excommunication. For an Elect, excommunication is defined as a ban against attending divine services and teaching and speaking at any Manichaean congregation and the Elect may not receive alms from the Hearers during his time of excommunication. If an Elect is ordered to sit as one of the Hearers, he may not receive alms from the Hearers. For the Hearer, excommunication is defined as a ban against making alms but he may attend services at his or her local Manichaean congregation, but he shall remain silent during his visit. Any excommunicated Hearer or Elect who has an altar in his home or private room, shall either disassemble the altar or at least completely cover it with black cloth during the entire time of his excommunication. Not complying with the policy to disassemble or cover the altar may result in an extended period of excommunication. We define “shunning” as the practice of not speaking to a person about unnecessary matters who has been excommunicated. Speaking to an excommunicated person on matters of emergency, family or legal issues is not prohibited; some members may wish to take an Elder along with them when such necessity arises to speak to a shunned family member that does not live within the home. Birthday parties or other celebratory events for an excommunicated adult should be avoided by non-family members who are Manichaeans. If at all possible, family members should also avoid such celebratory events in behalf of the excommunicated adult, or at least keep such events as minimal as possible. Brothers and sisters shall shun those who have been excommunicated from the Church, but not the point that it would cause detriment to the excommunicated one’s physical or mental health. A parent, grandparent or guardian who remains in good standing with the Church who has a child or grandchild that is under excommunication, may not shun that child, especially if the child is a minor or in the care of the parents or grandparents or other guardian. Parents may not deny their children from visiting with and speaking with another parent or grandparent that has been excommunicated. The parents shall see to it that the grandparent does not speak of doctrinal or ecclesiastical matters with the child. If the excommunication is a result of a sexual or violent crime, parents and guardians may withhold any visitation or speaking with the grandparent until the one who has erred is no longer under excommunication. Manichaeans who have parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, or biological brothers or sisters in nursing homes, or elderly care facilities or in a hospital, shall not neglect their duties toward such relatives, even if such ones are excommunicated. Manichaeans who have children in a hospital or in a special care facility, shall not neglect their duties toward their children, even if such ones are excommunicated. If one of the Elect has more than one family member who is under excommunication, he shall not receive alms from the Hearers until the excommunication has been lifted; if the Elect is a teacher or cleric his or her responsibilities shall be set aside until the excommunication has been lifted. Hearers and those from among the Elect may request a review of an excommunication case within 7 days of the date of excommunication for further investigation and appeal from the Patriarchate or its Patriarchal Representatives abroad. If anyone dies while they are under excommunication he shall be denied burial according to the Manichaean rite; if that one is of the Elect, his or her name shall be stricken from the Roll of the Names of the Brethren of Light. END