Idaho vs the Ethereal Enigmatic Euphoric Movement Toward Civilized Hedonism

Philip H. Mockli is fed up with republican conservatives in Franklin County, Idaho. Current statutes forbid the sale of hard alcohol in Preston, Idaho bars. Mockli claims these laws are religiously based, and therefore a violation of his First Amendment rights. In his formal complaint submitted to the U.S. District Court in Pocatello, Mockli claims “by use of the Idaho statues, [state Republicans] are allowed to force their morality on those of us who don’t believe in their religion”.

To press his point Mockli formed his own religion, the Ethereal Enigmatic Euphoric Movement Toward Civilized Hedonism which advocates a sacred right for it’s members to consume hard alcohol. Finally a religion I can believe in! The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster may lose a convert. Mockli filed the lawsuit with his church listed as the plaintiff.

This is a strategy that has worked for many religions. For example peyote is a banned substance, but its use is allowed in Native American ceremonies under the First Amendment. This approach is used often to defend behaviors which are otherwise illegal, so I don’t see why it would not work for him. The First Amendment says nothing about how long the religion must be practiced, or by how many. Of course I’m not a lawyer, so their might be some catch.

Mockli’s goal is to make the liquor laws consistent across the state of Idaho. “I want the liquor laws to change,” he said. “I want them to apply universally.” Amen brother!