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The 'Ásatrú Folk Assembly' or 'AFA' is a US-based Ásatrú organization founded by Stephen McNallen in 1994. It is the successor organization to a group called the 'Asatru Free Assembly' founded by McNallen in 1974 and disbanded in 1986, itself an outgrowth of a group called the 'Viking Brotherhood' founded by McNallen in 1971. The defunct Asatru Free Assembly is sometimes distinguished from the modern Asatru Folk Assembly by the usage of "old AFA" and "new AFA", respectively.
Gardell (2003) classifies the AFA as folkish. The organization denounces racism.^[1]
The AFA has been recognized as a 501(c)(3) non-profit religious organization, or church. It is based in Nevada City, CA.
From 1997-2002, the AFA was a member organization of the International Asatru-Odinic Alliance.

Contents

Goals

Kennewick Man

"Metagenetics"

See also

Footnotes

References

External links

Goals

The AFA's Declaration of Purpose is:
# The practice, promotion, development, and dissemination of the religion of Ásatrú.
# The preservation of the Peoples of the North (typified by the Scandinavian/Germanic and Celtic peoples), and the furtherance of their continued evolution.
# The issuance of a call to all our brothers and sisters of the People of the North to return to this, their native religion and way of life.
# The restoration of community, the banishment of alienation, and the establishment of natural and just relations among our people.
# The promotion of diversity among the peoples and cultures of the Earth, in opposition to global monoculture.
# The fostering in our people of a deep love of freedom and a hatred of all forms of tyranny.
# The use of science and technology for the well-being of our people, while protecting and working in harmony with the natural environment in which we live.
# The exploration of the universe, in keeping with the adventurous imperatives of our kind.
# The affirmation of the eternal struggle and strife of life, the welcoming of that strife as a challenge, the living of life wholly and with joy, and the facing of eternity with courage.

Kennewick Man

On October 24, 1996, McNallen and the AFA filed suit in U.S. District Court in Portland ''(Asatru Folk Assembly v. United States)'' to attempt to stop the US Army Corps of Engineers from turning over the prehistoric remains of the Kennewick man to local Native Americans. Several prominent scientists and archaeologists also filed suit, to block the reinterment of the remains. Kennewick Man was the oldest intact human fossil ever found in the Pacific Northwest. Genetic tests to identify ties to modern people or tribes were inconclusive due to the deteriorated condition of the remains. McNallen became embroiled in the Kennewick Man issue and appeared in ''Time Magazine'', ''The Washington Post'' and on television, arguing that modern adherents of Ásatrú have more in common with the prehistoric Kennewick Man than modern Native Americans. This claim, as yet, cannot be established without DNA tests on the remains.
After a protracted legal battle, the court ruled that the human remains were not "Native American" within the meaning of NAGPRA (Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act). The remains currently are curated at the Burke Museum in Seattle. As a direct result of his portrayal by the media, McNallen later stated that he no longer advocates public Ásatrú rituals or media presence at Ásatrú ceremonies.^[2]

"Metagenetics"

McNallen has coined the term "Metagenetics" in a 1985 essay outlining the philosphical principles of AFA. The term has caused controversy as it was understood as implying a genetic basis for religious beliefs. In a 1999 article[2], McNallen restated his position, invoking Rupert Sheldrake and Carl Jung. Critics brand the concept as racist pseudoscience.

See also

★ Germanic neopaganism

Footnotes

1. 'From the ''Ásatrú Folk Assembly's'' Bylaws:' "The belief that spirituality and ancestral heritage are related has nothing to do with notions of superiority. Asatru is not an excuse to look down on, much less to hate, members of any other race. On the contrary, we recognize the uniqueness and the value of all the different pieces that make up the human mosaic." [1]
2. McNallen (2004) p.217

References

★ Gods of the Blood: The Pagan Revival and White Separatism, , Matthias, Gardell, Duke University Press, 2003, ISBN 0-8223-3071-7

★ Volume II, , Stephen A., McNallen, Ultra Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-9720292-1-4

External links

★ AFA

★ AFA Declaration of Purpose