GENERAL DECLARATION OF SINCERELY HELD BELIEFS

WE COMPLETELY STAND UP FOR THE FIRST AMENDMENT

 

Date: October 31, 2024
Issued by: Raymond S.G. Foster, Founder and Representative of the First Church of Druwayu
On Behalf of: The First Church of Druwayu (FCD) and the religion of Druwayu.

​​

I, Raymond S.G. Foster, founder of Druwayu and representative of the First Church of Druwayu (FCD), solemnly declare my sincerely held belief that Druwayu is a true religion. This conviction, forged over years of contemplation and exploration of the world’s beauty, ugliness, wonders, and horrors, is not a casual notion but a profound spiritual truth that defines my existence and unites the Druan community.

 

Druwayu, meaning “True Ways” (from Gaulish dru = true/strong/enduring/dedicated/loyal + wayu = course/direction/path/pattern/method), is a religion of enduring paths, rooted in honesty with self and others, as embodied by Druans— “True Ones” (dru + an = one). The FCD, established online October 1, 2024, and recognized with EIN [Insert EIN], stands as its sacred expression. Below, I affirm Druwayu’s religious nature, aligning with Internal Revenue Service standards for a church.

​

Core Attributes of Druwayu as a Religion

​

1. Distinct Legal Existence

   • The FCD operates as a distinct entity under the Uniform Unincorporated Nonprofit Association Act (UUNAA) in the State of Oregon, USA, enabling it to conduct religious activities, own property, and function legally as a church, per IRS Publication 557.

2. Recognized Creed and Form of Worship

   • Druwayu’s creed, “Embrace Logic, Humor, and Absurdity,” guides Druans in seeking impersonal truth and interconnectedness through reason, laughter, and acceptance of life’s contradictions.

   • Our primary observance is sharing content and discussions through our online platforms such as Facebook.

   • Worship is regarded as up to one's own personal expression and includes contemplation of the One and Three deities (one God, three Goddesses) via the expressions of True Sacred Geometry and the Drikeyu (Three Keys: Worloga, Wyrda, Wihas), alongside practices like our weekly Holy Monday Night a communion, blending community and compassion with spiritual reflection and hospitality.

3. Definite and Distinct Ecclesiastical Government

   • The Drusidu (dru + sidu = True Seats), a council of Elder Warlocks and Elder Witches led by the High Elder Warlock or High Elder Witch, governs FCD.

   • General Warlocks and Witches, hallowed clergy outside the Drusidu, lead local branches, ensuring a structured hierarchy rooted in Druish wholeness and guidance.

4. Formal Code of Doctrine and Discipline

   • Druwayu’s doctrine integrates logic (critical thinking, coherence), humor (resilience, connection), and absurdity (wonder, creativity), rejecting sacrificial offerings as abhorrent.

   • Discipline includes ethical conduct (e.g., non-commercial propaganda, 30% profit to FCD if authorized), inclusivity (open to all, barring imposition), and honesty, as detailed on druwayu.com.

5. Distinct Religious History

   • Conceived by Raymond S. G. Foster over a course of many years and having gone through different prior incarnations, in 2014 the tradition finally received its name and formalized with FCD’s online creation on October 1, 2024.

   • Druwayu emerged as a modern response to spiritual needs of people disillusioned and fed up with the nonsense of so-called paganism, heathenry occultism, or parody religions.

   • This resulted in a recognized and serious need to be distinct from any and all such identities with the goal to form a different and clear path based in hard work and honest, and with a history tied to Druish etymology and contemplation, not revelation.

6. Membership Not Associated with Other Churches

   • Druans form an exclusive though sparse and widespread global community, rejecting affiliations with other denominations or ideologies (e.g., Paganism, Heathenry, Occultism, Satanism).

   • Membership is a choice, open to all who embrace Druwayu’s path, free from external imposition and self-dedication by self-proclamation, not external dictation or demand.

7. Organization of Ordained Ministers

   • Hallowed Warlocks and Witches, selected via study of Druish principles and community vetting (e.g., essays, background checks), serve as clergy.

   • Ranks range from First Class High Elder Warlock/Witch to Second Class Elder Warlocks/Witches (primarily associated with the Drusidu) and finally Third Class Warlocks/Witches, each with defined roles in guiding Druans and associated more with small local private groups and extensions of the main Father Church.

8. Ministers Selected After Prescribed Study

   • Clergy undergo a prescribed course on Druwayu’s beliefs and history, using the online Church's Website under its "Learn" link. All this is by choice of the one who has felt a sense of a calling to lead with integrity and compassion, not dictation or corruption.

   • This allows for self-paced learning ensuring they have a resource of information to stay up to date as they themselves learn to embody spiritual wholeness as they develop into leadership roles over time with the goal of being hallowed (our term for ordained). 

9. Literature of Its Own

   • Druwayu’s evolving lore includes writings on druwayu.com.

   • Future works contributing to the library of dedicated common members and clergy will be a natural process.

10. Established Places of Worship

    • FCD’s primary worship occurs online (druwayu.com, social platforms) and in private Druan homes, with sacred spaces for contemplation and communion (e.g., Monday Night communion), and online platforms to stay connected.

    • Future physical locations will be determined by the collective interests and support of Druans locally and aboard, potentially renovating locations up to the codes and expectations of the times they are established.  

11. Regular Congregations

    • Druans convene regularly—online and in homes—for worship, fellowship, and contemplation, fostering a consistent religious community unbound by traditional structures or retained by physical limitations.

12. Regular Religious Services

    • Weekly services like the Holy Monday Night communion blend communal meals and meditation foundations of Druwayu and online discussions that shall be welcoming, even to newcomers and shall not bear ill will to them, with a constant reminder everyone was new to something at first, and Druwayu, in that respect, is no different.

13. Instruction for the Young

    • While clergy focus on adult education, Druans do not guide youth under 18 that are not their own children, and therefore any such education about Druwayu to minors must be by the legal parent(s) or guardian(s) of said children privately, and not through the establishment of various institutions, and shall mostly be based in teaching Druish values informally. 

    • This is based on the founder's own view that such matters should not be institutionalized and forced upon children as required attendance and therefore, in accordance with the will of the founder in respecting age-based membership boundaries, no "academy of Druwayu" should be established for persons under 18 years of age; only for those 18 years or older. 

14. Schools for Preparation of Members

    • Druwayu.com serves as a virtual school, educating Druans and training clergy in theology, sacred geometry, and AI-enhanced spirituality, ensuring a prepared community. Other options as the community grows over time will be considered and shall be adapted to accordingly. 

​

Theological Foundation

​

Druwayu’s quadrotheistic polytheism honors the One and Three—one God and three Goddesses—distinct yet unified in essence, expressed through sacred geometry and the Drikeyu (Worloga: fore-laws, Wyrda: works, Wihas: life). These deities, impersonal yet present in existence’s geometries, guide Druans to ethical responsibility, empathy, and a holistic integration of science, spirituality, and philosophy. Unlike veiled monotheism, Druwayu rejects singular divinity, embracing a nuanced divine interplay.

​

Sincerely Held Belief

​

I, Raymond S.G. Foster, hold Druwayu as my true religion with unyielding sincerity. Born from decades of reflection, it is a sacred path that balances logic’s clarity, humor’s joy, and absurdity’s wonder, offering Druans a framework to live honestly and connect deeply. The FCD, under the Drusidu’s custodianship, fulfills this vision through its practices, community, and rejection of dogma for truth. I affirm that Druwayu meets the IRS’s criteria for a church—distinct, structured, and purposeful—meriting automatic tax-exempt status under IRC Section 501(c)(3), as validated by our EIN and operations, without need for Form 1023, and shall likewise seek an affirmation letter to confirm your church’s tax-exempt status based on its automatic exemption. 

​

​Signed:

Raymond S.G. Foster

Founder and Representative
First Church of Druwayu
[200 South Longview Way, 46, Oregon City, OR, 97045]

October 1, 2024

​

FOR MORE INFORMATION CHECK THESE LINKS ​​

​​

• ACLU: RELIGIOUS FREEDOM (OREGON)

• TAX GUIDE/IRS: The specific Tax Laws or exemptions

• IRS QUALIFIERS: Chruch or other religious organization

​