Declaration of Purpose
I. The practice, promotion, development, and dissemination of the religion of Asatru
Asatru is an ancestral religion, one passed down to us from our forebears and thus tailored to our unique makeup. Our gods and our religion have shaped our spirit, individually and as a whole. By our WILL, we not only survive, but thrive, and continue our upward evolution in the direction of the Infinite. Modern Asatru is a reconstructed version of our ancestral practice, adapted to the context of our lives today, but our practice is filled with the spirit of our gods and our ancestors. Today’s challenges differ from those that confronted our ancestors but still require the same code of honor and nobility that molded our forebears’ souls. The Asatru Folk Assembly practices Asatru in the here-and-now, that our People may realize their unique spiritual and cultural legacy.
II. The preservation of the Ethnic European Folk and their continued evolution
If the Ethnic European Folk cease to exist Asatru would likewise no longer exist. Let us be clear: by Ethnic European Folk, we mean white people. It is our collective will that we not only survive, but thrive, and continue our evolution in the direction of the Infinite. All native religions spring from the unique collective soul of a particular race. Religions are not arbitrary or accidental; body, mind, and spirit are all shaped by the evolutionary history of the group and are thus interrelated. Asatru is not just what we believe, it is what we are. Therefore, the survival and welfare of the Ethnic European Folk as a cultural and biological group is a religious imperative for the AFA.
III. Issuing a call to all our brothers and sisters of the Ethnic European Folk to return to this, their native religion and way of life
We call our kin to rejoin the great family of men and women who honor the sacred ways of our holy Gods and Ancestors. Asafolk are not always eager to proselytize; however, we know that our brothers and sisters will all be healthier and happier once they have returned to the religion that expresses their unique cultural and genetic heritage, a heritage that is a part of them as surely as blood and bone. The restoration of our ancient ways, and the building of a secure future for our religion and our people, is our call and our destiny. Let us have an “Ingathering of the Folk!”
IV. The restoration of community, the banishment of alienation, and the establishment of natural and just relations among our Folk
Our ancestors had religious and social folkways that gave them a feeling of continuity and community while jealously preserving individual rights; we can and will reestablish this natural order among our Folk. Asatru encourages sound, traditional families while providing an extended family or tribe to support the basic family unit. We help each other materially, socially, and religiously while respecting the privacy of individuals and families. Society would work better if families and communities cared for each other, rather than relying on coercive, intrusive “help” from outside sources such as the government.
V. The promotion of true diversity among the peoples and cultures of the Earth
The world is not one uniform, unvarying mass. All peoples are, and by right ought to be, distinct and unique. Each and every culture should relish those differences and be free to work out their own destinies. Only in our uniqueness can our respective Gods fully manifest. The AFA supports the efforts of all cultural and biological groups to maintain their identity and opposes the cultural Marxists who would reduce all of humanity to an indistinguishable gray mass.
VI. The fostering in our people of a deep sense of responsibility and self-reliance
Asatru promotes strong, vigorous, people who are the masters of their own destiny. Though many may stand against us, we are no one’s victim. Our Gods would see us victorious, they would have us follow their example and grow in power, awareness, and responsibility, exercised in wisdom.
VII. 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
Technology and science are part of our intellectual inheritance, and we can use them to make life better for ourselves and our children. We must use our abilities wisely, however, maintaining the balance of the natural world from which we sprang. We modern Asatruar do not repudiate the scientific and technological progress of our Folk for the last thousand years. Even the Vikings themselves were technologically adept for their time. We do acknowledge man’s ability today to change the world around us – for better or worse. Our knowledge must be applied in a way that is not harmful to the environment in which we live, for the Earth is our mother, and – while we retain free will and individuality – we are a part of the web of life.
VIII. The exploration of the universe, in keeping with the Faustian instinct of our kind
We are a wide-faring Folk. Odin is a wanderer, and those who follow our Gods have typically been horizon-seekers. The longship has been replaced by the spaceship and the electron microscope, but the spirit of exploration remains the same. Our love of freedom and our craving for frontiers are undoubtedly connected. Stagnation brings on complacency, and complacency is death.
IX. The affirmation of the struggle of life, welcoming the challenge of that struggle and living life wholly and with joy, and facing eternity with courage
Life’s struggle is the whetstone that sharpens the sword of spirit. We should not regret the obstacles that confront us but use them to grow ever stronger and wiser. Nor should we let them drain away our enjoyment of life. Let us live our lives with vigor – and when it is time to die, let us do that with dignity, honor, and grace.