Dutch smokers form holy alliance

A zealous religious movement is sweeping the Netherlands, under the banner of The One and Universal Church of the Smokers of God. Just over two weeks after a smoking ban came into force in the country, one publican-turned-preacher has transformed his café into a place of worship.

Cor Busch, owner of the Lime Tree café, said that the Holy Trinity of the new faith will be “Smoke, Fire and Ash.”

He hopes that the ‘faithful’ will be able to smoke indoors again, after the government outlawed smoking in bars and restaurants, as well as in the country’s infamous coffee shops, from July 1.

The Dutch constitution guarantees the right to religious freedom, which smokers are hoping will allow them to circumvent Holland’s new anti-smoking legislation.

Members of the church will receive membership cards upon joining. Church founder Michiel Eijsbouts told the Telegraaf newspaper, “It has ritual aspects, it is something you experience and we follow our faith very strictly.”

Possibly sacreligious... but effective.

What about their 'holy' shooting galleries?

I like it when political correctness makes politicians have to behave like snakes swallowing their own tails.

Ya gotta hand to those Dutch - they're really masters at that sort of thing...

Smoking has been banned in Dutch bars since July 1.

History repeasts itself. This time they surrendered to the smoking nazis.

Booting up heroin is just good, clean fun.

But smoking is BAD for you. haven’t you heard?

One and Universal Smokers Church of God

a.k.a. The Rastafarians, mon!

Best cigar store in Amsterdam. They're also very good with oddball email and telephone orders. Click image to see the very nice store. Tiffany for cigars, and I was amazed at the number of babettes who came in to grab a package of Sumatras.

P.G.C. Hajenius
Rokin 92-96
020/623-7494
www.hajenius.com

Frommer's Review
This store has been Amsterdam's leading purveyor of cigars and smoking articles since 1826, first with a store on the Dam and then (since 1915) in its present elegant Art Deco headquarters. Cigars are the house specialty; there's a room full of Havanas, and Hajenius also sells cigars from Sumatra, Brazil, and more.

Smoking has been banned in Dutch bars since July 1.

History repeats itself. This time they surrendered to the smoking nazis.

"So you think that you can enjoy yourself, eh? Throw ziss man in ze cooler!"

"Nazi Germany initiated a strong anti-tobacco movement and led the first public anti-smoking campaign in modern history. Anti-tobacco movements grew in many nations from the beginning of the 20th century, but these had little success, with the only exception being Germany, where the anti-tobacco campaign was supported by the government after the Nazis came to power."

“History repeasts itself. This time they surrendered to the smoking nazis.”

cheap shot, what exactly did you expect NL (or denmark, for that matter, or even belgium though there were more complex issues there) to do in the second world war?

If anything they managed to avoid this longer than MANY other places, including many states of the US. You might as well say history reverses itself, and x states in the US surrendered before the Netherlands.

I thought they were talking about smoking spliff in the coffee shops...

I love the Dutch!

I even like the fact that the Dutch Restaurant Association is challenging the ban (fat chance, I know, but at least they are, unlike the craven, spineless Ass of the USA) based on violation of social moraes and cultural behavior.

BRAVO!

Funny, isn’t it, our Hitlerian society where ole Adolf would feel more comfortable than Churchill or FDR.

Thank you very much for pinging your list :-)

NANNY State Ping...........

It’s definitely creative :)

LOL...the smoking Nazis lose again. What a creative way to get around non-smoking idiocy.

No, I don’t smoke.

I even like the fact that the Dutch Restaurant Association is challenging the ban (fat chance, I know, but at least they are, unlike the craven, spineless Ass of the USA) based on violation of social moraes and cultural behavior.

Excellent point. Not all, but the VAAST majority of restaurant associations in the states go along with the bans, as long as they are all inclusive, for one reason and one reason only --- they are controlled by the big chains (Applebee's Olive Garden, Lonstar, TGIF, etc) which can weather the initial downturn in business, unlike the corner diner or tavern, thus eliminating the competition with government guns.

Smoking ban leads to new religion

Dutch smokers form holy alliance