Spiritualists predict trouble as UK government targets their religion
Yet more government interference is on the way. The latest move to clamp down on personal choice and freedom aims to discriminate against followers of the second-most ridiculed religion after Scientology. Spiritualism began and peaked in popularity in the 19th Century, but many thousands of British citizens still regularly take part in its services and call themselves Spiritualists—and now mediums, psychics and healers face prosecution under a new law if they cannot justify their claims.
Spiritualists are delivering a mass petition to Downing Street and complaining that a genuine religion is being discriminated against, according to a BBC report. But what is genuine or false? Who decides? If—and only if—they’re arguing on the basis of being genuine, they’re mistaken. It’s entirely sufficient and appropriate to fight on the grounds that their religion is being discriminated against. Nobody has the right to judge them or their beliefs in such a way as to force them to desist. Personal opinions are what they are, but controlling and punitive legislation?
tags: Big Brother, Buddhism, charlatans, Christianity, civil liberties, convention, discrimination, healers, Islam, Jesus Christ, legislation, mediums, New Age, orthodoxy, Paganism, psychics, religion, saints, sinners, Spiritualism, spirituality, unconventional, unorthodox, Witchcraft
