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Britain Recognizes Druidry as a Religion

It's gaining converts because of an emphasis on nature

By tricksy_rabbit,  Newser User

Posted Oct 2, 2010 12:00 PM CDT | Promoted on Newser Oct 2, 2010 12:36 PM CDT

(User Submitted) – Druidry has been officially recognized as a religion in Britain, complete with charitable status and tax breaks. The UK government acknowledged that the Celtic pagan faith, which originated in Ireland and Britain thousands of years ago, is a religion in its own right and deserves the same benefits as the more mainstream religions, reports AFP.

"The board members concluded that the Druid Network is established for exclusively charitable purposes for the advancement of religion for the public benefit," the Charity Commission said. Druids have been struggling to achieve the status of an officially recognized religion since submitting their application more than five years ago. The faith has attracted new followers recently because of its concern for ecology, stemming from the worship of nature.

  (AP)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 35 comments
MartiusTiro
Oct 5, 2010 3:42 AM CDT
This story is being reported wrongly. Druidry has not been 'recognised as a religion' in Britain, because it already was a religion. What's happened is that a *single Druid organisation*, the 'Druid Network', has been granted charitable status based on the Charity Commission's decision that, *under charity law*, Druidry qualifies as a religion. This is not a sudden recognition of Druidry as an 'official religion' because other than its historical state religion the UK doesn't *have* 'official religions'. Under the Equality Act 2010, *any* religious belief - including the Jedi faith, or Pastafarianism - is a 'protected characteristic' (a characteristic on which it's prohibited to discriminate) if it's cohesive and held with a degree of seriousness.
Headblade
Oct 3, 2010 9:00 AM CDT
When do the Jedi get recognised?!?!? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jedi_census_phenomenon#England_and_Wales
MaryAnnThompsonFrenk
Oct 2, 2010 5:20 PM CDT
Druidism has also long been recognized by the USA Armed Forces and two years ago they finally won the right to have their symbol on the gravestones of fallen soldiers who listed it as their religion in Arlington Cemetery. Before that, they had been forced to have either a cross or a Jewish star on their gravestone. Phyllis Curott was one of the main lawyers who fought for the rights of our soldiers to have the symbol of their religion on their gravestone. Now, as a result Native American, Druidic, Wiccan and Muslim soldiers can also have their symbol put on their grave in Arlington Cemetery. It’s just ridiculous that it took so long for us to recognize our fallen soldiers' freedom of religion!

 
religion • druid • Britain • Druidry

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