The practice of druidry has been recognised as an official religion in Britain for the first time following a successful legal bid by the chairman of the Druid Network. The Charity Commission has granted the Druid Network charitable status giving it valuable tax breaks and equal status to mainstream religions.
Mr. Phil Ryder, chairman of the Druid Network, praised the decision of the Commission:
“It took us more than four years, but we finally got the Charity Commission to accept that we exist to advance religion” he said.
In its assessment of the Druid Network’s application, the Charity Commission accepted that druids worship nature, in particular the sun and the earth. Druids also believe in the spirits of places such as mountains and rivers as well as “divine guides”.
Melanie Phillips of the Daily Mail wrote:
“Elevating them to the same status as Christianity is but the latest example of how the bedrock creed of this country is being undermined.”
“If the druids qualify as a religion, can other cults such as the Scientologists be far behind?
Can it be long, indeed, before the wise and learned theologians of the Charity Commission similarly grant charitable status to sorcery, witchcraft or even the Jedi.”
“The whole thing is beyond absurd. But it is also malevolent. For it is all of a piece with the agenda by the oh-so politically correct Charity Commission to promote the fanatical religious creed of the Left — the worship of equality,” she said.
In July 2009, pagan police officers who practise witchcraft were allowed by the Home Office to establish the Pagan Police Association and given the right to take eight days off work a year to celebrate their “religious holidays” including Halloween and the summer solstice.
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