Mediums protest at new EU directive (shouldn't they have seen it coming?)
Fri, 2008-04-18 05:22
#1
Mediums protest at new EU directive (shouldn't they have seen it coming?)
Fri, 2008-04-18 05:22
#2
quote:
By Jonathan Brown
Friday, 18 April 2008The existence of another world that lies beyond death has always exerted a powerful grip over the human imagination. For centuries, spiritualists have faced down the challenges of science and established religion.
Now they fear changes to the law could leave them open to civil action from sceptics. Today, representatives of British mediums will march up Downing Street to deliver a petition containing some 10,000 signatories demanding that the Government change its decision to repeal the 1951 Fraudulent Mediums Act in favour of a new EU directive.
While the move has prompted a flurry of "they should have seen it coming" gags from detrac-tors, spiritualists are anything but amused about the new laws.
"What we have here is a fundamental attack on our right to practise our religion. We want to stop the charlatans but the existing Act gives us reassurances which the Government seems unable to do under this new legislation. They tell us we will probably be all right but we fear this will end up with one of us in court in front of a judge," said David McEntee-Taylor, head of the Spiritual Workers Association (SWA), that organised the protest.
The SWA complains that the 1951 law, which replaced the 1735 Witchcraft Act, guarantees "genuine" mediums legal protection, penalising only those who seek to hoodwink the public.
However, by treating spiritualism as merely a consumer service, mediums believe they risk being sued if customers are dissatisfied with advice brought from the other side – advice they say they always point out should always be treated with care. The solution to the present impasse, according to lawyers advising the crystal-ball fraternity, is via the prosaic expedient of a pre-consultation disclaimer, describing any dialogue with the deceased in terms of either entertainment or scientific experiment. It does not sit comfortably with purist believers.
Read it [url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/mediums-protest-at-new-eu-...
Fri, 2008-04-18 05:59
#3
quote:
The SWA complains that the 1951 law, which replaced the 1735 Witchcraft Act, guarantees "genuine" mediums legal protection, penalising only those who seek to hoodwink the public.
The 1753 law sounds perfectly fine.
Any medium who can empirically demonstrate in a double-blind trial an ability to see the future should be safe from prosecution.
Fri, 2008-04-18 07:22
#4
I'd like the same double blind test for other religious fakers. Born again Christians who claim to be in a personal relationship with a dead prophet immediately jumps to my mind.
Fri, 2008-04-18 07:35
#5
If they're taking money for it, then yes.
It's odd how these people can get away with what they do. In most cases, if you market and sell a service that nobody can verify exists, you are liable for fraud. But if you attach a religious or superstitious element to it, you can take your victims/customers to the cleaners and the authorities won't say mum.
L Ron Hubbard figured that out when he switched dianetics from being a medical idea to a religious idea.