Scientology officially recognized as a religion in U.K.-judges rule god not essential to worship

National Post ^ | December 12, 2013 | John Bingham, The Telegraph

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Scientology has been recognized officially as a “religion” in Britain after the country’s highest court swept aside 158 years of law to rule that worshipping a god is not essential to religion.

Five Supreme Court justices redefined religion in law in order to enable scientologists to conduct weddings.

The judgment followed a five-year legal battle by Louisa Hodkin, a 25-year-old scientologist seeking the right to get married at the Church of Scientology chapel in central London, which she attends.

Miss Hodkin and Alessandro Calcioli, her fiance, who were at court to hear the decision, hailed it as a victory for freedom of worship.

Miss Hodkin began a legal challenge after the Registrar General of births, deaths and marriages refused to register the chapel to conduct marriages because it was not recognized as a place of “religious worship”. That decision stemmed from a 1970 court case which excluded scientology because it did not fit within the terms of the 1855 Places of Worship Registration Act, which counts only groups which revere a “deity” as true religions. But even in the 1970 case Lord Denning observed that Buddhist temples were already treated as an “exception”.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

We're going to change the world - Obama's going to lead us

[2ndDivisionVet]

Begun as a scam from a science fiction writer’s bet and now becoming a major factor. People are strange.

[donmeaker]

Buddhists have had a functioning religion for several years without needing reference to a putative G-d.

[donmeaker]

Lots of religions began as a scam. Mormonism by the Fraud Joseph Smith; Islam by the bandit Mohammed;

[knarf]

They sure are.

Just the other day I had an occasion to visit the temple of another religion, having been invited by a friend.

I found the atmosphere strangely silent, but pleasant and the worshipers were seemingly serious in showing their obeisance to their god.

I couldn't help but notice there seemed to be no "dress code" and all the people maintained a dignified silence , probably because their god was in the tabernacle and everyone had an opportunity to handle the host.

It was a pleasant experience, and actually gratifying, especially when it was my turn to hand one of the priests (they had women priests!) my check to open an account so my friend could get $100 for introducing a new depositor

I'll probably go back for another service ... every Friday or so.

[Vanders9]

Very good point. Everyone worships something.

[lavaroise]

If you look at Nazi superior race and progressist imagery of superior advanced races in 2001 Odyssey, you understand that Lenin was a ueber Hitler who had not come out the closet with his fantasies of being some kind of advanced UFO being.

Just the way Alynsky expects others to treat him as some kind of god, if not that is racist, tells you how deep down these types of cults aim to select their pimps and how they are to behave.

There is a point when progressists like this judge realize they are not the ueber race and get the ax. The rise of Islam and barbarians is a sign. There is no affirmative action of preference in a serious crime gang. Ultimately politics give way to reality.

[knarf]

Many, many years ago, while stamding in line inside one of those older, lots of brass banks, it occured to me that no one was talking to each other except those tramsacting some kind of business at a desk and I could barely hear any noise or voices, yet .. people were going in and out of a huge metal door and secreteries were delivering papers or whatever and I thought ..

This is a church!

and god was in the tabernacle (vault)

And I had renaisance moment, so to speak

Later on in life and my educational odyssey, I was made aware of FRN's and Bilderburgers and ... welllll ... life has been a journey ... eh ?

[StormEye]

"Scientology has been recognized officially as a “religion” in Britain after the country’s highest court swept aside 158 years of law to rule that worshipping a god is not essential to religion."

Now they all worship themselves. They've all become little gods. Oh, and if they get bored of that Obama is offering himself as a god. (He's the latest rage among religious Democrats in the USA.)

[jdege]

So, is it time to seek official recognition for the Church of John Moses Browning?

The UK has recognized the Sikh’s religious obligation to always carry a knife, as a symbol of their willingness to fight injustice. Should we seek to have them recognize our religious obligation to always carry an M1911, for the same reason?