We have now written our constitution and it is ready for approval. We will be putting up details of the Committee on the website shortly.

We can offer a very competitive rate of insurance in our block scheme. To offer this we need at least 20 members requiring insurance. As an incentive we are offering the first years membership to the group for only £5.50 single and £10.00 joint. This only applies to people requiring insurance, other members still pay normal rates.Come on you guys, this is too good to miss.

RACIAL AND RELIGIOUS HATRED ACT 2006

Schedule: Hatred against persons on religious grounds

11. The Schedule inserts a new Part 3A into the 1986 Act which deals with offences involving stirring up hatred against people on religious grounds. New section 29A defines "religious hatred". The definition is designed to cover hatred against a group of persons defined by their religious belief or lack of religious belief but does not seek to define what amounts to a religion or a religious belief. It will be for the courts to determine whether any particular belief is a religious belief for these purposes.

The Human Rights Act 1998 incorporates the Council of Europe’s Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) into UK law, including its guarantee of freedom of religion or belief:

Article 9: Freedom of Thought, Conscience and Religion.

1. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief, in worship, teaching, practice and observance.The phrase ‘religion or belief’ is also used in Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights:

This was glossed by the UN Human Rights Committee in General comment 22 (30/07/93):

Article 18 protects theistic, non-theistic and atheistic beliefs, as well as the right not to profess any religion or belief. The terms belief and religion are to be broadly construed. Article 18 is not limited in its application to traditional religions or to religions and beliefs with institutional characteristics or practices analogous to those of traditional religions.

The phrase has also been adopted in the European Union directive on religious and other discrimination in employment, for example in the Council directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000:

The purpose of this Directive is to lay down a general framework for combating discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation as regards employment and occupation, with a view to putting into effect in the Member States the principle of equal treatment.

This directive was given effect in the UK through the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003.

2. Freedom to manifest one’s religion or beliefs shall be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of public safety, for the protection of public order, health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.

It is time for all Mediums around the UK to unite

A petition has been launched with Parliament demanding that Mediums be tested to see if their abilities are real.

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/PsychicTesting/

Although I do agree that tighter control should be exercised in some areas of psychic reading (telephone reading companies, for instance), I also believe that there should be freedom of choice.

I have to ask, although not a Spiritualist myself, is this targeting of Mediums not contravening Article 9 Freedom of Thought, Conscience and Religion) of the Human Rights Act 1998? The Government and certain other people, for their own jaded reasons, seem to be emcompassing psychic readers under the same heading as Mediums. Mediums and Psychics are not the same, they both work in different ways. I am both, so I should know.There are some charlatons out there who think reading for someone is an easy way to make a fast buck and who pray on vulnerable people, but please do not tar us all with the same brush. Most Mediums and Psychics go through many years of training and/or learning to achieve a higher level of conciousness, and they never stop learning.

Spiritualism is a legally recognised religion - by Act of Parliament in the UK.

As Spiritualism is a religion why are Spiritualists being asked to prove their beliefs and existence of Spirit? Would you ask any other religion to prove that their God exists? Or that they talk to their God? Would you ask any other religion to say that what they do in their church is for 'entertainment purposes only'? I think not. So now when a priest takes confession does he have to to say 'You are absolved from your sins, but it is for entertainment purposes only'? (Apologies to all Catholics, no offense intended). For time eternal members of certain religious groups have been persecuted because others do not share their beliefs. It is time we moved beyond this train of thought.

Mediums and Psychics (paid or unpaid) provide a service which in no way affects your own free will. You choose the supplier of this service the same as you would any other service, if you are not satisfied you complain or refuse to pay, same as you would with any other service. There are con men/women in all walks of life that pray on vulnerable people not just within the psychic and spiritual field.

Although certain TV programmes have made people more aware of the spiritual and paranormal; some of the people in these programmes exercise unscrupulous and irresponsible behaviour which gives totally the wrong impression of Mediums and Psychics and brings what they do into disrepute. We are not all screaming, jabbering idiots who make things up, the majority of us are normal, level headed and honest people.

Who exactly is going to test us? And who is going to test them? It is the chicken and egg syndrome, is it not? There are certain services I incorporate that very few people are familiar with and how can someone who has never worked as a Medium/Psychic or has only a few years experience test someone who was born with the ability and has been using it for 60 years?

Pushing Mediumship underground.

If this is allowed to go on we might as well bring back the Witchcraft Act. Remember Helen Duncan, tried and convicted because she 'got it right'.All this type of thing is doing is pushing Mediumship and the associated practices underground, soon we will be back to slinking off to a seedy little Victorian parlour to take part in a, possibly unscrupulous, seance.If someone offers a service and the client comes away satisfied and happy the person offering the service has done their job

My advice to all would be clients is:- You have freedom of choice, shop around, find out what is the average price of a reading or consultation, look for recommendations from people you know, talk to the service provider and ask them questions before making an appointment.

What to look for in a Medium / Psychic:

They should ask for very little, or preferably, no information. They should provide a recording of the reading so that what they have said is clear and precise in your head (basically, after the event it is hard to recall if something was said without prompting), They should be experienced and have good reports from other clients. They should not tout for custom (approach you in the street or pub for instance). Their fees should be reasonable (neither too much nor too little). They should be compassionate and caring. They should explain what they are going to do and what you may or may not experience if it is your first experience with them. They should not have an over inflated 'ego'. They should always ask if you have any questions and if you are satisfied with the service they have provided.

If anyone has anything to add to this please feel free to speak up.But....... please ......no insults only constructive criticism. You are entitled to your beliefs, and we to .