Eenie meenie chili beanie . . . spiritualists are in a big tizzy over new laws in Europe that will hold them accountable for fraudulently taking people's money. But how is this any different than people giving money to churches and talking to a god that cannot be proven to exist? People blow their money on all kinds of crazy things. People believe all sorts of crazy things. If it comes down to making psychics, spiritualists, and mediums to prove they can speak to dead people, see into the future and cure people, then the next "frauds"in line to protect the public from are Christianity, Islam and all other religions where talking to an imaginary sky boss, talking to dead people, claims to cure sick and injured, and prophesying the future.
I speak out against crazy beliefs, but should we start taking away peoples' rights to participate in such activities forcibly by law? As much as I would love to see a rational and secular world, I am just not sure if this is the right way to go about it. Obviously, if spiritualists do such a booming business, it is just giving the public something that it wants to pay for.
What is your opinion?
Psychics see big trouble over new laws
LONDON (Reuters) - Fortune-tellers, mediums and spiritual healers marched on the home of the British prime minister at Downing Street on Friday to protest against new laws they fear will lead to them being "persecuted and prosecuted."LINK TO FULL STORYOrganizers say that replacing the Fraudulent Mediums Act of 1951 with new consumer protection rules will remove key legal protection for "genuine" mediums.
They think skeptics might bring malicious prosecutions to force spiritualists to prove in court that they can heal people, see into the future or talk to the dead.
Psychics also fear they will have to give disclaimers describing their services as entertainment or as scientific experiments with unpredictable results.
"If I'm giving a healing to someone, I don't want to have to stand there and say I don't believe in what I'm doing," said Carole McEntee-Taylor, a healer who co-founded the Spiritual Workers Association.
The group delivered a petition with 5,000 names to the prime minister's office, although Gordon Brown is away in the United States.
With the changes expected to come into force next month, spiritualists have faced a barrage of headlines gleefully suggesting that they should have seen it coming
*snip*
"By repealing the Act, the onus will go round the other way and we will have to prove we are genuine," McEntee-Taylor told Reuters. "No other religion has to do that."
2 comments:
I'm with you on that one, Stardust.
Though I'd like to see a secular world where the xtians and muslims actually represent a very small portion of the world, I don't think legislating them or their actions is the way to go. If the rubes want to believe that the dead can talk thru the mediums, or that psychics can see the future, then let them spend their money!
It IS funny, however, when xtians are confronted with said mediums and psychics, they laugh at the very idea. Wish they would look at themselves in the mirror.
BTW, I've come to the sad conclusion that we will never really get to that wonderful point when the religious people are actually in the minority. But we can dream, right?
Is anyone else having trouble getting into the GifS site or is it just me?
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