tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1133916536511836970.post58904428689388767..comments2023-12-10T08:21:16.075+00:00Comments on Religion Law Blog: Scientology is a Religion - Hodkin v Registrar-GeneralNeil Addisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00489922704972084561noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1133916536511836970.post-66120558235364213162014-01-12T14:32:46.151+00:002014-01-12T14:32:46.151+00:00In his ruling, Lord Toulson made this extraordinar...<br />In his ruling, Lord Toulson made this extraordinary statement:<br /><br />'I emphasise that this is intended to be a description (of religion) and not a definitive formula.' <br /><br />Since Lord Toulson's non-definitive description of 'religion,' was then used as a formula to produce a definitive Supreme Court ruling, by his own admission, the ruling had to be fundamentally-flawed, and on various grounds.<br /><br />In truth, Lord Toulson and his colleagues should have clearly stated that 'religion' (Latin religion is obligation, bondage, reverence) is not merely a word, but a vast and evolving phenomenon, and, therefore, it cannot be accurately defined.<br /><br />Furthermore, any attempt to arrive at a brief legal definition/description of the ethnocentric word, 'religion,' but which fails to take into consideration the irrefutable historical fact that self-perpetuating, non-rational or esoteric ritual belief systems have been (and continue to be) established, and/or perverted, for the unlawful, clandestine purpose of human exploitation, is not just fundamentally-flawed, but also fundamentally-dangerous. <br /><br />Thus, all Lord Toulson had to do to protect the British people, was to apply common sense, and add to his definition/description the following vital clarification: <br /><br />Religion: 'a spiritual or non-secular belief system, held by a group of adherents, which claims to explain mankind’s place in the universe and relationship with the infinite, and to teach its adherents how they are to live their lives in conformity with the spiritual understanding associated with the belief system, but which has not been established, and/or perverted, for the unlawful, clandestine purpose of human exploitation.' <br /><br />David Brear (copyright 2014)David Brearnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1133916536511836970.post-40489902091288493262013-12-14T17:56:35.287+00:002013-12-14T17:56:35.287+00:00Time to do what the French do, which is not someth...Time to do what the French do, which is not something I often say. All marriages should be before the Registrar - after which you can have whatever ceremony you like wherever you like conducted by whomever you like.<br /><br />But a "marriage" not before the Registrar would be a non-marriage, not even a void marriage, creating no legal rights and obligations between the parties or vis-a-vis the State. <br /><br />And those concerned with running such a ceremony where there has not been a marriage by the Registrar should be prosecuted.<br /><br />And if it happens twice in the same building the rate relief for that building should be withdrawn.Andrew Thttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17273362558325263161noreply@blogger.com