Druidry has been recognised as an official religion in Britain

Nevyn

http://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/finally-its-official-and-druids-get-a-tax-break-2361730.html

Finally, it's official, and Druids get a tax break

By Martin Beckford in London
Saturday October 02 2010

Druidry has been recognised as an official religion in Britain for the first time, thousands of years after its adherents first worshipped there.

The Druid Network has been given charitable status by the Charity Commission for England and Wales, the quango that decides what counts as a genuine faith.

It guarantees the modern group, set up in 2003, valuable tax breaks but also grants the ancient religion equal status to more mainstream denominations.

This could mean that Druids, the priestly caste in Celtic societies across Europe, are categorised separately in official surveys of religious believers.

Phil Ryder, chair of trustees for The Druid Network, said it had taken four years to be recognised. "It was a long and at times frustrating process."

Asiaprod

Indeed, congratulations to Druids everywhere:)
Asia

coffee_cake

Congrats to them

I hope it's not implying the modern people are connected to the ancient religion though

Urizen

bluewolf wrote: »

Congrats to them

I hope it's not implying the modern people are connected to the ancient religion though

It'll probably end up that way. I read a book on Welsh heritage the other day claiming that Wicca was an ancient tradition that survived persecution through secrecy and cunning

Still, let's not knock it. This is a great start on making Paganism PC again. Fair play.

TheBardWest

bluewolf wrote: »

Congrats to them

I hope it's not implying the modern people are connected to the ancient religion though

The majority of people (TDN included) who speak publicly about Druidry are well aware of what it is and what it is not, from whence it came, and what aspects are ours to create and reinvent. I suggest you do some research on the topic before forming any judgment about what people do or don't believe.

coffee_cake

urizen wrote:

It'll probably end up that way. I read a book on Welsh heritage the other day claiming that Wicca was an ancient tradition that survived persecution through secrecy and cunning

Still, let's not knock it. This is a great start on making Paganism PC again. Fair play.

lol
But yeah you're right

TheBardWest wrote: »

The majority of people (TDN included) who speak publicly about Druidry are well aware of what it is and what it is not, from whence it came, and what aspects are ours to create and reinvent. I suggest you do some research on the topic before forming any judgment about what people do or don't believe.

I suggest you take your defensive attitude away, I didn't say a single word about what people do or don't believe.

TheBardWest

bluewolf wrote: »

I hope it's not implying the modern people are connected to the ancient religion though.

This statement you made seems to imply that you either hold an assumption about what TDN or other Druids believe insofar as their connection to ancient tradition - or - that you didn't actually read their statement and just wanted to toss out a snarky comment. Perhaps you'd be willing to clarify?

TDN makes their position quite clear on Druidry and its connections to ancient traditions as well as modern practices. Most other organized Druid groups do as well.

So, no - nobody is implying or stating direct lineage from any 'ancient religion'...

Gregor Samsa

TheBardWest wrote: »

So, no - nobody is implying or stating direct lineage from any 'ancient religion'...

www.independent.ie wrote:

Druidry has been recognised as an official religion in Britain for the first time, thousands of years after its adherents first worshipped there.

The Indo clearly is, which I assume was what bluewolf was referring to.