Christianity: For entertainment purposes only?

If they aren't charging you for it then it isn't a Commercial Practice and it wouldn't be covered by the Directive.

I've never been to a free psychic night.I don't think you can charge, say 15 for a ticket, then give a reading without making the entertainment pronouncement, can't be as easy as that.But if Spiritualist churches, which is an established religion, APPEARS to be getting discriminated against here.Would Spiritualist churches be exempt if they just asked for voluntary donations?

If they're charging then its a Commercial Practice and, according to this Directive, they should be informing people that its for entertainmen only. I don't know. But it seems like it could work. If they weren't "Commercial Practices".

Being that Britain is the colonial home of New Zealand(YAY!!!) I would be interested in who does the social work over there.A common charge against Christians is that they only talk about their faith rather than living it. Thus Self-Righteous Christians. But the one thing that keeps my mind in check if I near that charge now is that in New Zealand about 70% percent of the social welfare work is done by Christians.This amazed me as they are a minority of our population.My question to you Brian is what do you do to help people?

Even if this Litz did publish this they would be abnormal or at least there would be faiths where it would not be.Secondly, they only need to show that they were not misleading the person. Or rather that they believed that the person would be healed.In New Zealand a bartender is not allowed to serve an 'intoxicated person'. Yet it happens regularly every week. Point is as long as the bartender says that in my judgment he wasn't then he is sweet.Prove it.Certainly gold diggers will go after Spiritual Healers.The stats show that this improves peoples recovery rate.

Apart from being a teacher at a large secondary school in Scotland, I help out once a week at a local community centre to assist adults with their literacy and numeracy skills. I also have a Bible Study group at University where I help undergraduates to study the Bible and help with their coursework. I also help my ex students via email with their continuing studies. I have three different charities that I donate various amounts to every month. I also help out 3 lunch hours per week at the school's pupil support dept, and I run a successful archaeology club.The secodnary school teaching I get paid for, everything else I do because I want to.Christians help people because they want a reward when they die, I do it because I care about people and I know that sometimes a little bit of help can get you on the road to where you want to go.

How would a psychic medium prove that they weren't misleading a client? How can they prove that they get messages from dead people?This is my point. If psychics have to prove that what they offer is genuine then why don't Christian ministers? If psychics need to provide a disclaimer that what they provide is for 'entertainment purposes only', then why shouldn't ministers provide the same disclaimer?When a minister takes 50 donation or blessing fo rhis church for providing a funeral service, then why shouldn't that minister have the burden of proof that your loved one is indeed safe in the arms of Jesus? At funerals, Christian ministers always go on about Jesus victory over death, well let them proove this victory or make the statement "Jesus rose from the dead so that we can have eternal life, however this information if for entertainment purposes only".

Firstly, Brian good for you. Sadly my experience is that you are an exception. I was hoping for a positive response. They have to prove that were not misleading. Essentially based on subjective interpretation.(that is if my understanding of the amendment is complete) Once again they can only be prosecuted if found guilty of misleading. As in my case of the N.Z. bartender they have to admit that they served a person who they believed to be intoxicated otherwise prosecution is useless(p.s. no one has ever been charged under the law because you cannot prosecute - was he drunk 'well I didn't think so'...)My point is that it will be difficult to prosecute under this law. [qs]When a minister takes 50 donation or blessing fo rhis church for providing a funeral service, then why shouldn't that minister have the burden of proof that your loved one is indeed safe in the arms of Jesus? At funerals, Christian ministers always go on about Jesus victory over death, well let them proove this victory or make the statement "Jesus rose from the dead so that we can have eternal life, however this information if for entertainment purposes only".[/ps]Now I don't understand U.K. economics nor the particulars of the case, nor the particulars of what that money was used for. My experience people in ministry is that they do not get paid a lot in fact it is a joke.A relevant issue regardless is this. Do you get paid teacher? Teaching is a good service that is required why do I pay taxes or school fees to pay you teach my kids? You've gotta eat too buddy, so does a minister. Edited by VirtuousGuile, : No reason given.

This WAS the OLD law. Now the onus is on the psychic to prove they aren't misleading.I can only really comment on the wages of Church of Scotland ministers, who get around 23k a year plus free accomodation, which is usually a rather large manse.Not a bad living for providing a product that you cannot prove exists!Although this thread is partly tongue in cheek, when you stand back and think about it, what other industry would get away with being paid to represent something that probably doesn't exist, and if it doesn't your clients have no way of compensation! Edited by Brian, : added more info

This shows how out of touch with reality you are. Here in America that just doen't happen on the streets so far as I am aware. Is that what they do in Scotland? What freedom you must enjoy over there.

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BUZSAW B 4 U 2 C Y BUZ SAW.
The immeasurable present eternally extends the infinite past and infinitely consumes the eternal future.

Alternative healing practitioners? If it doesn't work, your patient is dead, and therefore unlikely to press charges...

Can you explain how I can be out of touch with reality when the thing I described happens all the time???????? So it could indeed be YOU that's out of touch with reality? perhaps it doesn't happen on your streets, perhaps it does, but your TV evangelists sure are raking in tens of millions of dollars from the gullible American public. Now THAT deosn't happen in Scotland. A tiny majority do Buzz. I perhaps see it more because Glasgow is such a big city, and the uni seems to be a happy hunting ground for some Christian and other religious groups. Yes, we have the freedom to tell the morons where to stick their collection boxes as well.But, depending on how I feel, I will have a chat with them, and I havent yet spoken to one that has a clue about the history and development of their faith. In fact, it is frequently very embarrassing at how little they actually do know about anything to do with their faith.However, there's no Scottish Benny Hinn or Peter Popoff or any of those other obvious fakes that crazy Americans give millions of dollars to.Popoff actually gets caught cheating, goes bankrupt, and now moronic Americans are giving him millions of dollars again! What a place to live, it must be like living inside a fairytale book.

You said on the streets where you can't avoid them. Now you're changing your gripe/rant to evangelists who you can avoid if you don't like their message or collection plates to support their work. My response was regarding street preachers poking collection plates in your face. Isn't that what you said? I'm not aware of any of that going on any place in America. Even if they preach on the streets, they just don't ask for money after their message. That wasn't the way they did it in the old days either.Back in about 1951 when a late teen youth I went down to work at the mission on skid row with our church group in Minneapolis where we urged the drunks and others on skid row into the mission, gave them a message, SOME FOOD, a bed for the night if they wished, clothes, etc, never ever asking them for a penny. Church folks and friends of the mission paid for it all voluntarily.

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BUZSAW B 4 U 2 C Y BUZ SAW.
The immeasurable present eternally extends the infinite past and infinitely consumes the eternal future.

Oh, to be Celtic and pure in Scotland!
Bring on the bagpipes and put on the wode!”HM

Brian, the Bible itself calls for tithes, 10%,etc...I'm sure you're aware of this.
It's not enforced though, my father in particular used to struggle trusting Him with our finances and thus did not give much toward the Church.
That was a while ago, today he gives of his earnings and is the better for it.
Note, we are not wealthy, far from it, yet we are relatively content.
Besides, all is the LoRD's anyways, so it's fully within his "rights" to ask for a little back.

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Sometimes even to live is an act of courage. ”Seneca