Saturday 15 September 2007

YOGA ROW: HINDU COUNCIL SPARKS LEGAL THREAT

Lawyers for the Hindu Council UK are exploring whether two Taunton churches who refused to allow a children’s yoga group to meet on their premises have acted contrary to the Religion and Belief Section of the 2006 Equality Act. The Revd Tim Jones, vicar of St James’ Church, and the Revd Simon Farrar of Silver Street Baptist Church, turned down the group’s request to use church rooms for the classes. ‘Any alternative philosophies or beliefs are offering a sham,’ Mr Jones said. But now the HCUK claims the priests’ decision may be illegal – and is also considering whether to ask the Commission for Equality and Human Rights to investigate whether their comments amount to ‘instructing or causing discrimination’.

Sources: Christian Today (4/9), Church of England Newspaper (6/9), Baptist Times (6/9)

2 comments:

Olive Morgan said...

I have just checked that a yoga group still meets on our church premises, as it has done for many years! I remember that there was a fierce row between certain church members when it first started but that died down ages ago and, so far as I know, no Minister has queried it's meeting here since then.

Olive Morgan said...

I see that the question of whether we should allow yoga on our Christian church premises is under discussion on the Methodist website called www.th'einterface.org.uk under the title Would Jesus discriminate?' It will be intresting to see what comes up in the discussion.