The spirits be with you

Manchester, UK - Spiritualist, Alan Power, who believed psychics could help solve crimes was forced out of his job as a trainer with the Greater Manchester Police Authority. Now, Judge Peter Clark has upheld a previous ruling that the spiritualist beliefs were consistent with being religious and dismissed a police appeal. A previous judge ruled that the beliefs, “are worthy of respect in a democratic society and have sufficient cogency, seriousness, cohesion and importance to fall into the category of a philosophical belief for the purpose of the 2003 regulations (England's Employment Equality [Religion or Belief] Regulations Act 2003)." The spiritualist said, “Its fantastic. It proves that spiritualism is a religion worthy of respect.” 

According to the 2001 census, spiritualism is the eighth largest faith group in Britain, with 32,000 adherents and more than 300 churches. Mr. Power added, “I have not claimed any costs. I am not claiming compensation. It is about hurt feelings. I expect my religion to be respected.”