Light After Life

Exploring the mysteries of our existence: Life, Death and Beyond. Afterlife, Mediumship, Spiritualism ~ Death is not the end; I am but waiting for you for an interval ...

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    Fair play for SNU churches

    Candlelight.kk
    Candlelight.kk
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    Post by Candlelight.kk Thu 20 Sep 2018 - 14:24

    Just discovered this interesting site:  Fair play for SNU Churches

    This blog is concerned with the Spiritualists’ National Union, commonly known as the SNU, based at Stansted, Essex, UK
    The purpose is to share experiences with other spiritualists, many of whom run spiritualist churches that are affiliated to the SNU to determine whether or not the SNU is serving spirit, or as some suggest, itself.


    link   [Only admins are allowed to see this link]


    Not too sure how often the site is updated, as the most recent entries are dated round about the end of 2017 - but there is quite a bit of interesting SNU-related reading going back through its pages.
    mac
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    Post by mac Thu 20 Sep 2018 - 16:27

    Candlelight.kk wrote:Just discovered this interesting site:  Fair play for SNU Churches

    This blog is concerned with the Spiritualists’ National Union, commonly known as the SNU, based at Stansted, Essex, UK
    The purpose is to share experiences with other spiritualists, many of whom run spiritualist churches that are affiliated to the SNU to determine whether or not the SNU is serving spirit, or as some suggest, itself.


    link   [Only admins are allowed to see this link]


    Not too sure how often the site is updated, as the most recent entries are dated round about the end of 2017 - but there is quite a bit of interesting SNU-related reading going back through its pages.
    I took a quick flick through just the titles of the pieces there and many/most, if not all, appear hostile to the SNU as an organisation.  Presumably the former blogger wasn't happy at what she / he  found in the SNU.  Neutral  

    I'm neither a supporter nor a detractor concerning the SNU but the blog about its alleged failings doesn't appear to have received many responses.
    Candlelight.kk
    Candlelight.kk
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    Post by Candlelight.kk Thu 20 Sep 2018 - 20:45

    mac wrote:
    I took a quick flick through just the titles of the pieces there and many/most, if not all, appear hostile to the SNU as an organisation.  Presumably the former blogger wasn't happy at what she / he  found in the SNU.  Neutral  

    I'm neither a supporter nor a detractor concerning the SNU but the blog about its alleged failings doesn't appear to have received many responses.

    Hmmm. I could not find any name attributed to the website, but whoever it is clearly harbours some very strong issues regarding the SNU and their control over the Spiritualist churches in the UK. To hazard a guess, I would say it's someone with a strong reason to feel animosity towards the organisation, where possibly their life/livelihood may have suffered badly with the involvement of the SNU, and someone not afraid to speak out about it ...
    Someone, perhaps, like the guy in the story here (?): Spiritualist leader is stripped of his title
    A LONG-running battle between two branches of a religious group over a Merseyside church has been resolved by the courts.

    The struggle for ownership of the Waterloo Spiritualist Church has led to locks being changed and repeated attempts to evict the local group's president, who lives in a flat above the church.

    The dispute between the local and national branches of the religious group centred on the ownership of the building and the running of the church's affairs.

    It culminated in a two-day hearing at Liverpool High Court, which resulted in a victory for the Waterloo church's governing body, the Spiritualist National Union (SNU).

    More on that story here:
    In 2002 there was some controversy surrounding the removal of Kevin West, the then leader of Waterloo spiritualist church. After the church removed West from his position in 2001, he refused to step down, igniting a conflict that saw both sides changing locks to keep each other out of the building before eventually losing the dispute in 2002.
    [Only admins are allowed to see this link]


    He certainly has a lot to say about them here:

    mac
    mac

    Posts : 932
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    Post by mac Thu 20 Sep 2018 - 21:05

    Interesting to hear - for a few minutes - the guy going into so much detail, presumably aimed at members and presidents of other SNU affiliated churches.

    I don't have any way to judge whether he's right in what he says or justified in his complaints against the SNU.
    Candlelight.kk
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    Post by Candlelight.kk Fri 21 Sep 2018 - 12:55

    mac wrote:the blog about its alleged failings doesn't appear to have received many responses.

    Folk may not be aware of its existence.  A blog is really just an online personal diary, a place for an individual to voice and record their own opinions on a matter, and not really an effective platform for creating debate or in which to gather the views of others.  

    An example to use here might be the huge uproar that arose upon the banning by the SNU of Eric Hatton's book, 'Taking up the Challenge', his autobiography portraying a comprehensive account of his 66 years of dedicated service to the SNU. ( [Only admins are allowed to see this link]
    blink (Continue reading the following pages to the directly-above linked page (from Roy Stemman's Paranormal Review), as the contents are relevant to this topic.)

    Sue Farrow published an article at the time in 'Spirit of PN' (a site set up as a stopgap during the period of closure of Psychic News in 2010
    In July 2010 Psychic News abruptly ceased publication and both its print and web site divisions were closed. The SNU said that it had liquidated the publication due to financial losses, to the dismay of thousands of readers around the world who did not understand why Britain's oldest Spiritualist newspaper was terminated with almost no notice.
    In 2011 the paper resumed publication with issue [Only admins are allowed to see this link] dated 17 December 2011, after the publisher was purchased by the JV Trust in October of that year.  
    more  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychic_News  

    Before publishing the article, Sue Farrow contacted the SNU's president, David Bruton, informing him that she was preparing the article, and putting several questions to him regarding the banning of Eric Hatton's book.  No reply was forthcoming from Mr Bruton, but at the eleventh hour a communication was received from the SNU's General Secretary, Charles Coulston.
    Extract from that reply:
    ... "In the case of Minister Hatton’s book it was discovered late in the day that there were a number of references in the book to the Union’s activities which were inaccurate, misleading and denigratory of the Union: our minutes show the accurate versions of events, which clearly differ considerably from the book. The Union sees no reason why it should stock any book which contains unfounded statements and derogatory innuendoes about the Union: no other organisation would countenance the promotion of a publication which contained such baseless and unwarranted assertions and insinuations against itself and its governing body..."


    The published article received no less than 176 replies, the vast majority of those from Spiritualists voicing their anger, dismay and puzzlement over the SNU's decision to ban the book.  As a result, a special meeting was convened to discuss the situation - the SNU retracted their decision and the book was reinstalled for sale in the SNU's Library at the Arthur Findlay College in Stansted.
    mac
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    Post by mac Fri 21 Sep 2018 - 19:15

    I well remember the behaviour of the SNU's senior officer(s) during the near-death-experience of Psychic News.  That was a deplorable affair and may be an indicator of the way those in the SNU treat those running churches linked to that organisation.  I'm not a churchgoer so I don't know.  Are there any websites for discussions about the Modern Spiritualist church situation, kk?.  Or are there any websites where Spiritualism is still discussed?  Apart from here sometimes I don't know any....

    As for the blog I agree it might not have been widely read, a situation somewhat similar to that of the now-closed PN discussion forums.  But an online blog is - in my view - intended for others to read else why post your diary there and set it up for others to comment? 

      I do agree, though, that they're almost useless for conducting a conversation but do bloggers want that or just to say their piece and get stuff off their chest?   lol
    Candlelight.kk
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    Post by Candlelight.kk Sat 22 Sep 2018 - 15:06

    mac wrote:... are there any websites where Spiritualism is still discussed?

    The only one that I'm aware of that is in any way worth mentioning would be the SpiritualismLink forum, but sadly there hasn't been any activity to speak of there for quite some time now. As far as the UK scene goes, all the individual churches and centres have their own websites (and some of the respective mediums attached thereto have their own individual site or facebook site, but I don't see anything much in the way of interactive discussion going on, usually just a diary of events.
    mac
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    Post by mac Sat 22 Sep 2018 - 16:43

    Candlelight.kk wrote:
    mac wrote:... are there any websites where Spiritualism is still discussed?

    The only one that I'm aware of that is in any way worth mentioning would be the SpiritualismLink forum, but sadly there hasn't been any activity to speak of there for quite some time now.  As far as the UK scene goes, all the individual churches and centres have their own websites (and some of the respective mediums attached thereto have their own individual site or facebook site, but I don't see anything much in the way of interactive discussion going on, usually just a diary of events.  
    I call in SL each day but it's rare to find any activity.  I've looked online but as you say it's usually just diary dates on an FB page.  I guess nobody has anything to dicuss concerning Spiritualism...  That said what more is there to say that hasn't been discussed and debated before?

    My experience elsewhere is that in terms of survival et al, folk nowadays are more interested in alternative ways of approaching the issues that confound them.  And without the special guidance of the likes of Silver Birch our philosophy is just one of many that offer some kind of explanation.
    Candlelight.kk
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    Post by Candlelight.kk Sat 22 Sep 2018 - 19:39

    mac wrote:That said what more is there to say that hasn't been discussed and debated before?

    There will always be something to be discussed and debated. There will always be questions to be asked, mulled over and debated, new or old. As long as the circle of life and death continues, the questions, experiences, research etc will continue. They may not exist perpetually and solely under the name of 'Spiritualism' - but whatever form they take, the questions about life, death and beyond are eternal.
    mac
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    Post by mac Sat 22 Sep 2018 - 21:05

    Candlelight.kk wrote:
    mac wrote:That said what more is there to say that hasn't been discussed and debated before?

    There will always be something to be discussed and debated.  There will always be questions to be asked, mulled over and debated, new or old.  As long as the circle of life and death continues, the questions, experiences, research etc will continue.  They may not exist perpetually and solely under the name of 'Spiritualism' - but whatever form they take, the questions about life, death and beyond are eternal.
    Are they new ones, though?  Or just the same old, same-old?  I rarely talk about Modern Spiritualism in the context of Q&A even though my ideas are often shaped by its teachings. 

    I'd prefer folk to be influenced by the persuasive strength of what they read rather than its source being the persuader. (or conversely putting them off)
    Candlelight.kk
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    Post by Candlelight.kk Sat 22 Sep 2018 - 23:06

    mac wrote:
    Are they new ones, though?  Or just the same old, same-old?

    Well, perhaps for some, they will just be going over the same old ground - but to many others they will be new, exciting, revealing, healing, educational, challenging, explanatory, rewarding and possibly, even in some cases, life-changing.
    mac
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    Post by mac Sun 23 Sep 2018 - 6:13

    Candlelight.kk wrote:
    mac wrote:
    Are they new ones, though?  Or just the same old, same-old?

    Well, perhaps for some, they will just be going over the same old ground - but to many others they will be new, exciting, revealing, healing, educational, challenging, explanatory, rewarding and possibly, even in some cases, life-changing.
    I do hope that's the case.... Neutral  That's how it was for me and I still remember how it felt on my 'awakening'.

    I'd love for others to feel that way as they learn about the notion of survival.

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