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] )
[Only admins are allowed to see this image] (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.
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.
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