The Spiritualists' National Union (SNU) is a Spiritualist organisation, founded in the United Kingdom in 1901, and is one of the largest spiritualist groups in the world. Its motto is Light, Nature, Truth.
Over its history, it has organised test cases regarding the legal status of spiritualist mediums, with regard to such matters as exemption from compulsory military National service. In legal terms, spiritualist mediums were considered to violate such laws as the Vagrancy Act 1824, which outlawed fortune telling, and the Witchcraft Act 1735. The Union campaigned against these laws for many years.[1][2][3][4] They were eventually repealed by the Fraudulent Mediums Act 1951, which legalised the practice of mediums unless it was shown that they were profiting financially from a fraudulent service. This act was repealed in April 2008, and fraudulent mediums are now covered by consumer protection legislation, namely The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.[5]
It has also performed more everyday services, such as organising war memorial services in the wake of the First World War.[6]
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.[7]
The Union later organised educational courses in spiritualism-related subjects, and has participated in scientific research into mediumship.[citation needed]
In 1995 the SNU acquired the publication Psychic News, which it ran until it was closed in July 2011, later reopening under different ownership.[8]
Mission Statement and Goals In 2000 the SNU adopted the following mission statement:
To Promote the Religion and Religious Philosophy of Spiritualism as based upon The Seven Principles
It also re-defined its goals as:
- To procure perfect religious equality
- To assist in the formation of new Societies and Churches
- To strengthen the fraternal relations between Spiritualists
- To increase all classes of membership
- To print, publish and distribute literature
- To promote mission work
- To do all such lawful things as are for the advancement of Spiritualism
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