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Gnostic Center Fails Britain's "Public Benefit" Test To Be A Charity

By Howard M. Friedman

In Britain, Third Sector today calls attention to a decision (full text) handed down last month by the Charity Commission rejecting an application by The Gnostic Center for registration as a charity. Apparently the decision, finding that the Center failed the "public benefit" test imposed by Britain's Charities Act, was reaffirmed earlier this month after a review by two of the Charity Commission's board members. (Third Sector). In the decision, the Commission found that the Center did not advance education for public benefit, concluding that : "It is not advancing education based on broad values that are uncontroversial, which would generally be supported by objective and informed opinion." The Commission also rejected the claim that the Center is advancing religion for the public benefit, holding:

To be a religion in charity law, there must also be a positive, beneficial, moral or ethical framework promoted, since a spiritually improving effect on its own is insufficient.... There was no evidence of shared morals or ethics amongst followers or the promotion of these by the Gnostic Center.

Finally the Charity Commission rejected the argument that the Center promoted moral or spiritual welfare or improvement of the community for public benefit, finding no demonstrable impact of the Center's teachings and practices on society.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on January 26, 2010 (boomark / email).