Council needs more information before
allowing mediumship meetings to be held
A former mayor of Glynneath, South Wales, announced at a recent town council meeting that she knew someone who committed suicide as a result of mediumship.
The topic under discussion, as reported in the South Wales Evening Post, was whether or not a Spiritualist group should be allowed to hold meetings in the newly converted former Bethania Chapel, now the Council Chamber and
community centre.
With the first Beacon of Light Spiritualist meeting
already advertised, the
council refused to allow it to go ahead until they had more information.
They have spent £100,000 converting the chapel into a centre for use by anyone in the community, presumably including the local Beacon of Light.
Not necessarily, argued former mayor Mrs Marion Morgan. “I fundamentally object to it,” she said. “I don’t think we should open our doors to mediumship in a building such as this, where vulnerable people come along.
“I don’t know if people know the effect it can have on the public. As a Christian I am against it. We would be opening the door to something we would not be able to contain.”
Councillor Eifion Jenkins said the council should not make moral judgements “as long as what they are doing is legal and proper”.
Mrs Morgan then challenged him, asking whether in that case he would allow BNP meetings to take place there.
Councillor Jenkins replied: “If they’re a legal party I don’t think it’s for us to make a judgement. If what they are saying is racist or illegal, that’s a different matter, but this group is not doing that.”
Undeterred, Mrs Morgan insisted: “If you’re going to bring it into a place like a community centre and open it to the public, we are going to be responsible if anything goes wrong.
“I know someone who committed suicide as a result of mediumship. It would be one too many if children or young people came in and were influenced.
“If you’re going to link it to the community centre and allow people to come in on that basis, we’re leaving ourselves on very shaky ground,” she added.
Leading Plaid member Del Morgan said the nature of the meeting sounded similar to the process of a religious service.
He reminded members that the chapel had been deconsecrated and was intended to be used for non-religious activities.
That did not mean to say, he added, that religious groups would not be allowed to hold social events there. “But I would like to find out whether this is a religious service,” said Mr Morgan.
Councillors said the group should not have advertised its first meeting until the authority had made its decision.
“I should like this matter postponed,” said Mr Morgan. “If the first evening they want to run cannot happen, so be it.”
Town mayor Carolyn
Edwards said: “I’m not happy about this, but we’re damned if we do and damned if we don’t. We need to find out more.”
Perhaps Psychic News readers would like to put forward their opinions and help the town council make their decision. You can write to:
Mr Clive Baker, Glynneath Town Council, Bethania Community Centre, High Street, Glynneath, Neath SA11 5DA.
You can also call 07519 278651 between 9am and 1.30pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
Or email: clive8377@btinternet.com
