Sunday, 9th March 2008. 8:42am

NEW DRAFT guidelines for religious charities could pose a threat to Jehovah’s Witnesses, The Church of England Newspaper has learnt.

New rules could threaten charity status of Jehovah’s Witnesses

Several Jehovah’s Witnesses charities in the UK expressed concern that the draft guidance could affect their beliefs on blood transfusion.

Their concern regards the commission’s draft guidelines which details how religious charities now have to prove ‘public benefit’ in order to ensure their charitable status.

In the Charity Commission’s Public Benefit and the Advancement of Religion document it states that a charity’s benefit to society will be measured against its detriments.

The 91-page report states: “One possible example of this type of detriment or harm is the refusal to allow medical treatment, or the taking of medicines, on religious grounds.”

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that the giving or receiving of blood is wrong in any circumstances because of certain texts in the Old and New Testament.

Read Full Article Here: New rules could threaten charity status of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Source: Religious Intelligence News www.religiousintelligence.co.uk
Author: Matt Cresswell