Britain Recognizes Druidry as a Religion

Druidry has been officially recognized as a religion in Britain, complete with charitable status and tax breaks. The UK government acknowledged that the Celtic pagan faith, which originated in Ireland and Britain thousands of years ago, is a religion in its own right and deserves the same benefits as the more mainstream religions, reports AFP.

"The board members concluded that the Druid Network is established for exclusively charitable purposes for the advancement of religion for the public benefit," the Charity Commission said. Druids have been struggling to achieve the status of an officially recognized religion since submitting their application more than five years ago. The faith has attracted new followers recently because of its concern for ecology, stemming from the worship of nature. (More druid stories.)