The United Pagan Church of Australia (UPCoA) is a non-denominational (multi-path) religious organisation dedicated to the Pagan religions in Australia. Pagan religions include beliefs that are amongst the oldest religious beliefs known to humanity, having developed and adapted alongside humanity for many thousands of years. Pagan religions pre-date the Judeo-Christian faiths and have greatly influenced many of the religious holidays that western civilisations follow today. http://www.unitedpaganchurch.org.au Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:00:00 +1100 rss@unitedpaganchurch.org.au (RSS Feed Editor) webmaster@unitedpaganchurch.org.au (Webmaster) en-us Copyright 2008, United Pagan Church of Australia. All Rights Reserved. http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/rss/rss.html After much debate, and after seeking the view of the World Conference on Scouting, Scouts Australia have finally declared that, in light of the World Organization of Scouting Movements policy on religion, Pagans are indeed welcome to join the Scouting movement in Australia. This brings to a conclusion the matter first raised in 2007 following concerns by some Pagans over how their beliefs were treated by some Scouting Leaders. This was then escalated when Scouts NSW officially advised that National policy actually stated that Pagans did not qualify for membership of Scouts Australia. http://www.unitedpaganchurch.org.au/scout-guide-p5.php http://www.unitedpaganchurch.org.au/scout-guide-p5.php Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:00:00 +1100 The subject of religion in Scouting is to be discussed this weekend at a meeting of Branch Chief Commissioners. Following the receipt of information in June that clearly advised only persons following a strictly monotheistic belief qualify for membership of Scouts Australia, the UPCoA embarked on a campaign to have Scouts Australia revoke this policy, or openly advertise this restriction to prospective members. The World Organization of Scout Movements (WOSM), on its website and in publications, advises that the Scout Duty to God was intended to include non-monotheistic beliefs, contrary to current Australian policy. http://www.unitedpaganchurch.org.au/scout-guide-p4.php http://www.unitedpaganchurch.org.au/scout-guide-p4.php Fri, 14 Nov 2008 02:18:00 +1100 The United Pagan Church of Australia (UPCoA) has added a page on its website where Pagan groups and gatherings from across Australia can list their details for free. The listing is open to any Pagan group, gathering, coven or meeting, with no charge and no obligation for membership. Groups wanting to be listed should contact the UPCoA with the details they want publicised. It is hoped that this list will grow into a comprehensive listing of Pagan groups around Australia, allowing Pagans everywhere to locate a group close to them. http://www.unitedpaganchurch.org.au/groups.php http://www.unitedpaganchurch.org.au/groups.php Fri, 1 Aug 2008 03:20:00 +1000 The Scout and Guide movements teach youth about respect and leadership, and supposedly transcend all religions, but is this true? Do these groups accept Pagans and Paganism as a valid religion? In late 2007 a number of Pagans commented on the lack of recognition they perceived from Scouting, which promotes that it accepts all religions, but in 2008 a document from a senior Scouting official confirmed that Scouts Australia does not accept anyone that follows a non-monotheistic belief, contrary to current international views. http://www.unitedpaganchurch.org.au/scout-guide.php http://www.unitedpaganchurch.org.au/scout-guide.php Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:45:00 +1000 After receiving information that Scouts Australia policy prohibits Pagans and anyone not following a purely monotheistic belief from joining Scouts, the UPCoA made a submission to the National Chief Commissioner to revoke this policy as it is discriminatory and clearly not supported by the World Organization of the Scout Movement policy on religion. According to documents received by a member of UPCoA, anyone not following a purely monotheistic belief is not eligible for membership of Scouts Australia, although senior Scouting members in NSW advise that they do accept all religions, providing you are willing to change your beliefs to monotheistic. http://www.unitedpaganchurch.org.au/scout-guide-p3.php http://www.unitedpaganchurch.org.au/scout-guide-p3.php Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:45:00 +1000 Whilst numerous other religions and denominations enjoy access to religious marriage celebrants, Pagans continue to be denied this right even though the number of Pagans in Australia continues to grow. With various Christian groups already enjoying access to marriage celebrants, some of which have far fewer followers than the number of Pagans in Australia, the UPCoA is committed to petitioning for changes to the way Pagan Groups are assessed for recognition under the Marriage Act. http://www.unitedpaganchurch.org.au/celebrants_submissions.php http://www.unitedpaganchurch.org.au/celebrants_submissions.php Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:45:00 +1000 Representatives of Pagan Groups can sign our online petition asking the Australian Government to allow Pagan religious groups to gain recognition under the Marriage Act so they can appoint religious celebrants. According to the 2006 Australian Census, over 28,000 Australians follow a Pagan religion, and yet none of them have access to a religious celebrant capable of performing a Pagan religious marriage. http://www.unitedpaganchurch.org.au/celebrants_petition_groups.php http://www.unitedpaganchurch.org.au//celebrants_petition_groups.php Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:45:00 +1000 Individuals wishing to support the UPCoA submissions on marriage celebrants for the Pagan religions can sign our online petition asking the Australian Government to allow Pagan religious groups to gain recognition under the Marriage Act so they can appoint religious celebrants. http://www.unitedpaganchurch.org.au/celebrants_petition_indiv.php http://www.unitedpaganchurch.org.au/celebrants_petition_indiv.php Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:45:00 +1000 Clergy visits to patients in hospital has been available to those following many of the mainstream religions for many years, often providing comfort at times that can be very distressing to all concerned. No doubt many of you will have seen clergy from a number of faiths wandering the corridors of the local hospital, visiting patients to give comfort and prayer. Now the UPCoA has held discussions with Hunter-New England Area Health Service over visitation of Pagan clergy to local hospitals to visit Pagan patients and even hold small rituals to help bring comfort. The UPCoA has drafted a Code of Conduct for Pagan clergy visiting hospitals, and will further refine this policy in consultation with the Hunter-New England Area Health Service. http://www.unitedpaganchurch.org.au/hnehealth.php http://www.unitedpaganchurch.org.au/hnehealth.php Fri, 25 Jan 2008 09:00:00 +1000 Following an incident where a Cessnock youth following a Pagan religion was unable to select Pagan as their religion at a local hospital, the UPCoA lodged a formal protest to Hunter-New England Area Health Service and NSW Health. After investigations by the health service changes were implemented to the Patient Administration System software allowing Pagans to choose Paganism as a religion upon admittance to local hospitals. http://www.unitedpaganchurch.org.au/hospitals.php http://www.unitedpaganchurch.org.au/hospitals.php Thu, 26 Jul 2007 09:00:00 +1000