From the UK, the Stockport Express reports that the British government is denying a Wiccan temple the right to declare itself a place of worship. A letter from the General Register Office to high priestess Sandra Davis says that Wicca is "incompatible with the ancient Places of Worship Act 1855." It goes on to say that Wicca doesn't "involve worship of a supreme being so is not legitimate."

Davis, and the rest of the rather large Wiccan community in her area, are understandably outraged. She's filing an appeal with the Home Office, in hopes that the decision will be reversed.

Although the story includes the phrase "Lord and Lordess", which is one I've never heard used before, it seems like Davis may have just cause for complaint. Wicca does indeed honor deity, although in most cases it's a pair of supreme beings, rather than just one. From what I've been able to gather with a little bit of Google-fu, the Places of Worship Registration Act is more of a paperwork sort of thing, rather than having any specific doctrinal requirements. Do any of our UK readers know if there's a precedent for this? Are there other government-recognized Wiccan temples in the United Kingdom?