Santa Claus, God and Lord Buddha: the difference between a belief and a religion
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Jamie Buckland, University of York
My four year-old nephew and two year-old niece believe passionately in Santa Claus. In many ways they are like any religious people – they suspend the evidence of their eyes and ears for faith in a character they have never actually seen, but who they believe has special powers, based on stories they have been told that have been passed down through many generations. So, is a belief in Santa Claus a religion?
The question of what makes a religion is very topical. An employment tribunal is in the process of ruling on whether or not ethical veganism is a protected “philosophical belief” in the same way as a religion. Under the Equality Act of 2010, “philosophical beliefs” are “protected characteristics” – as a result, individuals cannot be lawfully discriminated against on the grounds of holding protected philosophical or religious beliefs.
Given the five criteria on which the Equality Act affords protection to philosophical beliefs, ethical vegan...
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