a. Trusts for the Advancement of Religion
In this context, ‘religion’ in Australia now means all religions including those which do not necessarily rest on any belief in deity. The advancement of religion means the promotion of the spiritual teaching of the religious body concerned and the maintenance of the spirit of its doctrine and observances and embraces the maintenance and spread of religious doctrine and the support of persons.
Trusts for the advancement of religion must also benefit the public as Justice Cross explained that the public benefited by such gifts was not just the congregation as any service of worship but the community at large which benefited from the spiritual and moral improvement of the members of the congregation, The Force. The Faith Knights consider themse3lves to be an international religion; they believe in a supernatural power which they refer to as “the force” and seek to “spiritually educate and train their members in the ways of The Force”.
The 2013 Charities Act has recently been passed covering charitable trusts
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In this case, Faith Knights are not seeking any profit and has to be for the public benefit.
Section 6 states that to be a public benefit it must be available to the general public or a sufficient section of the general public. In this case, The Force hold public gatherings at which liturgical services are conducted and anyone who is interested in undergoing their spiritual formation are welcomed. The benefits are also intangible.
Section 7 of the Charities Act established presumed public benefit for charities for the purpose of preventing and relieving sickness/disease/human suffering, relieving poverty, caring for the elderly or disable and advancing religion. The Force aims to “seek to spiritually educate and train their members in the ways of the Force”. This relates to the purpose of advancing religion.
b. Trusts for Political