Author: Alistair McBay

To spank or not to spank – a biblical right?

With Christian groups leading the opposition to Scotland's new smacking ban, Alistair McBay explores the many instances... Read More »

The Catholic Church in Scotland is still playing the victim card to stifle criticism

There is some lingering anti-Catholic bigotry in Scotland, writes NSS vice president Alistair McBay, but the Church... Read More »

A faith ethos is no magic solution for improving schools

There are success stories and failures in schools of all types, including faith schools, despite what the churches... Read More »

Sabbatarians have imposed their dogma on islanders for long enough, help them put a stop to it

The National Secular Society is helping campaigners on the Isle of Lewis open a sports centre on a Sunday, currently... Read More »

Religious belief is no barrier to criminality

A spate of media reports have suggested that criminals convicted of sex abuse feigned their religion. NSS Vice-President... Read More »

Scotland is a mosaic of religions and beliefs – but the research shows people turning away from politicised faith

Scotland is a mosaic of beliefs and non-beliefs where individuals are free to hold a belief, change it or not have... Read More »

Scottish evangelists identify Paganism as one of the “biggest threats to Western civilisation”

After the world suffered another grim reminder of the merciless Islamist ideology, the Solas Centre for Public Christianity... Read More »

A very confused and immoderate Moderator

Alistair McBay examines the confused and immoderate arguments of the new Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland.... Read More »

Why did the CPS abandon investigation into Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor?

As the full scale of the British Establishment's cover-up of child sex abuse becomes apparent, Alistair McBay argues... Read More »

Is the Christian immune from plane crashes?

Alistair McBay reports on Scottish Calvinism's attack on secularism, and offers his reaction to the rhetoric and tactics... Read More »

Rendering unto Caesar

The established Church throws stones from inside its Government-subsidised glass cathedral, argues Alistair McBay.... Read More »

Churches, charity and the conferring of privilege

There are many ways to do good, including campaigning for human rights and equality over discrimination and prejudice,... Read More »

The Bishops, the Catholic vote and the Referendum

Alistair McBay argues that a growing political alliance between the leadership of the Catholic Church in Scotland... Read More »

Religion “mustn't cause violence”

Both media commentators and politicians seem keen to claim religion as a cause for good deeds but determined not to... Read More »

Embedded religious privilege triumphs on Scottish education issues

National Secular Society's spokesperson for Scotland, Alistair McBay, argues that the Scottish Parliament has helped... Read More »

The God question: A tale of two adverts

Alistair McBay examines the PR campaign behind an educational resource that seeks to bring creationism and intelligent... Read More »

The God Question – a Trojan horse for Intelligent Design

Intelligent Design is back in shiny new packaging, labelled as 'evidence based and balanced' and getting into the... Read More »

A search for truth, or a trojan horse for religion in schools?

Alistair McBay questions the objectivity of a new educational resource that claims to "review, objectively and dispassionately,... Read More »

No new options on religious observance in Scottish schools

The Scottish Government has responded to the petition lodged recently by the Scottish Secular Society to change the... Read More »

Prayer Spaces in Schools

A worrying development in Britain's schools in the last two years, and not just in its faith schools, is Prayer Spaces... Read More »

Secular petitions highlight the sectarian issues in Scottish education

The last few weeks have seen the topic of religious observance (RO) in schools hit the headlines in Scotland. Two... Read More »

The sorry tale of the Catholic Church in Scotland continues to unfold

By Alistair McBay, NSS spokesperson for Scotland

It seems there is no end to the woes of the Catholic Church in Scotland... Read More »

The sorry tale of the Catholic Church in Scotland continues to unfold

By Alistair McBay, NSS spokesperson for Scotland

It seems there is no end to the woes of the Catholic Church in Scotland... Read More »

Children in Scotland awaiting adoption - who puts their best interests first?

Imagine for a moment a secular public service, let's say an adoption charity, refusing to consider applications from... Read More »

Motes and beams in banking ethics

Back in 2009, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, held a private seminar entitled "Leadership... Read More »