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News, Blogs & Opinion
NSS challenge Scottish Minister’s comments concerning adoption charity caseNews | Tue, 29th Jan 2013 The National Secular Society has published an open letter to Scottish Government Minister Mike Russell, asking him to clarify his position over the St Margaret's Adoption and Family Care Society adoption case. Last week the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator ruled that St Margaret's Children and Family Care Society in Glasgow was directly discriminating against gay people by excluding them from becoming adopters, and in doing so was in breach of both charity law and equality law. In response to the news, Scottish Government Minister Mike Russell, who holds the Education and Lifelong Learning portfolio, was reported widely in the media saying that he was 'disappointed' with the decision. Mr Russell promised to meet personally with representatives of St Margaret's and pledged to seek an "urgent solution". Alistair McBay, National Secular Society spokesperson for Scotland, said: "The 'urgent solution' seems rather obvious to us – that the charity should follow the law. "We have now written to Mike Russell setting out our concerns at his response and providing additional background to the OSCR decision. We hope this will convince Mr Russell that the Scottish Government should welcome the news that the independent OSCR is doing its job by ensuring that both equality law and charity law is being upheld. "We also hope it will illustrate that most Catholic – or former Catholic – adoption agencies have altered their policies and practice to comply with the Equality Act 2010 since it came into force, and we urge St Margaret's to do the same in the best interests of the children." NSS Honorary Associate Patrick Harvie MSP has submitted a motion in the Scottish Parliament that calls on the charity to obey the law and to amend its prospective parent recruitment criteria so that the best interests of children are made the first priority, rather than the upholding of 'irrational prejudice'. Read the open letter to Mike Russell MSP (PDF) Read the OSCR ruling in full (PDF) See also: Family values: Same-sex couples and the Catholic adoption agency by Dana Garavelli (Scotland on Sunday) | |
NSS question Catholic Church's new restrictions on teachersNews | Sat, 26th Jan 2013 The Catholic Church in England and Wales has issued a new booklet warning teachers and governors at Catholic schools that they risk dismissal if they enter a relationship that is not approved by the Church. The warning comes in guidance (PDF) written by Monsignor Marcus Stock, general secretary of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales and co-published by the Catholic Education Service. British Catholic weekly newspaper, The Tablet, reports:
Many 'faith' schools are granted special legal privileges enabling them to discriminate in employment on religious grounds. Many teachers can find themselves blocked from certain positions because they are non-believers or of the 'wrong' faith. In addition, teachers can be disciplined or dismissed for conduct which is "incompatible with the precepts of the school's religion". The National Secular Society has described the Catholic Church's restrictions on its employees personal relationships as "prurient and tyrannical." Stephen Evans, campaigns manager at the National Secular Society, said: "It is scandalous that the Catholic Church is able to use taxpayers' money to practise this sort of crude discrimination. The document is completely unacceptable. The way a person arranges their private life, so long as it is within the law, should be of no concern to an employer. "We have written to the Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove, asking how he can justify a law that permits teachers in faith schools to be disciplined or dismissed for conduct which is 'incompatible with the precepts of the school's religion'. Such a harsh and unfair law drives a coach and horses through equality legislation and leaves teachers, paid using public money, uniquely vulnerable to religious discrimination." The level of discrimination permitted in 'faith' schools is currently the subject of an investigation at the European Commission following a complaint by the National Secular Society concerning whether UK legislation relating to state funded 'faith' schools breaches European employment laws. The NSS has made clear that if it comes across anyone who has been fired from a Catholic school simply because they are living in a relationship that the Church does not approve of, it would be happy to assist them in a legal challenge. | |
Experts say “drop the religious opt-out” for pharmacistsNews | Fri, 1st Feb 2013 "Conscience clauses" that permit religious pharmacists to refuse to dispense emergency contraception or the "morning after" pill are unsatisfactory and should be dropped, say experts. Writing in the Journal of Medical Ethics, academics from the University of Hertfordshire and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, said that in the UK pharmacists have been able to give women the morning after pill without prescription since 2001 (2011 in the Republic of Ireland). But there have been a growing number of cases of women being refused the medication — even when prescribed by a doctor — on the grounds of the pharmacists supposed religious conscience. These refusals to supply are permitted under the codes of conduct of the pharmaceutical regulatory bodies – so long as the pharmacist refers the patient to someone else who is prepared to fulfil the prescription or dispense the contraception. The authors of the article say that the status quo is "not satisfactory" to either conscientious objectors or to those who must regulate them. They said that pharmacists who objected to supplying the pill "have allowed themselves to be convinced that referral to another willing supplier is ethically any different from supply" and that regulators have created a "pass the buck system". The article goes on:
Keith Porteous Wood, executive director of the National Secular Society, said: "We have approached the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) to try to get them to reconsider this disgraceful opt-out, but there seems little inclination on their part to move. Every time a woman faces the humiliating trial of being refused contraception in a chemists shop we try again, but we fear the GPhC may be afraid of the religious controversy that would inevitably follow if pharmacists were compelled to do their job in its entirety." | |
Two more councils review “faith school” transport subsidiesNews | Thu, 31st Jan 2013 Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council has started a consultation on whether to stop paying for transport for pupils living more than two or three miles from a voluntary aided (Catholic or Church in Wales) school if there is a mainstream school nearer their home. Eugene Scourfield, the head teacher of St Joseph's, Wales's largest voluntary aided school and its sole Catholic secondary, said the decision "smacked of discrimination on religious grounds". Head of resources and commissioning Andrew Thomas said: "We are in proposals with the diocese about building a new St Joseph's school and we have reached agreement in principle. We are in discussions about us spending millions of pounds of council money to provide sustainable Catholic education within the county," he added. Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society, said: "Claims of religious discrimination in relation to subsidised transport to faith schools are legitimate – but it isn't discrimination against Catholics, it's discrimination against everyone else who has to pay their own way." The consultation can be accessed here and runs until 1 March 2013. Meanwhile, Bury Council in Lancashire — which voted last month to cut free transport for faith schools — is being threatened with a judicial review by opponents. The ruling Labour group ruled that the subsidies would stop from this September – affecting 846 children, around 80% of whom are believed to be Catholic. Opposition councillors called the decision in for closer examination on the grounds that it would unfairly discriminate against parents wishing to send their children to faith schools and that there had been insufficient consultation. But the policy was upheld following a block vote by Labour members during a meeting last week of the council's Overview and Scrutiny Committee. Opponents, including Catholic head teachers, parents and school governors now plan to take the council's decision to a judicial review on grounds of discrimination and are hoping to gain the support of the Diocese of Salford. They are due to meet the diocesan director of education, Kevin Quigley, to discuss the issue. Councillor Ian Bevan, a Catholic, said many Catholic families in rural areas will be unable to afford to send their children to the two Catholic schools situated in the centre of the town. Terry Sanderson added: "I sincerely hope that the judicial review goes ahead – it could settle once and for all the question of whether such subsidies are legal." | |
Majority want secular state schooling – while RE declinesNews | Wed, 30th Jan 2013 The majority of British people want state-funded schools to be secular, a recent YouGov poll has revealed. The poll, conducted on behalf of Prospect magazine, asked whether the Government should "make all state schools secular and stop them having special links with the Christian, Jewish, Muslim or any other religion". Nearly half of those surveyed (48%) agreed that state schools should be entirely secular. Those opposing stood at 38%, while an additional 14% said they "don't know". Support for secular state schools was strongest in Scotland, with 63% in favour. Opposition was at its highest in the North, at 43%. The question was posed as part of a wider survey on education. The poll also found strong support for a ban on schools supplying unhealthy food and drink (72%) and mobile phones in the classroom (83%). Three quarters expressed their support for a return to "traditional" history teaching covering the main dates and events in British history and teaching students "to be proud ofBritain's past". See the complete poll (pdf). Meanwhile, the Government's introduction of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) is having a negative impact on school provision of non-EBacc subjects, including religious education (RE), according to a new survey of schoolteachers. Among respondents, 13% reported a decline in provision for RE in their schools as a consequence of the EBacc (3% more than recorded that their schools were planning to cut RE in a similar survey in May 2011). Comparable reductions in provision for other non-EBacc subjects were: 14% for citizenship, music, and personal, social and health education; 15% for information and communication technology; and 16% for art and design and technology. Source: Online survey of over 2,500 schoolteachers by the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT), the largest teachers' union. | |
Constitution Unit says disestablishment will have to be achieved piecemealOpinion | Wed, 30th Jan 2013 By Terry Sanderson The Constitution Unit's latest newsletter recounts several events over the past few months that have strengthened the argument for a change in the relationship between the church and the state in this country. The National Secular Society agrees with the Constitution Unit that disestablishment is unlikely to be achieved in a single measure, but will have to be brought about piecemeal, as opportunities for reform occur. We, as an organisation, have been at this since our inception in 1866. From the entry of our founder, Charles Bradlaugh, into Parliament and his creation of the Oaths Act, the Church of England's overweening privilege has been gradually diluted. Now, nearly a century and a half later, there is a real prospect of progress in the disestablishment process. This is what the Constitution Unit wrote:
There is no prospect of any government, now or in the foreseeable future, having the inclination to tackle disestablishment head on. The way it will be achieved is to challenge each of the church's privileges as it abuses and misuses them. We have made a start by getting rid of blasphemy law and we have seen small constitutional changes to the Act of Succession (although these are not enough) and at least a questioning of the role of the bishops in the House of Lords (Lords reform may be in the long grass at the moment, but it will not go away). The NSS will continue to monitor the behaviour of the Church of England and to point out its decreasing relevance to the life of this nation. If there are opportunities to challenge the privileges that the Church of England enjoys, we will take them. We will not stop until the Anglican Church is in its rightful place – which is not as part of the state. | |
Muslim patrols are a sign of things to comeOpinion | Thu, 31st Jan 2013 By Maajid Nawaz On the streets of Greece supporters of the far-Right Golden Dawn party patrol neighbourhoods, attacking anyone who looks like an immigrant. In Denmark a group calling itself Call to Islam has declared parts of the country to be "sharia-controlled zones" and its "morality police" confront drinkers and partygoers. In France right-wing vigilantes ran Roma families out of a Marseilles estate and burnt down their camp. In Spain nine Islamist extremists recently kidnapped a woman, tried her for adultery under sharia and attempted to execute her before she managed to escape. And here English Defence League thugs march in towns and cities "reclaiming" the streets from Muslims. Something very worrying is spreading across Europe. Fascists and Islamist extremists alike are copying what Hitler's Brownshirts excelled at – enforcing with threats and violence their version of the law in neighbourhoods. And the moderate middle is left gawping. In Britain "Muslims Against the Crusaders" have recently declared an Islamic Emirates Project. They are seeking to enforce their brand of sharia in 12 British cities, naming the two London boroughs of Waltham Forest and Tower Hamlets among their targets. Little surprise then that in these two boroughs "Muslim patrols" have taken to the streets and begun enforcing a narrow view of sharia over unsuspecting locals. Petrified Saturday-night revellers have been stopped by hooded thugs in these so-called Muslim areas, who warn them that alcohol, "immodest" dress or homosexuality are now banned. To add to the humiliation of being threatened, all this is filmed and uploaded on to the internet. Now some shops in East London no longer feel free to employ uncovered women or sell alcohol without fear of violent reprisals. While this street-level problem festers across Europe, al-Qaeda and its affiliates are busy capitalising on the chaos of the post-Arab Spring world. Syria, Libya, Mali and Somalia are being ravaged by jihadist outfits, and all of them are attracting European-born Islamists seeking the thrill of real combat. British jihadists with South London accents have already been documented as shooting the British journalist John Cantlie in Syria. Scores of young European-born Arabs and Somalis are following in the footsteps of British Pakistanis in travelling to lawless conflict zones. What happens when these men, schooled in the use of political violence in far-flung places, return to Britain? Five men have been arrested for assault, but the Muslim patrols could become a lot more dangerous and, perhaps willing to maim or kill if they are joined by battle-hardened jihadis. The killing last year of Osama bin Laden was hailed as a milestone in defeating al-Qaeda. President Obama was keen to portray himself as having severed the head of the snake. But no one man ever controlled this loose movement. And while it may lie dormant for a few years in different parts of the world, there are plenty of committed grassroots ideologues to ensure that it will rise again. And worryingly, the Islamist world view is a entrenched default position even among many non-devout British Muslims. I fear that the Muslim patrols are a sign of things to come. As Syria becomes the new Afghanistan, we should prepare for the blowback from a new wave of extremists. The Government has a sensible policy to challenge extremism at home and abroad. It has committees, partnerships and policy papers all in place that understand the need to build cohesion at the national level and root out extremism in local communities. But very little has actually happened at the grassroots. I struggle to see initiatives that inoculate young Britons against extremist messaging. The longer we stand by and watch the far Right and Islamists impose their dogma on our streets, the more the extremes will become mainstream for a rising new generation. Maajid Nawaz is Chairman of the Quilliam Foundation and author of Radical: My Journey from Islamist Extremism to a Democratic Awakening. This article was originally published in The Times and is reproduced with permission. | |
European Commission failed to implement properly Article 17 in EHF case says EU OmbudsmanNews | Tue, 29th Jan 2013 On 18 October 2011, the European Humanist Federation (EHF – to which the NSS is affiliated) submitted a complaint to the European Ombudsman arguing that the European Commission was refusing to comply with the Article 17:3 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU) which requires the EU to conduct a "regular, open and transparent dialogue with churches, religious communities as well as philosophical and non-confessional organisations." A few month earlier, in March 2011, the EHF had proposed a dialogue seminar to discuss the problems arising from religious exemptions in EU directives against discrimination but the Commission refused to discuss the subject on the grounds that is was going "beyond the spirit of Article 17". The EHF made several attempts to obtain a shift in the Commission's position, culminating in a letter to President Barroso, which produced no result. The EHF was left with no other choice than lodging a complaint to the European Ombudsman, Mr Nikiforos Diamandouros. In the decision closing his inquiry published on 25 January 2013, the EU ombudsman agreed with the European Humanist Federation. His letter states that "the Commission failed properly to implement Article 17 (3) TFEU (which) constitutes an instance of maladministration". Beyond this specific case, the EHF was seeking to obtain from the EU Commission clear guidelines on how they intend to implement Article 17. Following EHF's view, the EU ombudsman inserted a further remark in his decision: "taking into account the Ombudsman's findings, the Commission should clarify its practices and rules in this area, and, if necessary draw up guidelines indicating how exactly it plans to implement Article 17 TFEU." The EHF welcomes the EU ombudsman's decision and hopes it will lead to a more balanced approach towards humanists in the implementation of Article 17. | |
Abuse ‘shatters’ German bishopsNews | Tue, 29th Jan 2013 A leading German Catholic bishop has spoken of the "perfidiousness" of the way Catholic priests had used their power and authority to groom children for sexual abuse. Bishop Stephen Ackermann of Trier, the German bishops' spokesman on matters of clerical sexual abuse, said he was "shattered" by a report into calls to a special hotline set up in 2010. He presented the report last week and said he was deeply ashamed about what it contained. He said he had been particularly repelled by the way the perpetrators had built up their victims' confidence in them in a calculating way before abusing them. "I was particularly shaken by the fact that priests had disgracefully abused the confidence of children who were probably seeking their help in a difficult situation." The wickedness was compounded, he said, "since priests already have a higher credit of trust. It is truly abhorrent when they then abuse that trust in this way". Nothing at all could "whitewash" the findings, he said, which would be taken into account in the development of abuse prevention strategies. The hotline was called by 8,500 people in the two years it was open. The overwhelming majority of victims (90 per cent) were male, Andreas Zimmermann, the expert responsible for analysing the results, told the Catholic news agency KNA. The abuse by priests, he said, had certain "specifically Catholic" characteristics. Thus priests had used their moral authority and the psychological effect of rites like confession or prayer in order to gain power over children, even to the point of telling them that the assaults were an expression of "God's special love" for them. | |
Belgian monarchy rocked by Queen’s tax avoidance plansNews | Tue, 29th Jan 2013 Belgium plans to slash the annual stipend of the dowager Queen Fabiola after politicians learned she had set up a private foundation to provide for nieces and nephews and for her favourite Catholic charities after her death. Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo told MPs he wanted to cut the payment from €1.4 million (£1.18m) to €923,000 (£776,000). The widow of the late King Baudouin – a devout Catholic who in 1990 stepped aside temporarily to avoid signing the country's abortion bill – insisted the money came from property inherited from her Spanish family. The 84-year-old now says she has dissolved a charitable vehicle founded in September that allowed her to pass on monies. The emergence of the plan a few weeks ago provoked rare outrage in political and media circles in Belgium and has rocked the monarchy to its foundations. "This weighs heavily on me," Fabiola said of the storm that her activities caused. "It was never my intention to finance this foundation with monies from my stipend, but with monies from my inheritance and my Godfather." | |
Icelandic Parliament passes life stance equality lawOpinion | Thu, 31st Jan 2013 By Hope Knutsson, President of Sidmennt The Icelandic Parliament (Althing) this week passed a law which gives secular life stance organisations the right to apply for equal legal status with religions. The new law amends the current law about registered religious organisations. Thus, for the first time in Icelandic history, the government recognizes and guarantees equality between secular and religious life stances! Sidmennt, the Icelandic Ethical Humanist Association, has been lobbying for such a change for more than ten years and celebrates this historic turning point. As soon as the law takes effect, Sidmennt will apply to the Ministry of the Interior for registration which will guarantee equal rights and freedom of conscience to its 300 members. Sidmennt is grateful to the Minister of the Interior, Ogmundur Jonasson, who introduced and championed this human rights bill and to all those members of Parliament who voted in favour of it. An additional improvement provided by this law is that newborn babies will no longer automatically be registered into the religion of the mother, but rather according to the religious or life stance registration of both parents, and only if the registrations match. Sidmennt members and many other people inIcelandincluding many legislators feel that this does not go far enough and that it is a human rights violation for government to be involved at all in registering people's religious affiliation and is especially abnormal to register newborn babies in a religion. The sponsors of the new law say they want to work towards abolishing this anachronism but think it can only be done in stages. Although this law is an important step towards equality, the government is not changing the privileged status of theEvangelicalLutheranStateChurch, which enjoys both legal and financial privileges over all other life stance organisations. | |
Have you got your ticket for Secularist of the Year? Book now and avoid disappointmentNews | Fri, 1st Feb 2013 This year's Secularist of the Year lunch is approaching (Saturday 23 March) and it promises to be a very special occasion. We hope that you'll join us for the NSS's premier social event that is always congenial and friendly – and held in a top-notch West End venue. The event includes a welcome cocktail, and a three course meal with tea or coffee to follow. This is your opportunity to meet secularists from around the country and mingle with some of our distinguished honorary associates. All this for £45 – it's a steal. Get your ticket now online or send a cheque made out to "NSS" to National Secular Society,25 Red Lion Square,London WC1R 4RL. |
NSS Speaks Out
Keith Porteous Wood spent almost an hour on Radio Scotland on the popular Call Kaye programme fielding calls (many of them hostile) about the complaint to the Scottish Charity Regulator regarding St Margaret's Catholic adoption agency. Scottish spokesman Alistair McBay had this letter on the same topic in the Scottish Herald and this in the Scotsman; Keith Porteous Wood had this one in the Scotsman. Keith was also quoted in The Sunday Times (subscription required) in relation to the Church's exemption from the gay marriage legislation and in the same paper over the Catholic school edict on "non-chaste" relationships reported above (subscription). This was picked up by Pink News.
Terry Sanderson gave an interview to Premier Christian Radio about their obsession with Christians supposedly being "marginalised" inBritain. Keith was interviewed on BBC Radio Lincoln about Edward Leigh's parliamentary motion to get an exemption from the Equality Act for those religious teachers that want to broadcast their disapprove of gay marriage in class.
Quote of the Week
"In its effort to include all faiths, the BBC has watered down religious belief into a warm, squidgy feeling about nice people being nice to each other."
(Miranda Sawyer, Observer)
Essays of the Week
How do we reconcile Lady Warsi's claims of Islamophobia with the "Muslim patrols"?
(Mark Piggott, Daily Express)
The Islamist storm is just beginning
(Benjamin Lazarus, The Commentator)
When to shout in church
(Laurel Fantauzzo, GMA Network)
Upcoming Events
Stand Up for Darwin Comedy Evening
Thu, 7th Feb 2013
NSS Fundraiser: Marlene Dietrich – an affectionate tribute.
Sat, 16th Feb 2013
AHS National Convention 2013
Fri, 1st Mar 2013
Secularist of the Year 2013
Sat, 23rd Mar 2013
