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News, Blogs & Opinion
Hospital chaplains largely unaffected by cuts to NHS frontline servicesNews | Thu, 27th Jun 2013 New research into the number of hospital chaplains being paid for out of the National Health Service funds shows that since 2009 the number of chaplains has remained largely the same. The research carried out by the National Secular Society contradicts research released by the BBC claiming that chaplaincy posts have been cut by 40% in England. The BBC approached 171 Acute Trusts for its survey, whereas the NSS put in Freedom of Information requests to all of England's 230 Health Trusts. The BBC had a 97% response, and the NSS has had an 85% response to date. The NSS conducted previous research on NHS chaplaincy numbers in 2009. At that time NHS Trusts employed 546 Whole Time Equivalent chaplains. The latest research reveals that among the 85% of the Trusts that have so far responded, there are 485 Whole Time Equivalent chaplains. Although some Trusts have made small cuts, the full results of the NSS survey are likely to show that overall numbers remains largely the same. The full results so far can be seen here. According to the Royal College of Nursing, there has been a reduction in nurse staffing of around 5,780 (headcount) and 3,700 (whole time equivalent) between May 2010 and June 2012. Terry Sanderson, President of the National Secular Society, said: "While the Health Service is hit on a daily basis by a crumbling infrastructure and huge cuts to frontline services, the chaplaincy service sails on largely untouched. "We have no objection to the presence of chaplains in hospitals. Our concern is where the funds to pay for them come from. "Churches, mosques and temples that wish to have religious representation in hospitals, could do so at their own expense. Such services, where valued, could be funded by local charitable trusts, administered local churches or interfaith initiatives. We are aware of hospitals that are already using volunteers or keeping a call-out list of available clergypeople in the community for patients who request them." "There can be no possible reason for the NHS's dwindling resources to be used to pay the salaries of clergypeople when nurses and frontline staff are being dispensed with. "Our previous research suggests that around £29m of healthcare money is used annually to pay the salaries of religious chaplains, but this sum increases when you take into consideration the upkeep of office space, chapels, prayer rooms which also come out of hospital budgets. It is time that the religious bodies stepped up to the plate and relieved the public purse of this expense." | |
The issue of disestablishment won’t go awayOpinion | Tue, 25th Jun 2013 The influential international business magazine The Economist carried an editorial last week calling for the Church of England to be disestablished – and for the influence of religion on the state to be reduced. The editorial said:
In response, Simon Barrow, co-founder of the Christian "think-tank" Ekklesia wrote: "Establishment creates an environment of privilege and exemption, but removing this does not automatically solve all other issues about religion. Rather, it provides a clearer distinction between voluntary association within civil society, in which faith groups have an important role to play alongside others, and formal mechanisms of governance which should aim at a level playing field for all - irrespective of differences of belief." The think-tank also says that the Church contradicts its own founder's rejection of power and prestige when it seeks to secure special advantage for itself, and that this brings discredit on its message and standing in wider society. "Defending something unfair and anachronistic in the interests of self-preservation hardly constitutes a positive witness to a Gospel which is supposed to be about the power of love overcoming the love of power," says Barrow. At the Church Times, the case for keeping the Church established was made by the Canon Librarian of Norwich Cathedral, Rev. Peter Doll. He argued that an established Church was all that stood between justice and tyranny. He wrote:
Meanwhile, a constitutional committee in the Welsh Assembly has said that even though the Church in Wales was disestablished in 1920 there are still areas of law where the break was not complete. It was an examination of the constitutional implications of gay marriage that uncovered remaining church-state anomalies. Ministers at first suggested an opt-out given to the Church of England also applied to Wales. That was later altered, but even if the Church in Wales decided to allow same-sex marriage in future, the Lord Chancellor would still need to introduce the change. There are also issues related to burials. The Church in Wales cannot close disused burial grounds, a power enjoyed by the Church of England. The committee said this discouraged the Church in Wales from opening much-needed new cemeteries. David Melding, the Conservative AM, who chairs the constitutional and legislative affairs committee, said: "I was astonished that an Act of Parliament from the Edwardian era had come back to haunt us. I certainly had assumed that the Church in Wales was disestablished – that's an axiom of modern Welsh history. But apparently not. In two important areas — there may be more that we don't know about — disestablishment is far from complete in Wales, in marriage policy and also in the law in relation to burial." The Church in Wales admitted the situation was "unusual" but had not considered whether it should seek to change its status in relation to the marriage law. The Church said it was invited to participate in the committee's discussions on its legal status. It said the Archbishop of Wales Dr Barry Morgan was pleased to give evidence during a "constructive and interesting exploration of the issues involved". "The Church in Wales has not considered the issue of whether it should seek to change its status in relation to the marriage law," it said in a statement. "However, it would welcome any assistance the Welsh government is able to provide in easing the burden on our parishes of maintaining our burial grounds, which are open to all in the community, and to disused burial grounds which cannot be handed over to local authorities as in England." This illustrates what a complicated business disestablishing a state church can be. The entanglements that have accumulated over centuries can go very deep, and even if there is a will to do it (which there isn't in England), it can still take decades to complete the process. Terry Sanderson is president of the National Secular Society See also: Time to disestablish the Church of England? by NSS council member Norman Bonney | |
A secular society is the keyOpinion | Mon, 24th Jun 2013 Teaching science to Jewish children is not the enemy of knowledge but the prerequisite of it, declared the Jewish Chronicle in its leader last week. It was a reference to disquiet among Charedi Jews about the GCSE science curriculum. Michael Gove, the education secretary, wishes to put greater emphasis on teaching evolution. Charedi educators maintain that this "flies in the face of their ethos and culture". Mr Gove's plans are admirable and so is the Jewish Chronicle's insistence that Jewish children be taught proper science. To grasp science, children (and adults) need to understand the evolution of species by natural selection and random mutation. Evolution isn't an obscure detail but the foundation of knowledge of the living world. That shouldn't need to be argued. But the notable characteristic of the objection is that it isn't about science at all: it's framed as the protection of a culture. Leave us, say the devout, to hold dear what is sacred to us. With its echoes of conscience and religious liberty, it's a more seductive case than the pseudo-scientific objections to Darwinism. That's what makes it dangerous. Of all peoples, the Jews, as a historically persecuted minority, have an interest in ensuring that religious groups not be given legal privileges and exemptions. Freedom, including religious liberty, requires a civic culture that is resolutely secular. What people believe is irrelevant to their rights and duties. Thomas Jefferson formulated this principle definitively. A free society requires that there be no religious test for civic office or participation. Drawing inspiration from John Locke's Letter Concerning Toleration, he nonetheless faulted Locke for urging the extension of religious freedom only to Dissenters. "Where he stopped short," wrote Jefferson, "we may go on." This needs restating in this country's public life, as some religious leaders appear not to understand it. Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, has complained of a campaign "to get rid of Christianity as a public faith". There is no organised campaign to suppress public expressions of religion. The issue at stake is whether there should be a civic role for religion. And there should not be, because what people believe about first and last things is irrelevant to their rights and their obligations. Only when that Enlightenment principle became established could Jews emerge decisively from the ghetto. This principle is being tested today in Israel. Some 15,000 Charedim protested noisily in Jerusalem last month against plans to make them do national service. They are at the moment exempt from military service while they are at yeshiva. Secular Israelis oppose the exemption and their case is unassailable. We all have multiple ties of loyalty and affiliation but, in a democratic society, there is an overriding identity, which is common citizenship under the rule of law. Religious liberty itself depends on that culture. Common citizenship extends to children, too - not rights to vote or drink or drive, but entitlement to the fruits of education. It doesn't just impoverish children's minds but also violates their rights to deny them access to scientific knowledge owing to parental and communal objections. Some years ago, Steven Weinberg, the Nobel Laureate in physics, explained his admiration for Israel. Zionism represented, he wrote, "the intrusion… of a democratic, scientifically sophisticated, secular culture into a part of the world that for centuries had been despotic, technically backward, and obsessed with religion". These are principles that Jews have advanced. They in turn serve as guarantors of the survival, freedom and flourishing of the Jewish people. Oliver Kamm is a leader writer for The Times. This article first appeared in the Jewish Chronicle. | |
Parliamentary prayer breakfast dismisses 'fairy tale' of atheismNews | Tue, 25th Jun 2013 Attendees at this year's National Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast have been urged to speak out about their faith in the public sphere. An audience of around 600 people, including a number of MPs, gathered at the Houses of parliament to hear keynote speaker Professor John Lennox from Oxford University describe atheism as a "delusion" and a "fairy tale for those afraid of the light". Professor Lennox accused new atheism of being responsible for 'the moral drift' in today's society and called on Christians to find the courage to create the public space for discussion on the biblical worldview. Professor Lennox said "No one seems to have a problem in the UK with doing atheism in public – why, then, should we be ashamed to do God?" This year's event, organised by the Bible Society and held in Westminster Hall, was chaired by Liberal Democrat President Tim Farron MP. Speaking at the prayer breakfast, Mr Farron said: "'Christianity is not a bit true. It's either wrong or utterly compellingly true" Also on the panel was Telegraph columnist Cristina Odone. Ms Odone warned, "There is a steady and stealthy erosion of Christianity whether its rights, language, symbols from public life. I think we are in danger of thinning out that religious presence, of Christian presence from everyday existence". In a statement marking the occasion, prime minister David Cameron, said: "It is encouraging that Christianity still plays such a vital role in our national life. We are a country with a Christian heritage and we should not be afraid to say so." Stephen Evans, campaigns manager at the National Secular Society, said: "There's something very disconcerting about seeing Parliament used to fuel culture-war politics in this way. Christianity is just one influence among many that shape our current ways of life; Britain is a multifaith nation with large sections of the population not holding any religious beliefs. This sort of event only serves to encourage division between believers and non-believers – Members of Parliament should think twice about their involvement." | |
New EU guidelines on religion and belief make plain that no religion is entitled to special rightsOpinion | Thu, 27th Jun 2013 The EU Foreign Affairs Council this week adopted a report with 71 Guidelines to promote the right to freedom of religion and belief worldwide. Below are some choice quotes from it that should give pause to those Christians who imagine that they have special rights and privileges because of their "traditional role" in the nation:
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Lords’ wrecking amendments to equal marriage bill failNews | Tue, 25th Jun 2013 This week saw the end of three days' worth of debate in the House of Lords over the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill whilst in its committee stage. The debate revealed a substantial number of wrecking amendments submitted by Lords, all largely a variation on just a few themes. One of which was the insistence that we should distinguish between heterosexual marriage and homosexual marriage. There was an amendment, tabled by Former Conservative Party chairman, Lord Mawhinney, which called for a heterosexual marriage to be lawfully described as "traditional marriage"; another, by Lord Carey, said that "nothing in the Act can take away the right of a man and woman to enter a traditional marriage"; one of Lord Hylton's amendments called for the bill to leave out the word "marriage" and replace it with "union"; and a final one by Lord Armstrong sought to clarify that "lawful marriage between a man and a woman is matrimony". These amendments were either withdrawn or failed. There were also attempts to have the performance of same-sex marriage ceremonies to be subject to an opt-in mechanism rather than the default; for example, Lord Curry introduced an amendment requiring a congregation to Ballot in order to opt-in to performing same-sex ceremonies, whilst Lord Singh also proposed an amendment for opting-in to performing same-sex marriages, but this time for Sikh groups only. Baroness Cumberlege proposed, and then withdrew, an amendment giving registrars with a conscientious objection to same-sex marriage the right not to perform marriage ceremonies for gay couples. All the while, there have been complaints from the Coalition for Marriage. Speaking to Pink News, Coalition for Marriage spokesperson Dr Sharon James made the surprising statement that Liberal Judaism, the Unitarians and the Quakers have been given "a disproportionate amount of time" in the debate for equal marriage at the expense of "mainstream Christian people". Given the number of amendments, all grounded within a traditional Christian perspective, attempting to distinguish between heterosexual marriage and same-sex marriage by emphasising notions of 'tradition' and 'matrimony', Dr James's assertion could be understood as somewhat disingenuous. During the Lords' debate, there was also concern expressed for teachers. Despite the Education Secretary, Michael Gove, dismissing the notion that teachers opposed to same-sex marriage would be in danger of losing their jobs, Lord Dear looked to entrench an amendment that stated no teacher should be required to endorse same-sex marriage if that teacher has a conscientious objection to it. Last week, Equalities Minister, Maria Miller revealed that the government will be proposing that the Public Order Act 1986 be amended so as to explicitly protect critics of same-sex marriage. The Public Order Act includes a number of clauses prohibiting the provocation of hatred or violence, and Ms Miller's amendment seeks to clarify that criticism of same-sex marriage does not constitute such an offence; it states, that "any discussion or criticism of marriage which concerns the sex of the parties to marriage shall not be taken of itself to be threatening or intended to stir up hatred". This amendment is seen as an attempt to appease those equal marriage opponents who had previously voiced fears that the passing of the bill would lead to their being prosecuted. According to the findings of an international poll conducted by Ipsos MORI and released today, 55% of people in the UK support equal marriage. The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill is due to go to report stage on the 8 July and have its third reading on the 15 July. | |
Government has a “duty” to provide Catholic Education, says ArchbishopNews | Tue, 25th Jun 2013 One of the Vatican's most senior clerics has used a visit to Scotland to reinforce the message that the provision of faith schools by the state is a fundamental right of Catholic families. Archbishop Gerhard Müller, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, made the statement at during a lecture at Glasgow University last week. He also drew attention to the "voices raised against" Catholic education. The visit is seen as an indication of the Vatican's interest of the health of the Catholic Church in Scotland, which has been through one of the biggest crises in its history. It also comes just a week after Secular Scotland lodged a petition with the Scottish parliament asking for the law to be changed so that RE and religious observance in state schools are opt-in rather than opt-out. Archbishop Müller will tell the audience: "For many decades, there have been voices raised against the idea of Catholic education, against the fact of distinct faith schools and increasingly, in today's society, there are great challenges to the very idea of a religious education." Archbishop Müller accepted there were voices within the Church itself which questioned the need for separate Catholic education. But he added: "The State has the duty and responsibility to facilitate the wishes of Catholic parents to educate their children according to their desire to pass on their faith to their children." Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society, said: "The Cardinal is obviously advocating for his own interests and those of his Church, but although most Human Rights charters guarantee parents the right to raise their children according to their own religion, no charter says that the state has a 'duty' or 'responsibility' to do the job for them or to use taxpayers' money to 'facilitate' it." Source: The Herald | |
Malta wants to be rid of some of the Catholic Church’s oppressive privilegesNews | Thu, 27th Jun 2013 The Prime Minister of Malta, Joseph Muscat, and a delegation of his ministers had a meeting with the Pope at the Vatican this week with the intention of negotiating changes to the concordat between Malta and the Holy See. In its account of the meeting, the Vatican made little mention of the concordat or other agreements that grant special privileges to the Catholic Church including teaching of Catholic dogma in State schools, other than to say there would be further talks about the "agreement on the civil effects of religious marriages." But according to Dr Muscat the central aim of the talks revolved around the revision of the 1992 treaty which allows the Catholic Church the final say in whether a marriage can be annulled or not, giving the Church supremacy over the civil courts. Dr Muscat explained that the treaty is being used vindictively in the Maltese courts, with the purpose of delaying marital court proceedings. He said that a prompt revision of the treaty is needed, particularly in light of the recent introduction of divorce in Malta. "The Vatican is prepared for and willing to change. We asked for a revision of the treaty, and we found an abundance of understanding on their part," Dr Muscat said. The Prime Minister explained that a bilateral commission will now be set up, with two representatives from each side in order to discuss the relevant changes to the treaty. Dr Muscat said that all discussions have to take place through the relevant diplomatic channels, ruling out any unilateral action on Malta's part. He said that in the spirit of openness, he informed the Vatican of the government's intentions to introduce civil unions in Malta. "It is important to maintain cordial relations with the Vatican. We were honest and open about our intentions, we did not approach the talks with the pretence of a holier than thou attitude." The Prime Minister placed emphasis on the need for a speedy resolution to the talks, saying that they have to be concluded within "a matter of months, not years." Dr Muscat hinted that the Vatican's position is that only the relevant clause of the treaty should be changed, but he said that the government wants a wider revision. He added that the Pope has been invited to visit Malta. Original source for story can be found here |
Read this week's Newsline in full (PDF)
NSS Speaks Out
The BBC's research into hospital chaplains resulted in the NSS being quoted in MSN and on the Press Association wire. Terry Sanderson, Stephen Evans, and Keith Porteous Wood did radio interviews on BBC London, Leeds, Northampton, York and Tees.
Terry Sanderson was quoted in an Independent story about the fall in the number of religious marriages
Quotes of the Week
"There is no organised campaign to suppress public expressions of religion. The issue at stake is whether there should be a civic role for religion. And there should not be, because what people believe about first and last things is irrelevant to their rights and their obligations."
(Oliver Kamm)
"Religious institutions should pass the plate to the faithful, not the taxpayers,"
(Rev. Barry W. Lynn, of Americans United for Separation of Church and State)
"The established or traditional religious position has so often been flat-out wrong that there's no reason to treat the religious perspective as authoritative."
(Alistair Denvil, PolicyMic)
Essays of the Week
Does it matter that young people in Britain aren't religious?
(Nelson Jones, New Statesman)
The Christian Right in America is deeply damaged – and it has only itself to blame
(David Gushee, Religion Despatches)
Upcoming Events
Empowering Women Through Secularism international conference
Sat, 29th Jun 2013
A Universe from Nothing discussion
Tue, 9th Jul 2013
Leics SitP - One Law For All
Tue, 16th Jul 2013
Freedom of Expression, Islam and Blasphemy talk
Tue, 16th Jul 2013