(Jonathan Rauch, Atlantic)

"Religion has been used, politicised, not only by groups but also the official institutions in every Arab country. Nearly everything is theologised – every issue society faces has to be solved by asking if Islam allows it. There is no distinction between the domain of religion and secular space.”
(Abu Zayd, professor of humanism and Islam quoted by Reuters)

“Given the fundamental differences about religion—not just between religions, but between those who are religious and those who are not—we have to find a framework with which we can all live, if we are to get along. The one that says that the criminal law will deal with people who make remarks about religion that offend but do not harm people will send us in the wrong direction and make maintaining a cohesive society more difficult.”
(David Howarth, Lib Dem MP for Cambridge in Parliamentary debate on blasphemy)

The House of Commons voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to support the abolition of the common law offences of blasphemy and blasphemous libel.

The Church commissioners — the trustees who manage the assets of the Church of England — this week published news of record profits from investments for 2007. The 33-strong board announced overall returns of 9.4 per cent on their investments last year and a 9.5 per cent total return on invested funds over the past 10 years.

We’re frequently told that parents are rushing to send their children to “faith schools” because they perform so well. But, to show that this is not universally true, we can reveal that last week OFSTED inspectors placed a Northampton Catholic school into special measures

The overtly religious vote in the London mayoral elections has dropped consistently since the first attempt to gain power for a Christian party was made in 2000.

The BBC has given a US$5,000 “prize” to a Ugandan Catholic radio station in order for it to expand its reach and upgrade its equipment.

The European Union has dropped a threat to bring legal proceedings against Ireland unless the country changed its policy of giving wide exemptions to religious bodies in employment discrimination regulations.

Islamic militants in Pakistan's tribal areas, which border Afghanistan, have issued a decree banning music from mobile phone ringtones and vehicles in tribal areas of the country. A spokesman for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Maulana Faqir Mohammed said they would not allow commuters to play music in their cars or use musical ringtones on mobile phones. He warned that offenders would be punished according to Shariah laws.

Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, the chief propagandist of the Vatican’s reactionary “family” agenda, which forbids contraception, abortion, homosexuality and the use of condoms to prevent AIDS, has died at the age of 72.

Editorial by Terry Sanderson
Lord Lamont, speaking in parliament the other day said: “Part of the tension between Islam and the West is not a clash of religions, but a clash between belief and unbelief.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown invited 80 senior church leaders to a reception in Downing Street on Wednesday “In Honour of the Global Day of Prayer London”

“Through the allegory of Candide, Voltaire pokes fun at religion and theologians, governments and armies, philosophies and philosophers”. Now the English National Opera is to present a production of Leonard Bernstein’s operetta based on Candide at the London Coliseum. Details here. The music is wonderful, the book is great and the production values will be tremendous.

Read more information about Candide from Wikipedia

The Financial Services Authority has endorsed the first Sharia-compliant insurance packages for car owners. Bradley Brandon Cross, the chief executive of Principle Insurance, said: “We estimate that in excess of 500,000 British Muslims are car owners. With motor insurance being a legal requirement, these consumers currently have to buy insurance that compromises their beliefs.” The firm will not invest in breweries or other companies whose trade contravenes Islamic beliefs.

Following our report on organ donation last week, here is a link to a site that encourages you to join the organ donor register and carry an organ donor card.

The Concordatwatch website, edited by Muriel Fraser, has come up with this clear, straightforward and well-researched definition of secularism. Take a look.

Terry Sanderson had a blog on the Guardian’s Comment is Free about gay adoption and the Catholic Church. It reached number one in the rankings, as the most commented on blog of the day.

Terry also did the Sunday morning review of the papers for BBC London 97.3 last week.
He was also on BBC Radio Leicester on Friday, talking about Cardinal Murphy O’Connor’s speech.

Terry Sanderson also had this blog in the Guardian’s Comment is Free about the speech by Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor.

We often have enquiries from parents who want to know if there are any books available about atheism or scepticism for their children – to counter the endless numbers of religious propaganda books on the shelves of libraries and schools. Now we have in stock Maybe Yes, Maybe No – A Guide For Young Skeptics By Dan Barker

Please send your letters for publication to letters@secularism.org.uk. We want to publish as many letters as possible, so please keep them brief. We reserve the right to edit. Opinions expressed in letters are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the NSS.

International Conscientious Objectors’ Day:
Thursday May 15, 12 noon at the commemorative stone in Tavistock Square, London WC1.
Annual ceremony of remembrance for COs and laying of carnations. Keynote speaker Norma Kember. Further details – www.rrk.freeuk.com

Gay and Lesbian Asylum Seekers - panel discussion
Friday May 16th, 7.30pm Amnesty Human Rights Centre, 17–25 New Inn Yard, London E2 3EA. Admission free
The desperate plight of LGBT asylum seekers will be explored in a panel discussion organised by The Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA) on Friday 16 May. Some gay people who are returned to their country of origin may face persecution, imprisonment or even death. The discussion aims to find ways for politicians, campaigners and supporters to support these victims of religious persecution.

09 May 2008