"We realised that all our doubts, all the things we had been fobbed off about by priests and teachers, we had been right about all along. We were right to ask these questions and, no, they didn't have an answer, they were just very good at telling you to stop looking for it."
(Novelist Christopher Brookmyre telling of his loss of faith in Scotland on Sunday)

“You would think that by now Allah’s message might be getting through. Time after time Muslim fanatics attempt to wreak devastation in Britain – and succeed only in blowing themselves up, or setting themselves on fire, or their explosives refuse to do the decent thing and explode – while we infidel cockroaches look on in bemusement, quite unharmed. If you were a devout believer, you might put two and two together and begin to suspect that Allah doesn’t entirely approve of blowing British people to bits. He would much rather his jihadis stayed at home and watched the Eurovision Song Contest, or did a spot of gardening, or took the dog for a walk.”
(Rod Liddle, Sunday Times)

“As noble as this fight against abortion may seem, Pope Benedict and the Vatican hierarchy are using it as a not-so-secret weapon to bend national governments to their will. As pro-Catholic governments start popping up across Europe, in part on account of the abortion issue, what other doctrines will begin to be enforced? What started out as a fight for the lives of unborn babies could end up as a fight to enforce Sunday worship or universal acceptance of papal infallibility.”
(Editorial, The Trumpet)

(Peter Steinfels, New York Times)
(The Secular Conscience is available from the NSS shop )

(Michael Burleigh, Sunday Times)

(Dan Kennedy, Guardian)

Jim Dobbin MP has been awarded a papal knighthood for his services to the Church. Mr Dobbin, chairman of the all-party Pro-Life Group, will be appointed a Knight of the Order of St Gregory by the papal nuncio at a service next month.

Shropshire County Council Cabinet has decided to proceed with its plan to create six new faith schools. Twelve existing schools are to be closed, the pupils from each pair going to a new faith school.

Councils up and down the country are scrapping free transport privileges to religious schools in an attempt to save money.

Editorial by Terry Sanderson
Did you know that atheism is becoming a key cause of demonic influence in the world? Well, that is the claim of the personal exorcist to Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor, leader of Catholics in England and Wales.

NSS Council Member and barrister Carla Revere attended a Symposium on Law and Religion, part of the 2008 Temple Festival. Carla reports: “In the light of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s remarks about sharia law, the evening stimulated much debate.

Here’s a very recommendable book that should be on every non-believers bookshelf. The Quotable Atheist is just that – a great collection of quips and aphorisms by some of the world’s wittiest and wisest.

The Bible is er… cowpat, say Penn & Teller

God may work in mysterious ways, but a simple computer program called Evogod may explain how religion evolved. By assuming that a small number of people have a genetic predisposition to pass along unverifiable information, the program predicts that religion will flourish. However, according to the US scientist who wrote the program, religion only takes hold if non-believers help believers out – perhaps because they are impressed by their devotion.
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