The statement by Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor on the Radio 4 Today programme today was dismissed as “an attempt to place churches above the law” say the National Secular Society.

The confrontation over the Sexual Orientation Regulations is creating a major conflict between where the rights of the church end and democracy begins, says the National Secular Society.

Catholic pressure being applied to the Government over the new gay rights law was condemned by the National Secular Society as "straightforward blackmail that risks undermining democracy".

Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly must not be allowed to write Catholic dogma into British law, says the National Secular Society (NSS).

As MPs prepare to debate the Sexual Orientation Regulations tomorrow (Wednesday), the National Secular Society urges them to ignore the inflammatory and dishonest religious campaigns that caused such controversy last week when the House of Lords debated the issue.

Religious groups are issuing a “torrent of lies” in order to have a new law that prohibits discrimination against gays annulled, says The National Secular Society.

The National Secular Society (NSS) has welcomed the House of Lords decision to approve the Sexual Orientation Regulations, saying that “this is only the first step – the real battle will be to get the version covering England and Wales through without them being rendered meaningless with religious exemptions.”

The National Secular Society has condemned an evangelical Christian group’s intention to petition to the Queen to intervene over Parliament’s introduction of anti-discrimination provisions to be a “publicity stunt seeking to sideline the democratic process”.

The National Secular Society has asked the Parliamentary Human Rights Committee to recommend clarifying the law to ensure that when a public body delegates functions such as faith based welfare to a private body, the latter is subject to a duty not to act in a way which is incompatible with human rights.

The National Secular Society has dismissed the reports of employers “banning Christmas” as exaggerated and misleading.