The UK is one of the last western democracies with a state religion: the Church of England.
The Church's entanglement with the state is bad for both.
Join our campaign to disestablish the Church.
CAMPAIGN ALERT: Support the disestablishment bill
In November 2023, a private member's bill to disestablish the Church of England was selected in the ballot.
Please write to your MP and urge them to support this bill, to make the UK are more equitable and democratic country for people of all religions and beliefs.
Since our founding in 1866, one of our primary objectives has been disestablishment of the Church of England: its formal separation from the state.
More than 150 years later, census figures show most people in England and Wales are not Christian. Surveys consistently reveal a similar picture in Scotland. The case for disestablishment has never been stronger.
Disestablishment means the Church would no longer have privileged input into government - but also that government could not involve itself in the running of the Church. Both sides would gain autonomy. This is why support for Church-state separation can be found within the CofE itself.
There have been many proponents, religious and non-religious, for church-state separation, and there are a wide variety of motivations for supporting this reform.
The existence of a legally-enshrined national religion privileges one part of the population, one institution and one set of beliefs. Removing all symbolic and institutional ties between government and religion is the only way to ensure equal treatment to citizens of all religions and none.
The Church of England has enjoyed significant privileges relating its established status for many centuries. These privileges have remained largely unchanged despite the massive and continuing reduction in support for the Church in the UK. It is highly likely that this trend will continue for the foreseeable future, making the Church of England's continuation as the established church unsustainable.
- Christians are a minority in Britain. In Wales and Scotland the majority have no religion.
- Just 1% of 18-24 year olds say they belong to the Church of England.
- Less than 1% of the population regularly attend Church of England church services.
The Church of England is also out of step with the UK public on several key issues: it remains opposed to same-sex relationships and allows parishes to reject women as bishops and priests. These discriminatory positions cannot be reconciled with the Church's status as part of the UK state.
And no institution with the shameful historical record of the Church of England safeguarding and abuse should retain its privileged role in the British establishment.
The existence of a legally enshrined national religion privileges one part of the population, one institution and one set of beliefs. Removing all symbolic and institutional ties between government and religion is the only way to ensure equal treatment of citizens of all religions and none.
Take action!
1. Write to your MP
Ask your MP to support the separation of church and state
2. Share your story
Tell us why you support this campaign, and how you are personally affected by the issue. You can also let us know if you would like assistance with a particular issue.
3. Join the National Secular Society
Become a member of the National Secular Society today! Together, we can separate religion and state for greater freedom and fairness.
Latest updates
NSS calls for action on religious homophobia in report to UN
Posted: Wed, 18 Jan 2023 11:54
The National Secular Society has highlighted the role of religion in discrimination against LGBT people in a submission to the United Nations.
It said the UK's established church, education and charity sector enable "state-condoned homophobia".
The NSS called for the government to tackle religious threats to LGBT equality in response to a call for evidence from the UN Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender (IE SOGI).
The IE SOGI is examining the relationship between freedom of religion or belief and discrimination against LGBT people. They will present their findings to the UN Human Rights Council later this year.
The NSS raised the following issues:
Established church
The doctrine of the Anglican church holds that gay sex is a sin and same-sex marriage is incompatible with scripture. This was most recently reaffirmed by the archbishop of Canterbury at the Lambeth conference last year.
The NSS said the government must take the necessary steps to disestablish the Church of England and abolish the bishops' bench, as it is unacceptable for any institution acting as part of the state to uphold homophobic values.
Schools
State-funded faith schools are permitted, under government guidance, to teach relationship and sex education (RSE) in line with their "distinctive faith perspective on relationships". This allows many schools, especially Catholic ones, to teach that homosexuality is wrong.
The issue also extends to nonreligious schools. In 2019, Parkfield School was targeted by Muslim activists for its 'No Outsiders' programme, which promoted LGBT rights. Last year, Khakan Qureshi, a gay Muslim man, received death threats after telling pupils at Wood Green Academy that Islam and homosexuality are compatible.
The NSS said the government must ensure schools are fulfilling their legal requirements under the Equality Act 2010 to teach inclusive RSE, without intimidation from religious fundamentalists.
Charities
"The advancement of religion" is a recognised charitable purpose in UK law. The NSS highlighted how this enables charities to promote homophobia as part of their religious doctrine. This includes charities which conduct so-called 'conversion therapy', such as Core Issues Trust.
The NSS said organisations which promote homophobia should not be permitted to register as charities.
Equality Act exemptions
The NSS said the government must re-examine exemptions for religious organisations in the Equality Act. It argued that while some exemptions may be reasonable, they are too often used to discriminate against LGBT people. In 2015, for example, a gay vicar who claimed his bishop had discriminated against him by denying him a post as a hospital chaplain lost his case at an employment tribunal.
NSS: State should not "endorse or condone" religious homophobia
NSS head of campaigns Megan Manson said: "All too often, freedom of religion or belief is interpreted as the right for beliefs to be protected, rather than people.
"Such an approach is frequently detrimental to oppressed groups including LGBT people.
"While religious people should be allowed to follow their beliefs, those beliefs must not be imposed on anyone. Nor should the state in any way endorse or condone homophobia, including religious homophobia.
"A secular democracy, which gives no privilege to religious ideas, is the best means of tackling tensions between religious freedom and the right of LGBT people to live free from discrimination and violence."
Anglican experts to join NSS event on disestablishment
Posted: Thu, 12 Jan 2023 11:42
Anglicans sceptical of the Church of England's established status will join the National Secular Society for an online discussion on the future of church and state.
The NSS is holding a free event on 15 February bringing together experts to explore the necessity of disestablishment in the context of modern Britain's religiously diverse landscape.
Census data released last year revealed Christians are now officially a minority in England and Wales for the first time.
But the CofE retains a privileged position as the established religion. It has seats reserved for its bishops in the House of Lords and its prayers are said before every sitting in the Houses of Parliament. It also controls over a quarter of all primary schools.
Additionally, the UK's head of state, King Charles, will be crowned in an Anglican ceremony where he will swear his allegiance to the CofE as its Supreme Governor.
The speakers will include Dr Martyn Percy, an academic and theologian. Ordained as a priest in the Church of England, in 2022 he announced he was leaving because of his concerns over the management of safeguarding, as well as bullying and harassment. Dr Percy is generally considered to represent the liberal tradition in the CofE and has been critical of Justin Welby's leadership as Archbishop of Canterbury.
Dr Jonathan Chaplin, a specialist in Christian political thought, will also speak. His latest book, Beyond Establishment, argues for an end to the privileged constitutional ties between church and state.
They will be joined by Dr Katie Edwards, an academic, writer and broadcaster. She has written widely for the press, including The Guardian, The Telegraph and The Washington Post.
NSS: Discussing disestablishment "more imperative than ever"
NSS chief executive Stephen Evans said: "Following the revelation that Christians are no longer the majority in England and Wales, the established church has never looked so out of place.
"It's therefore more imperative than ever that serious conversations about separating church and state are brought to the fore.
"This event will explore not only how disestablishment benefits the state, but also arguments from those within the Church who support a secular state from a religious perspective.
"It's an event designed to bring together everyone who believes that a secular democracy, in which people of all religions and beliefs are treated equally, is the best way to protect the rights and freedoms of all."
The Future of church and state: Perspectives on disestablishment will take place on 15 February 6-7pm on Zoom. Book your free place here.
