NSS Opinion
Secular attitudes and laws are assets against coronavirus
Posted: Fri, 03 Apr 2020 by Chris Sloggett
Religious fanaticism is hindering the fight against coronavirus across much of the world. But in Britain, claims to religious exceptionalism are thankfully relatively isolated, says Chris Sloggett. Read More »
Stuck at home? Here’s how you can learn about and support secularism
Posted: Fri, 27 Mar 2020 by National Secular Society
Most NSS supporters will now be confined to their homes over the coming weeks. But there's still plenty you can do to learn about secularism and promote our campaign for secular democracy. Read More »
Northern Ireland’s new abortion guidelines are welcome but should have gone further
Posted: Fri, 27 Mar 2020 by Dr Antony Lempert
As the government publishes a framework for the extension of abortion rights in NI, Dr Antony Lempert welcomes politicians' belated willingness to defend women's right to choose but laments several missed opportunities. Read More »
Trevor Phillips’s suspension is another blow to robust public debate
Posted: Wed, 11 Mar 2020 by Chris Sloggett
You don't need to agree with everything Trevor Phillips has said about Muslims or Islam to be concerned at the attempt to render his ideas beyond the pale, says Chris Sloggett. Read More »
Don’t let religious interests make divorce any harder than it needs to be
Posted: Thu, 05 Mar 2020 by Chris Sloggett
The Church of England and its supporters are opposing plans to make it easier for couples to divorce without assigning blame. Chris Sloggett says parliamentarians should resist their lobbying. Read More »
Most Brits don’t pray. It’s time for our institutions to stop imposing worship
Posted: Tue, 03 Mar 2020 by Megan Manson
As figures show most people in Britain never pray, Megan Manson says institutionalised prayer has no place in our parliament, councils, schools or public ceremonies. Read More »
Can chaplaincy ever be fit for the 21st century?
Posted: Mon, 02 Mar 2020 by Dr Antony Lempert
A report highlighting the institutional bias towards Christianity in NHS chaplaincy services should prompt us to ask whether taxpayers should fund chaplaincy in the health service at all, says Dr Antony Lempert. Read More »
Faith groups should practice without preaching when helping the vulnerable
Posted: Thu, 20 Feb 2020 by Megan Manson
As a report shows some religious groups are helping survivors of modern slavery without proselytising, Megan Manson says public sector bodies must ensure all organisations that provide services adopt similar policies. Read More »
Don’t let religious advocates define the boundaries of acceptable thought
Posted: Thu, 20 Feb 2020 by Chris Sloggett
A BBC debate on defining 'Islamophobia' was a reminder of the risks of giving too much ground to religious identity politics and empowering 'community groups' to police public discussion, says Chris Sloggett. Read More »
Denying a judicial review over a faith school’s expansion was a lamentable decision
Posted: Fri, 14 Feb 2020 by James Brunt
After he was refused permission for a judicial review against Vale of Glamorgan Council, James Brunt says its decision to expand a faith school was based on dubious methodology and defied reasonable logic. Read More »
The Cardinal Barbarin case highlights the need for well-drafted mandatory reporting laws
Posted: Thu, 06 Feb 2020 by Keith Porteous Wood
The conviction of France's most senior Catholic cleric for failing to report child abuse has been overturned. Keith Porteous Wood says this should be a warning to those charged with responding to abuse in the UK. Read More »
The bishops’ bench is an affront to democracy. Let’s scrap it
Posted: Fri, 31 Jan 2020 by Stephen Evans
A new bill proposes to end Church of England bishops' automatic right to sit in parliament. This religious privilege is part of an unjust status quo and should be addressed, says Stephen Evans. Read More »
Our MPs now subscribe to many religious beliefs and none – it’s time to scrap parliamentary prayers
Posted: Fri, 31 Jan 2020 by Megan Manson
A religiously diverse new intake of MPs should prompt the removal of parliamentary prayers and the Church of England's privilege in our political institutions, says Megan Manson. Read More »
The Church of England’s position on sex is yet another reason for disestablishment
Posted: Thu, 30 Jan 2020 by Keith Porteous Wood
The C of E's position that sex is only for heterosexual married couples is heartless, discriminatory and out of touch with the country it supposedly serves. Time to cut its ties to the state, says Keith Porteous Wood. Read More »
Promote religious freedom in schools: abolish the worship requirement
Posted: Wed, 22 Jan 2020 by Stephen Evans
A private member's bill to replace compulsory worship with inclusive assemblies should prompt the government to reform the archaic collective worship law, says Stephen Evans. Read More »
Let’s disestablish the church that covered up sexual abuse
Posted: Fri, 17 Jan 2020 by Keith Porteous Wood
Keith Porteous Wood says the shocking failings highlighted by the BBC documentary The Church's Darkest Secret show the need to separate church and state. Read More »
Five years after the Charlie Hebdo murders, free expression on religion still needs promoting
Posted: Tue, 07 Jan 2020 by Chris Sloggett
Half a decade after the Islamist attack on cartoonists in France, Chris Sloggett says we owe it to the victims and those left behind to reject blasphemy taboos. Read More »
Don’t let controlling ultra-Orthodox Jewish groups undermine sex education
Posted: Fri, 03 Jan 2020 by Stephen Evans
Sex education empowers young people. The government must stand up to those making faux religious freedom arguments in an attempt to stop them receiving it, argues Stephen Evans. Read More »
The 1944 Education Act was a landmark law – but let’s reconsider the privileges it granted to religion
Posted: Wed, 18 Dec 2019 by Keith Sharpe
Three-quarters of a century ago an enduring piece of legislation secured free education for all – but gave churches substantial control over schools in return. Keith Sharpe says this settlement needs updating. Read More »
Medical regulators shouldn’t let doctors push religion on patients
Posted: Tue, 10 Dec 2019 by Stephen Evans
The General Medical Council has decided not to pursue a case against a GP who was accused of pushing religion on a vulnerable patient. Stephen Evans warns against allowing this exploitative behaviour. Read More »
The requirement to hold collective worship in schools is crumbling and not worth saving
Posted: Thu, 05 Dec 2019 by Alastair Lichten
After two parents forced a school trust to provide an alternative to religious assemblies for their children, Alastair Lichten says the law which requires schools to hold acts of worship needs to change. Read More »
The medical profession should protect all children from unnecessary genital cutting
Posted: Thu, 05 Dec 2019 by Dr Antony Lempert
Doctors in Britain should follow the lead of those who have declared ritual male circumcision a breach of medical ethics, argues Dr Antony Lempert. Read More »
Election 2019: Secularism and the parties of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Posted: Wed, 04 Dec 2019 by Megan Manson
Megan Manson continues our election analysis of parties' policies on secularist issues. This time she examines the policies of the major parties of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Read More »
Election 2019: Where do the major parties stand on secularist issues?
Posted: Thu, 28 Nov 2019 by Megan Manson
Megan Manson studies the main UK-wide parties' election manifestos – and says religion will continue to be a dividing force in UK politics during the next parliament. Read More »
Why the blind spot when it comes to faith schools?
Posted: Fri, 22 Nov 2019 by Stephen Evans
Politicians need to end their fetishisation of faith schools and face the fact that a religiously divided education system is unfit for the future, argues Stephen Evans. Read More »
