NSS Opinion
The chief rabbi has made an anti-democratic attempt to shut down criticism
Posted: Wed, 18 Sep 2019 by Chris Sloggett
The chief rabbi has asked secularists to stop campaigning against practices such as faith schools and infant circumcision. His apparently polite request should be firmly rejected, says Chris Sloggett. Read More »
A woman is convicted over circumcision. What happens next?
Posted: Fri, 06 Sep 2019 by Megan Manson
A pharmacist has been convicted for having a baby boy circumcised against his parents' wishes. Megan Manson says the case raises alarming questions over our willingness to defend children's bodily integrity consistently. Read More »
Beware moving election dates for religious reasons
Posted: Wed, 04 Sep 2019 by Chris Sloggett
The proposed date for a general election has moved to accommodate a Jewish festival. Chris Sloggett asks whether the government has weighed up all competing considerations before reaching this decision. Read More »
Religious reps’ influence over education is an affront to democracy
Posted: Tue, 27 Aug 2019 by Neil Barber
An NSS report has called for an end to religious appointees on council education committees in Scotland. Neil Barber says it's long past time for these positions to go. Read More »
Islam, like any other religion, must be fair game for criticism
Posted: Thu, 22 Aug 2019 by Stephen Evans
The disqualification of a GCSE student who criticised halal meat is a reminder of the need to resist censorious offence-taking on Islam and the normalisation of the idea of 'Islamophobia', says Stephen Evans. Read More »
The gatekeepers of public debate can’t patronise away anti-Muslim bigotry
Posted: Thu, 22 Aug 2019 by Chris Sloggett
Adopting a proposed definition of 'Islamophobia' would restrict legitimate speech on Islam and embed a failing approach to anti-Muslim hate. This is the NSS's submission to a series of essays criticising the definition. Read More »
The government must respond to pressure to end compulsory school worship
Posted: Mon, 05 Aug 2019 by Alastair Lichten
As opposition to compulsory worship gathers and its defenders grow increasingly out of touch, Alastair Lichten says ministers should reconsider the law and its implementation. Read More »
Non-stun slaughter must end on animal welfare grounds
Posted: Thu, 01 Aug 2019 by Dr Joyce D'Silva
Dr Joyce D'Silva of Compassion in World Farming says the organisation campaigns for an end to religious exemptions that allow non-stun slaughter so farm animals are treated as humanely as possible. Read More »
‘No Outsiders’ offers a vision of tolerance and equality
Posted: Wed, 31 Jul 2019 by Megan Manson
The current wave of religious protests outside schools began with objections to the No Outsiders scheme of work. As its author prepares to give the NSS's Bradlaugh Lecture, Megan Manson asks what the fuss was about. Read More »
The ‘minister for faith’ shouldn’t be replaced
Posted: Tue, 30 Jul 2019 by Stephen Evans
After the minister for faith's resignation, Stephen Evans says this unnecessary role enables the government to promote a positive view of religion and should be abandoned. Read More »
The new education secretary must resist the reactionary campaign against RSE
Posted: Thu, 25 Jul 2019 by Alastair Lichten
The campaign against inclusive relationships and sex education risks spreading from the school gates to sympathetic faith school authorities. Alastair Lichten argues the government must act now to save the subject. Read More »
Prayers aren't appropriate in the public realm
Posted: Thu, 25 Jul 2019 by Stephen Evans
As Brighton's new mayor comes under fire for abolishing prayers at council meetings, Stephen Evans argues that Britain's growing indifference to religion should prompt a rethink of religion's public role. Read More »
Charity law shouldn't support infant genital cutting
Posted: Tue, 23 Jul 2019 by Megan Manson
The existence of religious charities that support and facilitate infant circumcision demonstrates the urgent need to reform charity law, argues Megan Manson. Read More »
Why won’t the government condemn the existence of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws?
Posted: Thu, 18 Jul 2019 by Chris Sloggett
Ministers keep condemning the "misuse" of Pakistan's blasphemy laws in response to parliamentary questions. But the 'misuse' of indefensible laws isn't the issue – the existence of them is, says Chris Sloggett. Read More »
Blasphemy culture mustn’t undermine freedom of the press
Posted: Thu, 11 Jul 2019 by Chris Sloggett
The press regulator is consulting on guidelines which will inform the way stories about Islam and Muslims are reported. It must not endorse taboos which shut down debate and harm social cohesion, says Chris Sloggett. Read More »
Why are we letting faith schools stigmatise same-sex relationships?
Posted: Thu, 11 Jul 2019 by Megan Manson
Ofsted penalises schools that refuse to teach about LGBT people, but seems to ignore other schools that teach same-sex relationships are morally wrong. Megan Manson says this double standard needs to end. Read More »
Doctors who favour legalisation of assisted dying deserve a hearing
Posted: Thu, 04 Jul 2019 by Dr Antony Lempert
As more doctors' groups consult their members on assisted dying and parliament debates the issue, Dr Antony Lempert says the challenge to the status quo, which is propped up by religious interests, is welcome. Read More »
Equality for LGBT people requires a secular head of state
Posted: Thu, 27 Jun 2019 by Chris Sloggett
Prince William's comments on supporting his children if they are gay should be treated with much less significance than the fact he is due to lead an established church which obstructs LGBT equality, says Chris Sloggett. Read More »
IICSA report is a damning indictment of Catholic Church’s handling of sexual abuse
Posted: Thu, 20 Jun 2019 by Richard Scorer
The latest Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse report scotches once and for all the idea that Catholic safeguarding has been transformed, says Richard Scorer. Read More »
What might Catholic schools teach about transgender and intersex people?
Posted: Fri, 14 Jun 2019 by Megan Manson
Megan Manson examines a new document outlining the Catholic Church's position on issues relating to sex and gender, and explains how this may lead to conflict in Catholic Schools. Read More »
Countering the threat to religious freedom and of religious extremism
Posted: Wed, 12 Jun 2019 by Sara Khan
Countering extremism requires a whole-society response to uphold and promote democratic norms and principles and encourage debate and dialogue, says the lead commissioner for countering extremism Sara Khan. Read More »
Protecting children means challenging religious privilege
Posted: Fri, 07 Jun 2019 by Chris Sloggett
A report on child abuse in religious settings should prompt us to reconsider our relationship with religious institutions and their constitutional privileges and our wider attitude towards religion, says Chris Sloggett. Read More »
Sexual freedom and secularism have always gone hand in hand
Posted: Fri, 07 Jun 2019 by Stephen Evans
Stephen Evans says religious concerns weren't a good reason to restrict understanding of birth control in Victorian England and they aren't a good reason to undermine relationships and sex education today. Read More »
A message to anti-LGBT campaigners: There is no hierarchy of equality
Posted: Thu, 06 Jun 2019 by Adrian Hyyrylainen-Trett
In modern Britain equality is protected and one person's protected characteristics can't be used to subjugate another. The sooner people from all faiths and none realise this the better, argues Adrian Hyyrylainen-Trett. Read More »
Praying on the vulnerable
Posted: Fri, 24 May 2019 by Stephen Evans
A ruling that a nurse was not wrongly dismissed for repeatedly evangelising was unsurprising, says Stephen Evans. Healthcare professionals must be prepared to set aside their personal beliefs at work to protect patients. Read More »
