NSS Opinion
European ruling that ‘religious feelings’ trump free speech is a dangerous development
Posted: Fri, 26 Oct 2018 by Stephen Evans
Just as Irish citizens strike a blow for the right to freedom of expression, the European Court has fundamentally undermined it, argues Stephen Evans.
Irish voters decided this week to remove the 'crime' of blasphemy from its constitution. The majority of citizens,... Read More »
We must resist both religious hatred and its weaponisation
Posted: Thu, 18 Oct 2018 by Alastair Lichten
After a sharp rise in reported crimes in which religious hatred was a factor, Alastair Lichten says liberal democracies should challenge hatred and bigotry while resisting attempts to silence ideas.
According to new figures from the Home Office there were 94,098... Read More »
Why are harmful charities registered at all?
Posted: Fri, 12 Oct 2018 by Megan Manson
The revelation that Amazon funds extremist religious charities is the tip of the iceberg. Our charity system has deep problems, in part stemming from the presumption that religion is a public good, says Megan Manson.
On paper, it's hard to find fault with Amazon... Read More »
The questionable ethics of evangelical debt advice
Posted: Fri, 05 Oct 2018 by Stephen Evans
The good deeds of faith-based organisations shouldn't lead us to turn a blind eye to their more ethically dubious practices, argues Stephen Evans.
Personal debt in the UK has reached epic proportions. Millions of households are living beyond their means with... Read More »
Don’t let mixed-sex civil partnerships distract from the need for marriage reform
Posted: Wed, 03 Oct 2018 by Chris Sloggett
Campaigners' elation at the arrival of opposite-sex civil partnerships is understandable, says Chris Sloggett. But beware politicians using it to excuse their failure to loosen the Church of England's grip on marriage.
It's hard to begrudge Rebecca Steinfeld... Read More »
Genital cutting: the search for ‘health benefits’ is disingenuous and inconsistent
Posted: Thu, 27 Sep 2018 by Brian D. Earp
The principle of bodily autonomy is enough reason to end genital cutting, says Brian D. Earp. Allowing 'health benefits' to dictate its acceptability risks legitimising inconsistent, pseudo-scientific justifications. Read More »
Stop reflexively saying yes to religious groups
Posted: Fri, 21 Sep 2018 by Chris Sloggett
As councils in north London, police in West Yorkshire and politicians in Westminster pander to religious groups' demands, Chris Sloggett says public bodies should stop taking the line of least resistance.
When you're up against someone who wants something,... Read More »
China's religious persecution is a secularist issue
Posted: Fri, 21 Sep 2018 by Stephen Evans
China may be the most godless country in the world, but it is far from being a secular one. Stephen Evans says the intensifying religious persecution in the repressive state must be condemned.
China is by far the most godless country in the world. According... Read More »
Why we must reclaim religious freedom
Posted: Wed, 12 Sep 2018 by National Secular Society
There is an urgent case for resisting those who claim the mantle of 'religious freedom' without regard for others' rights and freedoms. Here's why our Secularism 2019 conference will be held under the tagline 'reclaiming religious freedom'.
"Everyone has the... Read More »
The Catholic Church’s record on abuse demands accountability, not more meaningless apologies
Posted: Fri, 24 Aug 2018 by Keith Porteous Wood
As the pope prepares to visit Ireland, NSS president Keith Porteous Wood says the international community must confront the Vatican over its shameful record on child abuse and demand action to bring secular justice.
Forty years ago, mass attendance per capita... Read More »
Religious power and privilege failed the victims in the Peter Ball affair
Posted: Sat, 11 Aug 2018 by Keith Porteous Wood
In this long read NSS president Keith Porteous Wood explains how all arms of the law co-operated to protect the now former bishop Peter Ball for decades and refutes claims that "it couldn't happen now".
Peter Ball started misusing his religious power to sexually... Read More »
Child protection must come before the reputation of institutions like Ampleforth and Downside
Posted: Thu, 09 Aug 2018 by Richard Scorer
Richard Scorer says a damning report on two leading Catholic schools' approach to safeguarding is a reminder of the need for a law mandating the reporting of suspected child abuse to the secular authorities.
At the end of 2017 the Independent Inquiry into Child... Read More »
Do burka bans do more harm than good?
Posted: Thu, 02 Aug 2018 by Stephen Evans
As Denmark's ban on face coverings in public comes into force, Stephen Evans says standing up for fundamental rights and freedoms is the best way to push back against the oppression the burka represents.
Denmark became the latest country to "ban the burka"... Read More »
Universities must commit to free expression – and they should stop hiring religious chaplains
Posted: Thu, 02 Aug 2018 by Chris Sloggett
A chaplain should not have been sacked for criticising Pride off campus, says Chris Sloggett. But universities can strike a blow for free speech and critical enquiry if they stop appointing religious representatives.
It is both impossible and undesirable to... Read More »
Anglicanism's 'purple circle' of bishops cannot be trusted over child abuse
Posted: Sat, 28 Jul 2018 by Keith Porteous Wood
NSS president Keith Porteous Wood reflects on the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse's hearings into the case of the abusive bishop Peter Ball.
Under the guise of schemes with names such as "Give a Year to God", former Church of England bishop Peter... Read More »
Pakistan’s elections will mean little for minorities and secularists
Posted: Wed, 25 Jul 2018 by Basit Mahmood
Religious hardliners have pushed both frontrunners in Pakistan's elections to the right – and neither is prepared to stand up to them, says Basit Mahmood.
Change is in the air according to those campaigning in Pakistan's elections, as Imran Khan campaigns... Read More »
The Church of England provided the perfect cover for Peter Ball’s offending
Posted: Mon, 23 Jul 2018 by Richard Scorer
Opening statement by lawyer Richard Scorer of Slater and Gordon, also an NSS vice president, at the IICSA inquiry's hearings into the case of Peter Ball, the former bishop of Gloucester.
Chair and members of the panel: Mr O'Donnell and I represent five survivors... Read More »
Church schools are faith schools. Pretending otherwise is dishonest
Posted: Fri, 20 Jul 2018 by Alastair Lichten
The Church of England's pretence that 'its' schools aren't faith schools is a dishonest attempt to avoid association with the unpopularity of faith-based schooling, and at odds with their actual policy, argues Alastair Lichten.
When the term 'faith school'... Read More »
Sectarian schooling is nothing to celebrate
Posted: Fri, 13 Jul 2018 by Stephen Evans
Integrating schools isn't a magic bullet to end sectarianism, but no serious attempt to address the issue can ignore the role of religiously segregated schools, argues Stephen Evans.
Last week, as Catholic worshippers were leaving Saturday evening Mass in Glasgow... Read More »
I was concerned about proselytisation on a school trip – and the school listened
Posted: Thu, 12 Jul 2018 by A Parent
Sometimes concerns regarding religious interference in education can be easily resolved, simply through clear and polite conversations with the school. A parent shares her recent experiences working together with her school to stop educational trips to a church... Read More »
Ten years on from the abolition of blasphemy, free speech still needs defending
Posted: Wed, 11 Jul 2018 by Stephen Evans
Marking ten years since the criminal offence of blasphemy was abolished in England and Wales, Stephen Evans argues that the freedom to speak critically about beliefs others hold sacred is far from assured.
This week marks the 10-year anniversary of the abolition... Read More »
Seven secularist steps that would strengthen democracy in the UK
Posted: Wed, 04 Jul 2018 by Megan Manson
In recognition of National Democracy Week 2018, Megan Manson reflects on what still needs to be changed to make the UK a truly democratic, secular state. Read More »
The seal of the confessional and child abuse: a religious privilege too far
Posted: Mon, 25 Jun 2018 by Richard Scorer
Some clerics want exemptions from reporting requirements on abuse when it's revealed in the confessional. Accommodating their demands would undermine efforts to tackle child abuse, says Richard Scorer.
The controversy over the seal of confessional in clerical... Read More »
A Christian theatre company promoted abstinence in my daughter’s school. It was worth challenging it
Posted: Mon, 25 Jun 2018 by A Parent
A parent says it was important to challenge a school's decision to invite a Christian charity to perform a show with a pro-abstinence message under the guise of sex education.
Recently I received a letter from my daughter's school (a local authority-run comprehensive... Read More »
The British people deserve better than the fawning over Michael Curry
Posted: Thu, 21 Jun 2018 by Chris Sloggett
As a poll shows public ambivalence to a much-hyped sermon at the royal wedding, Chris Sloggett says the fuss around Michael Curry has distracted from an opportunity to ask critical questions about religion's public role.
In March the Independent Inquiry into... Read More »
