Opinion

Coats on pegs primary school

We must find the political will to end discriminatory school admissions

As families in England prepare to find out which primary schools their children will attend, Alastair Lichten says... Read More »

Front page Christmas edition Freethinker 1882

There is nothing new about cartoons which mock religion

Religious leaders have long feared irreverent drawings that could challenge their authority. We should remember that... Read More »

Children in class

If Scotland wants to uphold children’s rights, its schools need to change

After the Scottish parliament's decision to sign a charter for children's rights into law, Megan Manson says parties... Read More »

Batley Grammar School protesters

Western liberals’ weakness on blasphemy is letting down Muslim dissenters

The hand-wringing in the face of a vicious campaign against a teacher sends a demoralising message to those fighting... Read More »

Batley Grammar School

A lesson in blasphemy

After a teacher was suspended for showing cartoons of Muhammad in class, Stephen Evans says we shouldn't accept a... Read More »

Abortion rights Northern Ireland

Women in NI should have the same abortion rights as other UK citizens

Other people's religious beliefs shouldn't be allowed to continue to thwart women's access to safe and accessible... Read More »

Welsh Senedd

Ending compulsory worship in schools should be next on the agenda for Wales

Following major curriculum reforms in Wales, Alastair Lichten argues that the Senedd should now turn its attention... Read More »

Any serious counter-extremism strategy should consider religious charities

Any serious counter-extremism strategy should consider religious charities

As a commission calls for action to tackle hateful extremism, Megan Manson says changes in the charity sector –... Read More »

School sign

Faith-based school admissions pave the way for sexist and unreasonable demands. It’s time to end them

An adjudicator's ruling has exposed the outrageous requirements a state-funded faith school places on pupils and their... Read More »

Boy walking to school

Joint campuses are a cop out in efforts to tackle sectarianism

As the Scottish government confirms funding for a new joint campus between a non-denominational school and a Catholic... Read More »

Northern Ireland education review inclusion children at school

NI’s education review is a golden chance to take a stand for inclusion

Alastair Lichten says a review of education provision in Northern Ireland must be willing to challenge entrenched... Read More »

Children at school faith schools

The evidence against faith schools is overwhelming

A comprehensive new bank of academic research shows how shaky the main arguments for faith schools are, say its authors... Read More »

Tuam Bon Secours mother and baby home mass grave

Ireland's mother and baby homes scandal shows the necessity of separating church and state

The misery which women and children faced for decades highlights the damage that can be done when states leave religious... Read More »

Tandav film

Religious censorship is about ownership

Theocratic demands for censorship in India and Pakistan reflect attempts to grab power which undermine everyone's... Read More »

Christian nationalism in US Capitol riot

Christian nationalism is a key part of Trump’s legacy

As the US presidency changes hands, Alastair Lichten argues that understanding Christian nationalism is essential... Read More »

Children in class

Our school – and community – were severely disadvantaged by our C of E status

Former headteacher John Mapperley says the school he ran was given a vastly reduced range of options when considering... Read More »

Religious conversion

Religious conversion isn’t a charitable endeavour

Some registered charities exist primarily to convert members of one religion to another. Megan Manson says such activity... Read More »

Charlie Hebdo cartoon

"Being offended is the price we pay for living in a free society": NSS CEO talks to Charlie Hebdo

The French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo has been the target of terrorist attacks in 2011, 2015, and 2020. All... Read More »

Church open sign

The lockdown exemption for communal worship represents a dangerous double standard

With the country again plunged into a strict lockdown, Stephen Evans questions the rationale behind and wisdom of... Read More »

Freedom of and from religion

All I want for Christmas is freedom of and from religion

Opponents often erect a straw man of secularism to justify demands for religious privilege. But freedom of religion... Read More »

Understanding Christianity and the study of religion and worldviews

RE shouldn’t be a vehicle for the Church of England’s interests

A new study of a widely-used set of RE resources illustrates the way powerful groups control the subject to accommodate... Read More »

Sex education

The Catholic Church’s dogma shouldn’t undermine sex education

The local council in the Outer Hebrides has endorsed Catholic Church resources on sex and relationships – with... Read More »

Janet Daby MP

Religion is not a justification for discrimination

A shadow minister was wrong to say religious registrars should be able to opt out of providing same-sex marriages.... Read More »

Girl walking away from school

Allowing religious discrimination in school admissions opens the door to other forms of discrimination

A state-funded faith school recently rejected a child because her mother isn't Jewish. This shows the absurdity of... Read More »

Blood transfusion

The state mustn’t allow children to die for their stated religious beliefs

The High Court is considering whether to allow a girl from a Jehovah's Witness community to refuse blood transfusions.... Read More »

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