Author: Stephen Evans
Religious dogma still clouds assisted dying debate
Posted: Thu, 07 Feb 2019 by Stephen Evans
As the Royal College of Physicians consults its members over assisted dying, Stephen Evans says we should be aware of often well-disguised theological objections to reform. Read More »
Institutionalised prayer doesn't belong in parliament
Posted: Wed, 16 Jan 2019 by Stephen Evans
As MPs launch a motion against parliamentary prayers, NSS CEO Stephen Evans says ending the anachronistic custom would strike a blow for modernity, equality and freedom of conscience. Read More »
Students should be free to excuse themselves from worship
Posted: Fri, 14 Dec 2018 by Stephen Evans
After two students pushed the Welsh government for a response to a petition to remove schools' obligation to hold acts of worship, Stephen Evans says pupils should be free to opt out of religious practices in schools. Read More »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
Bishop Rachel’s prejudiced thinking highlights the problem of state-sponsored religion
Posted: Wed, 13 Jun 2018 by Stephen Evans
The bishop of Gloucester is entitled to question whether atheists can truly have deep love or hope, writes Stephen Evans. But the state shouldn't indulge the view that the religious are morally superior to others.
The bishop of Gloucester drew criticism this... Read More »
The government's U-turn shows the tide is turning against faith schools
Posted: Fri, 18 May 2018 by Stephen Evans
The decision not to allow more faith-based admissions to new free schools in England is a big win, says Stephen Evans. But the expansion of faith schools is the wrong response to Britain's growing religious diversity.
The government's U-turn on its manifesto... Read More »
The row over right of withdrawal highlights the need to reform RE
Posted: Fri, 13 Apr 2018 by Stephen Evans
Teachers from the ATL union have voted to demand a clampdown on parents selectively withdrawing their children from RE. But Stephen Evans says the right to withdraw should only be scrapped once the subject is reformed.
A teaching union warned recently that... Read More »
Religious freedom isn't a licence to violate others’ rights
Posted: Thu, 01 Mar 2018 by Stephen Evans
Increasing clashes between religious orthodoxy and secular liberalism highlight one of the most pressing challenges facing contemporary societies; how to manage the incredible religious and cultural diversity that exist within them. This throws up important... Read More »
We can’t allow faith groups to hamper efforts to regulate supplementary schools
Posted: Mon, 12 Feb 2018 by Stephen Evans
As a trial reveals the brainwashing of boys during evening classes at a mosque in Barking, Stephen Evans says the Government should defy faith groups which resist the regulation of out-of-school educational settings.
Schools rightly have safeguarding responsibilities... Read More »
Religious bullies are on a roll. It’s time we all stood up to them
Posted: Thu, 25 Jan 2018 by Stephen Evans
Amid a series of concessions to religious hardliners, Stephen Evans says those brave enough to resist their demands need much more support.
No sooner had Sara Khan been appointed the new Commissioner for Countering Extremism than the reactionaries were howling... Read More »
Will Anglicanism reign supreme at the next coronation?
Posted: Fri, 12 Jan 2018 by Stephen Evans
As the BBC focuses on the Queen's coronation, Stephen Evans says the next initiation of the UK's head of state will be a major test of the monarchy's ability to evolve and reflect the nation it serves.
On Sunday the BBC will broadcast an hour-long film on the... Read More »
The Minister for Faith went on a tour of Anglican cathedrals and all we got was a lousy report
Posted: Thu, 04 Jan 2018 by Stephen Evans
Stephen Evans questions the point of a Minister for Faith and says his recent tour of all 42 of England's Anglican cathedrals was a waste of ministerial time and taxpayers' money.
I've often wondered what the point of a Minister for Faith is. What do they actually... Read More »
Secularism is a challenge to religion’s political power and privilege, not people of faith
Posted: Fri, 22 Dec 2017 by Stephen Evans
Some Christians use the Christmas period to attack secularism for its challenge to their sense of entitlement. But Stephen Evans says the faithful have far more to fear from religious fanatics than secularists.
Buying a copy of the Christmas edition of the... Read More »
Who controls religious education?
Posted: Thu, 16 Nov 2017 by Stephen Evans
Necessary reforms of religious education are being frustrated by religion's lingering influence. It's time to liberate RE from the vested interests, argues Stephen Evans.
Religious education in England faces "a perilous future" unless it is subject to "strategic,... Read More »
Beware the drip drip of religious exemptions
Posted: Sat, 02 Sep 2017 by Stephen Evans
As a theme park lifts its ban on Sikh ceremonial swords, NSS campaigns director Stephen Evans questions the wisdom behind religious exemptions from generally applicable rules.
The latest submission to religious demands came this week when a popular theme park... Read More »
Intolerant religion mustn’t dictate England’s education policy
Posted: Wed, 26 Jul 2017 by Stephen Evans
The government is under fire over proposals to lift the cap on faith-based admissions in faith schools. Stephen Evans says the plans should be abandoned - and religious groups' role in education rolled back.
Following criticism of the government's divisive... Read More »
Separate is not equal – not in this ‘faith’ school
Posted: Tue, 11 Jul 2017 by Stephen Evans
Turning a blind eye to discriminatory gender discrimination in Islamic schools would be disaster for future generations of British girls growing up in Muslim communities, argues Stephen Evans.
I was in court this week for Ofsted's appeal of a ruling that gender... Read More »
Anti-Muslim hate must be challenged. Silencing criticism of Islam won’t help
Posted: Fri, 23 Jun 2017 by Stephen Evans
Both the Government and civil-society have a role to play in challenging anti-Muslim hate, but efforts to silence criticisms of Islam will only be counterproductive, argues Stephen Evans.
In the wake of yet more manifestations of violent Islamism and anti-Muslim... Read More »
Scottish care provider’s decision to drop faith test should prompt a rethink over equality exceptions
Posted: Tue, 13 Jun 2017 by Stephen Evans
When religious organisations are delivering state-funded public services they should neither discriminate nor proselytize – argues Stephen Evans, looking at the case of CrossReach and its implications.
The decision of The Church of Scotland this week... Read More »
We need to defend both our lives and our way of life
Posted: Thu, 08 Jun 2017 by Stephen Evans
Terrorist atrocities have a way of bringing the nation together, albeit temporarily. We need a glue to keep us together, to protect our lives and our way of life, writes Stephen Evans.
There's a lot to be said for Britain's calm, defiant response to the threat... Read More »
