Author: Stephen Evans
Institutionalised prayer doesn't belong in parliament
As MPs launch a motion against parliamentary prayers, NSS CEO Stephen Evans says ending the anachronistic custom would... Read More »
Students should be free to excuse themselves from worship
After two students pushed the Welsh government for a response to a petition to remove schools' obligation to hold... Read More »
European ruling that ‘religious feelings’ trump free speech is a dangerous development
Just as Irish citizens strike a blow for the right to freedom of expression, the European Court has fundamentally... Read More »
The questionable ethics of evangelical debt advice
The good deeds of faith-based organisations shouldn't lead us to turn a blind eye to their more ethically dubious... Read More »
China's religious persecution is a secularist issue
China may be the most godless country in the world, but it is far from being a secular one. Stephen Evans says the... Read More »
Do burka bans do more harm than good?
As Denmark's ban on face coverings in public comes into force, Stephen Evans says standing up for fundamental rights... Read More »
Sectarian schooling is nothing to celebrate
Integrating schools isn't a magic bullet to end sectarianism, but no serious attempt to address the issue can ignore... Read More »
Ten years on from the abolition of blasphemy, free speech still needs defending
Marking ten years since the criminal offence of blasphemy was abolished in England and Wales, Stephen Evans argues... Read More »
Bishop Rachel’s prejudiced thinking highlights the problem of state-sponsored religion
The bishop of Gloucester is entitled to question whether atheists can truly have deep love or hope, writes Stephen... Read More »
The government's U-turn shows the tide is turning against faith schools
The decision not to allow more faith-based admissions to new free schools in England is a big win, says Stephen Evans.... Read More »
The row over right of withdrawal highlights the need to reform RE
Teachers from the ATL union have voted to demand a clampdown on parents selectively withdrawing their children from... Read More »
Religious freedom isn't a licence to violate others’ rights
Increasing clashes between religious orthodoxy and secular liberalism highlight one of the most pressing challenges... Read More »
We can’t allow faith groups to hamper efforts to regulate supplementary schools
As a trial reveals the brainwashing of boys during evening classes at a mosque in Barking, Stephen Evans says the... Read More »
Religious bullies are on a roll. It’s time we all stood up to them
Amid a series of concessions to religious hardliners, Stephen Evans says those brave enough to resist their demands... Read More »
Will Anglicanism reign supreme at the next coronation?
As the BBC focuses on the Queen's coronation, Stephen Evans says the next initiation of the UK's head of state will... Read More »
The Minister for Faith went on a tour of Anglican cathedrals and all we got was a lousy report
Stephen Evans questions the point of a Minister for Faith and says his recent tour of all 42 of England's Anglican... Read More »
Secularism is a challenge to religion’s political power and privilege, not people of faith
Some Christians use the Christmas period to attack secularism for its challenge to their sense of entitlement. But... Read More »
Who controls religious education?
Necessary reforms of religious education are being frustrated by religion's lingering influence. It's time to liberate... Read More »
Beware the drip drip of religious exemptions
As a theme park lifts its ban on Sikh ceremonial swords, NSS campaigns director Stephen Evans questions the wisdom... Read More »
Intolerant religion mustn’t dictate England’s education policy
The government is under fire over proposals to lift the cap on faith-based admissions in faith schools. Stephen Evans... Read More »
Separate is not equal – not in this ‘faith’ school
Turning a blind eye to discriminatory gender discrimination in Islamic schools would be disaster for future generations... Read More »
Anti-Muslim hate must be challenged. Silencing criticism of Islam won’t help
Both the Government and civil-society have a role to play in challenging anti-Muslim hate, but efforts to silence... Read More »
Scottish care provider’s decision to drop faith test should prompt a rethink over equality exceptions
When religious organisations are delivering state-funded public services they should neither discriminate nor proselytize... Read More »
We need to defend both our lives and our way of life
Terrorist atrocities have a way of bringing the nation together, albeit temporarily. We need a glue to keep us together,... Read More »
Why we need a 21st century RE for all
2018 marks the 30th anniversary of the Education Reform Act 1988 which saw the introduction of a national curricular... Read More »
