Author: Terry Sanderson
Section 28 was a shameful piece of legislation prompted by fake news
Posted: Wed, 23 May 2018 by Terry Sanderson
Thirty years after the government banned local authorities from 'promoting' homosexuality, Terry Sanderson reflects on the hysteria that prompted Section 28, the fear it caused and the backing religious fanatics gave it.
The struggle for gay rights in this... Read More »
The BBC is overdoing religion
Posted: Mon, 31 Jul 2017 by Terry Sanderson
New figures show that the BBC is devoting hundreds of hours of programming to religion each year. NSS president Terry Sanderson argues that more of its scarce resources should be spent elsewhere.
In its recently published annual report, the BBC reveals the... Read More »
Was Tim Farron a secularist?
Posted: Thu, 15 Jun 2017 by Terry Sanderson
Tim Farron was a classic secularist, but found himself unable to reconcile his personal faith and his party's socially liberal positions and made his own choice, argues Terry Sanderson.
So, does the former Lib Dem leader Tim Farron now join the ranks of the... Read More »
CofE talks to the electorate, but is anyone listening?
Posted: Mon, 08 May 2017 by Terry Sanderson
Religious leaders are free to speak out on politics, but they shouldn't expect their views to be given any special weight, and politicians shouldn't assume that clerics speak for anyone but themselves, argues Terry Sanderson.
The Church of England has published... Read More »
Religious programming isn’t popular, and no amount of hounding from the Church will change that
Posted: Tue, 04 Apr 2017 by Terry Sanderson
The BBC still produces a considerable amount of religious programmes – but the numbers who watch it are so small they barely register in viewing figures. More religion on TV isn't what the public want, and it won't be good for the BBC, writes Terry Sanderson.... Read More »
Prime Minister and CofE promote fake ‘war on Easter’
Posted: Tue, 04 Apr 2017 by Terry Sanderson
After several media outlets falsely claimed that the National Trust and Cadbury were 'airbrushing' Easter out of their Easter egg hunt, Terry Sanderson argues that the Prime Minister's involvement in this trumped-up propaganda exercise was the real disgrace.... Read More »
Living better together: French secularism risks being destroyed by political ambition
Posted: Thu, 25 Aug 2016 by Terry Sanderson
Despite occasional conflicts, France's tradition of secularism has served both social cohesion and religious freedom well. Terry Sanderson argues that misusing secularism for political aims risks undermining both.
The French ban on so-called burkinis –... Read More »
The gay community should recognise and oppose its chief oppressor
Posted: Tue, 17 May 2016 by Terry Sanderson
While people of all faiths and none have campaigned for and against LGBTQ rights, the merger of religious and state power has always been the greatest threat to LGBTQ rights around the world and turns bigotry into discrimination, argues NSS president Terry... Read More »
Secularism is on the front line
Posted: Fri, 18 Dec 2015 by Terry Sanderson
Terry Sanderson, the recently re-elected president of the National Secular Society, reflects on the challenges of the past year and invites our members and supporters to take an active role supporting our campaign work in 2016.
We've heard very little this... Read More »
Time for Christians of goodwill to say “Not In My Name”
Posted: Tue, 26 May 2015 by Terry Sanderson
Most Christians don't feel the need to be exempt from equality legislation in order to live their lives in accordance with their religious beliefs. Terry Sanderson says it's time they spoke out against those that do.
The efforts by some evangelical groups to... Read More »
The Christian “fired for praying at work” – here’s the other side of the story
Posted: Thu, 23 Apr 2015 by Terry Sanderson
The British media unquestioningly promulgates the false narrative of Christians being discriminated against in the workplace. Terry Sanderson looks at the latest case involving a Christian disciplined for subjecting a subordinate to unwanted and intrusive... Read More »
Even the chief architect of the expansion of religious schools is now having doubts
Posted: Wed, 01 Apr 2015 by Terry Sanderson
With the public, of all faiths and none, increasingly recognising the problems caused by faith schools, NSS president Terry Sanderson calls out politicians who complain about religious separatism on one hand while deliberately promoting it on the other.
Tony... Read More »
There is no widespread discrimination against Christians in the workplace
Posted: Fri, 13 Mar 2015 by Terry Sanderson
NSS president Terry Sanderson challenges the notion that Christians are widely discriminated against in the workplace, and calls for fairness, justice and common sense.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has published the results of its research... Read More »
The Christian Legal Centre makes another attempt to gain privileges for Christians in the workplace
Posted: Mon, 02 Mar 2015 by Terry Sanderson
The Christian Legal Centre's latest 'discrimination' claim follows a familiar pattern – but its use of dissembling tactics shouldn't be permitted to manipulate a change in equality laws, argues Terry Sanderson.
So, here we go again. Another evangelical... Read More »
The dishonesty of religious lobbying shines like a beacon
Posted: Tue, 03 Feb 2015 by Terry Sanderson
NSS President Terry Sanderson argues that the churches have changed their lobbying tactics, and are trying to impose their doctrines through misdirection and 'slippery slope' arguments.
The reaction of the Church of England and the Catholic Church to the debate... Read More »
The dishonesty of religious lobbying shines like a beacon
Posted: Tue, 03 Feb 2015 by Terry Sanderson
NSS President Terry Sanderson argues that the churches have changed their lobbying tactics, and are trying to impose their doctrines through misdirection and 'slippery slope' arguments.
The reaction of the Church of England and the Catholic Church to the debate... Read More »
NSS statement following Charlie Hebdo attack
Posted: Wed, 07 Jan 2015 by Terry Sanderson
Restrictions on criticising or satirising religion, especially Islam, have hugely increased since Salman Rushdie was burned in effigy and driven into hiding over The Satanic Verses in 1988. That he was reviled and those attempting his murder not even charged... Read More »
Secular conference created a sense of imminent and momentous change – and women will be the driving force
Posted: Wed, 15 Oct 2014 by Terry Sanderson
The passion of feminist secular activists from around the world at a recent conference has inspired Terry Sanderson, who chaired a panel on religion's role in the state, law and politics.
Last weekend's conference organised in London by Maryam Namazie and her... Read More »
Grievous nonsense
Posted: Wed, 27 Aug 2014 by Terry Sanderson
The narrative that Christians are somehow persecuted in the UK – which the Daily Telegraph and former Attorney General Dominic Grieve were happy to promote this week – is a dishonest appeal for privilege, argues NSS president Terry Sanderson.
To... Read More »
Commission to investigate religion’s role in society
Posted: Thu, 03 Jul 2014 by Terry Sanderson
A commission has set itself up to "take the temperature of Britain's relationship with religion". But with so many vested interests on board, Terry Sanderson questions how objective its findings will be.
A commission has set itself up with the task of "taking... Read More »
Will the Equality Act be battered into submitting to religious exemptions?
Posted: Mon, 30 Jun 2014 by Terry Sanderson
Misleading reporting of individual cases and calls for "conscience clauses" feed into a false narrative of Christian persecution aimed at undermining the Equality Act, argues Terry Sanderson.
Recently the vice president of the UK Supreme Court, Baroness Hale,... Read More »
It’s not only Islamists who have Trojan Horses
Posted: Fri, 27 Jun 2014 by Terry Sanderson
Those with a vested interest in the continuation of 'faith schools' have started their fight back against the growing number of critics, says Terry Sanderson.
After the furore of the Birmingham Trojan Horse affair, a lot of commentators reached the conclusion... Read More »
Terry Sanderson’s speech to the Religious Freedom Conference, Chatham
Posted: Tue, 24 Jun 2014 by Terry Sanderson
On 21 June 2014, NSS President Terry Sanderson spoke at the Chatham Unitarian Church, about the importance of equalities protections and secularism to religious freedom. This is a transcript of his speech.
The first problem I have is with a definition of "religious... Read More »
A “religious ethos” is not why faith schools succeed – it’s selection that does it
Posted: Tue, 17 Jun 2014 by Terry Sanderson
Rather than a faith-based ethos, Terry Sanderson argues that it's selection that allows faith schools to outperform other schools – and calls for fairer admissions policies to ensure a level playing field for all.
The headline in the Coventry Telegraph... Read More »
Yes, “faith schools” really are the problem
Posted: Wed, 11 Jun 2014 by Terry Sanderson
Politicians are in denial over the problems caused by "faith schools" and religious influence in education, argues Terry Sanderson.
The National Secular Society has been saying it for years – "faith schools" are a bad idea. And despite the events of the... Read More »
