Author: Chris Sloggett
Heads of state shouldn’t have to swear religious oaths
A challenge to Ireland's religious presidential oath should be supported – and prompt questions across the Irish... Read More »
Naz Shah’s argument on blasphemy should be rejected
The Labour MP has effectively called for a blasphemy law as she highlighted the "emotional harm" caused by depictions... Read More »
The ugly Batley and Spen campaign showed the risks of indulging religious identity politics
Voters and politicians who value social cohesion and basic democratic principles should reject the trend of pandering... Read More »
The drive for ‘religious literacy’ in the media would undermine press freedom
A parliamentary report has called for measures to promote 'religious literacy' in the media - including tighter regulation.... Read More »
The onus should be on theocrats, not liberal democracies, to change
Liberal equivocation on whether to stand up to jihadist murder and Islamist intimidation is morally wrong, misguided... Read More »
The continued effort to silence Charlie Hebdo is shameful
It is outrageous to try to force this small magazine to give the 2015 killers what they wanted, says Chris Sloggett.... Read More »
Does Scotland’s justice minister realise the reach of his own hate crime bill?
Humza Yousaf has claimed a bill he's proposing isn't a threat to free speech because it sets a high threshold for... Read More »
Scotland’s new hate speech law will be too censorious
A new offence of 'stirring up hatred' on religious grounds is too restrictive of free speech, says Chris Sloggett.... Read More »
Secular attitudes and laws are assets against coronavirus
Religious fanaticism is hindering the fight against coronavirus across much of the world. But in Britain claims to... Read More »
Trevor Phillips’s suspension is another blow to robust public debate
You don't need to agree with everything Trevor Phillips has said about Muslims or Islam to be concerned at the attempt... Read More »
Don’t let religious interests make divorce any harder than it needs to be
The Church of England and its supporters are opposing plans to make it easier for couples to divorce without assigning... Read More »
Don’t let religious advocates define the boundaries of acceptable thought
A BBC debate on defining 'Islamophobia' was a reminder of the risks of giving too much ground to religious identity... Read More »
Five years after the Charlie Hebdo murders, free expression on religion still needs promoting
Half a decade after the Islamist attack on cartoonists in France, Chris Sloggett says we owe it to the victims and... Read More »
Don’t let religious sectarianism tear our democracy apart
Chris Sloggett says the major parties in the current election campaign are indulging Britain's division into religious... Read More »
We should expect the religious to follow the same laws as everyone else
In response to a targeted criticism of the NSS for campaigning to end non-stun slaughter, Chris Sloggett says the... Read More »
Don’t take lessons on democracy from Church of England bishops
The bishop of London has lamented the state of British democracy while delivering a sermon at the annual judges' service.... Read More »
The chief rabbi has made an anti-democratic attempt to shut down criticism
The chief rabbi has asked secularists to stop campaigning against practices such as faith schools and infant circumcision.... Read More »
Beware moving election dates for religious reasons
The proposed date for a general election has moved to accommodate a Jewish festival. Chris Sloggett asks whether the... Read More »
Don't expect the Church of England to unify the country
The archbishop of Canterbury has been asked to help unify the country during Brexit. Chris Sloggett warns left-leaning... Read More »
The gatekeepers of public debate can’t patronise away anti-Muslim bigotry
Adopting a proposed definition of 'Islamophobia' would restrict legitimate speech on Islam and embed a failing approach... Read More »
Why won’t the government condemn the existence of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws?
Ministers keep condemning the "misuse" of Pakistan's blasphemy laws in response to parliamentary questions. But the... Read More »
Blasphemy culture mustn’t undermine freedom of the press
The press regulator is consulting on guidelines which will inform the way stories about Islam and Muslims are reported.... Read More »
Equality for LGBT people requires a secular head of state
Prince William's comments on supporting his children if they are gay should be treated with much less significance... Read More »
Protecting children means challenging religious privilege
A report on child abuse in religious settings should prompt us to reconsider our relationship with religious institutions... Read More »
The advertising regulator is pandering to religious offence-taking
As a regulator issues patronising advice to advertisers in the run-up to Easter, Chris Sloggett takes a look at its... Read More »