Tags: Religion & Belief
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The folly of the civil service’s ‘faith and belief champion’
Posted: Wed, 15 Nov 2017 by Chris Sloggett
A new civil service appointment may be intended to promote 'inclusion'. But insistently bringing religion into the workplace will only serve to promote it and encourage an assertive form of selfishness at public expense, says Chris Sloggett.
If a decision is... Read More »
Interfaith must embrace secularism
Posted: Mon, 13 Nov 2017 by Megan Manson
Interfaith Week is underway. Megan Manson says interfaith dialogue must embrace secularist principles to remain relevant, effective and inclusive.
Interfaith, the constructive dialogue between people of different faiths in order to promote mutual understanding,... Read More »
Protecting freedom of belief for the many and the few
Posted: Mon, 23 Oct 2017 by Megan Manson
Ahead of International Freedom of Religion or Belief Day, Megan Manson looks at democratic secularism's changing role in an age of the non-religious minority and rising diversity.
In the past, those who have given their greatest support for secularism have... Read More »
Sam Brownback: Trump’s new man is no fan of religious freedom
Posted: Wed, 09 Aug 2017 by Chris Sloggett
The record of President Trump's new nominee exposes the hypocrisy of the US religious right. Chris Sloggett argues that its opponents must challenge the ingrained assumption that faith is a good thing.
"Religious freedom is the first freedom. The choice of... Read More »
Religious belief is no barrier to criminality
Posted: Thu, 09 Jun 2016 by Alistair McBay
A spate of media reports have suggested that criminals convicted of sex abuse feigned their religion. NSS Vice-President Alistair McBay argues that the media shouldn't seek to protect religion from criticism by misrepresenting these cases.
A disturbing new... Read More »
Scotland is a mosaic of religions and beliefs – but the research shows people turning away from politicised faith
Posted: Thu, 24 Mar 2016 by Alistair McBay
Scotland is a mosaic of beliefs and non-beliefs where individuals are free to hold a belief, change it or not have one at all. But it's not hard to see why people are rejecting the organised and politicised aspects of religion, writes Alistair McBay.
Much is... Read More »
Tim Montgomerie need not worry, secularism and tolerance go hand in hand
Posted: Thu, 02 Jul 2015 by Stephen Evans
There's nothing "anti-Christian" about a society that sets about dismantling historic religious privilege, argues Stephen Evans.
In a Times opinion piece about the power of forgiveness – so poignantly expressed in Amazing Grace, the former slave trader... Read More »
Academics call for greater sensitivity about religion in universities, but students suggest it’s not an issue
Posted: Fri, 19 Jun 2015 by National Secular Society
Some academics are giving undue prominence to religion and religious students- when the evidence shows they are exaggerating the scale of the 'problem' they describe.
Tariq Modood, professor of sociology at the University of Bristol, and Professor Craig Calhoun,... Read More »
Preacher James McConnell faces prosecution for calling Islam “Satanic"- the state again tramples over free expression
Posted: Thu, 18 Jun 2015 by Benjamin Jones
Free speech for all is threatened once more by the senseless prosecution of another Christian preacher. His religious freedom is the same liberty that defends secularists, atheists, people of all religions and none.
"Islam is heathen, Islam is satanic, Islam... Read More »
Rowan Williams and his ilk are not the people to decide where religion sits in public life
Posted: Sat, 13 Sep 2014 by David Voas
The Woolf Institute has convened a commission to consider the place and role of religion and belief in contemporary Britain, and to "make recommendations for public life and policy." David Voas questions whether this review can reach a conclusion that reflects... Read More »
Secularization is best thing that ever happened to religion
Posted: Thu, 01 May 2014 by Douglas Todd
Douglas Todd argues that, properly understood, secularism is the best thing that has happened for modern religion and religious believers, and that secular societies can be breeding grounds for religious pluralism.
Secularization is the best thing that's ever... Read More »
Religion as a human rights liability
Posted: Wed, 16 Apr 2014 by Nida Kirmani
While human rights movements must engage people of all religions and none, Nida Kirmani argues that explicitly linking religion to human rights can lead to the exclusion and persecution of minority groups and undermine human rights' claims to universality.... Read More »
Why it would have been invidious to put the Mormon Church on trial
Posted: Thu, 27 Mar 2014 by Terry Sanderson
Terry Sanderson clarifies the threat to freedom of religion and belief when secular courts rule on theological matters.
Last week we reported a decision by a judge at Westminster Magistrates' Court not to hear a case of alleged fraud against the Mormon Church... Read More »
Tony Blair’s ‘solution’ to religious conflict will simply make things worse
Posted: Thu, 30 Jan 2014 by Terry Sanderson
In reaction to Tony Blair's recent reflections on religious conflict, Terry Sanderson reflects upon the dangers of Blair's promotion of the "us" and "them" mentality.
Writing in last Sunday's Observer, Tony Blair repeated his mantra that the 21st century's... Read More »
Scientology’s dream comes true
Posted: Wed, 11 Dec 2013 by Terry Sanderson
The Supreme Court has said that Scientology is a legitimate religion. This ruling undermines the automatic presumption that all religious groups are for the "public benefit", argues Terry Sanderson.
It's not very often that you'll find me agreeing with Eric... Read More »
Secularism seeks to balance everyone’s religious freedoms fairly. Why would anyone oppose that?
Posted: Tue, 19 Nov 2013 by Stephen Evans
Despite the claims of its critics, secularism protects the freedom of conscience for all citizens, and welcomes believers and non-believers into the public square on equal terms, argues Stephen Evans.
As the old idiom goes, throw enough mud and some of it will... Read More »
Baroness Warsi and her self-serving anti-secular agenda
Posted: Wed, 13 Nov 2013 by Terry Sanderson
Baroness Warsi, the Coalition's "Minister for Faith" is no friend of the National Secular Society. Why should she be? Her role is the very antithesis of secularism.
For a Government Minister whose brief is to promote religion in politics, she does not seem... Read More »
One oath for all
Posted: Mon, 14 Oct 2013 by Jessica Vautier
Jessica Vautier argues that the proposal for a new oath isn't an attack on Britain's religious heritage. It is an attempt to make the justice system fairer, and for everyone to be treated equally.
Bristol magistrate Ian Abrahams hit the news last week with... Read More »
Can we please stop wasting money on these endless surveys that just tell us what we already know?
Posted: Thu, 12 Sep 2013 by Terry Sanderson
Professor Paul Weller of Derby University seems to have cornered the market in research into perceived discrimination against religious groups. He seems to bring out a new report on it every year — all saying basically the same thing. We have also had... Read More »
Human rights are for humans, not for ideologies
Posted: Mon, 15 Jul 2013 by Terry Sanderson
A Jewish man has won an employment tribunal case for racial and religious discrimination after his employer made derogatory remarks about "Yids" and suggested that he would like to lock up and gas Jews.
Darren Feldman was bullied and abused by his manager because... Read More »
Three cheers for Channel 4 for trying to move Muslims into the mainstream
Posted: Tue, 02 Jul 2013 by Terry Sanderson
Channel 4 has set the cat among the pigeons — as I suspect it intended to do — with its announcement that it will broadcast the Muslim call to prayer every day during the month of Ramadan.
If what the chief of Channel 4 says about the network's... Read More »
New EU guidelines on religion and belief make plain that no religion is entitled to special rights
Posted: Thu, 27 Jun 2013 by Terry Sanderson
The EU Foreign Affairs Council this week adopted a report with 71 Guidelines to promote the right to freedom of religion and belief worldwide.
Below are some choice quotes from it that should give pause to those Christians who imagine that they have special... Read More »
Conscientious objection in Scotland: a worrying precedent
Posted: Wed, 19 Jun 2013 by Louise Finer
With NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde seeking to appeal the ruling for the allowance of conscientious exemption from abortion procedures, Louise Finer of Reproductive Health Matters argues that judges must not forget the rights of women – to health, autonomy,... Read More »
Fighting back in Strasbourg
Posted: Fri, 03 May 2013 by David Pollock
Twice recently the generally progressive Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has been ambushed by a minority faction of reactionary religious deputies who have forced through amendments to resolutions completely contrary to their main sense.... Read More »
How the clash between Islamism and Zionism not only affects the Middle East but also the west
Posted: Tue, 30 Apr 2013 by Rumy Hasan
By Rumy Hasan
Samuel Huntington's book The Clash of Civilizations aroused a storm of interest when it was published in 1996. Its basic thesis was that in the aftermath of the Cold War, the fundamental antagonism among nations would be on the basis of 'civilisation'... Read More »
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