Opinion
Seven secularist steps that would strengthen democracy in the UK
In recognition of National Democracy Week 2018, Megan Manson reflects on what still needs to be changed to make the... Read More »
The seal of the confessional and child abuse: a religious privilege too far
Some clerics want exemptions from reporting requirements on abuse when it's revealed in the confessional. Accommodating... Read More »
A Christian theatre company promoted abstinence in my daughter’s school. It was worth challenging it
A parent says it was important to challenge a school's decision to invite a Christian charity to perform a show with... Read More »
The British people deserve better than the fawning over Michael Curry
As a poll shows public ambivalence to a much-hyped sermon at the royal wedding, Chris Sloggett says the fuss around... Read More »
How to teach in a Catholic state school in Scotland
You're a newly qualified teacher and you've just seen an advert for a new teaching post at your local state school.... Read More »
It’s worth knowing why more Muslims are leaving faith behind
A new book reveals a substantive movement of people choosing to leave Islam. Fiyaz Mughal, its co-editor, reflects... Read More »
God, Guys and Guns. A review of The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood
Emma Park on what Margaret Atwood's modern dystopian classic (and its TV adaptation) tells us about the relationship... 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 »
Religion and politics – the discrepancy at the heart of our schools
Schools are forbidden from promoting, showing favouritism to or discriminating on the grounds of partisan politics.... Read More »
Just how equal is marriage now?
After the NSS revealed the extra hassle and expense involved in arranging same-sex and non-religious weddings in England... Read More »
New guidance on the right to withdraw from RE in Wales – response
New guidance on managing parents' right to withdraw their children from religious education in Wales is largely common... Read More »
It shouldn’t be normal for pubs to conform to blasphemy codes
The brewer Greene King has taken the Saudi Arabian flag down from its World Cup displays after complaints from some... Read More »
Section 28 was a shameful piece of legislation prompted by fake news
Thirty years after the government banned local authorities from 'promoting' homosexuality, Terry Sanderson reflects... 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 »
How secularism cuts the Gordian knot in education
Faith schools' approach to admissions and sex education reminds us that religious groups' interests often conflict... Read More »
We’ll all suffer if we let religion dictate how public servants do their jobs
Politicians have hung a coroner who stood up to religious groups out to dry, says Chris Sloggett. And they've revealed... Read More »
Faith schools: why reducing the harm isn’t enough
We can mitigate the harm caused by faith schools in plenty of ways. But after the launch of the No More Faith Schools... 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 »
Bishops must be accountable – and not just to themselves
Abridged version of the winding-up speech by lawyer Richard Scorer of Slater and Gordon, also an NSS vice president,... Read More »
What comes after The Silence of the Liberals?
Nick Cohen has skewered the hypocrisy of leftists who apologise for Islamic intolerance, says Chris Sloggett. To defeat... Read More »
We can’t build a shared society around segregated schools
Our education and schools officer examines the education proposals in the Government's new integration strategy, arguing... Read More »
Church dysfunctionality laid bare by child sexual abuse inquiry
As the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse turns its attention to the Church of England, Keith Porteous Wood... Read More »
What secularism means for African women’s rights and citizenship
In a long read for International Women's Day, Dr Fatou Sow says secularism is a feminist issue and reflects on its... Read More »
Seven women who refused to be silenced by religious bullies
On International Women's Day, Megan Manson celebrates the stories of seven brave and determined women in the UK who... Read More »
Male circumcision is an issue of religious freedom - and should be prohibited as such
Proponents of ritual genital cutting often claim a 'right' to religious freedom justifies their position. But individuals... Read More »
