Services funded by public money should be open to all, without alienating anyone.
The recent drive to contract out public services to faith groups risks undermining equal access.
Help us keep public services free from discrimination and evangelism.
The government is increasingly pushing for more publicly-funded services to be provided by religious organisations.
Many faith-based groups have carried out social service without imposing their beliefs. But religious groups taking over public service provision raises concerns regarding proselytising and discrimination.
65% of people have no confidence in church groups running crucial social provisions such as healthcare with only 2% of people expressing a lot of confidence.
Any organisations involved in delivering public services should be bound by equality law and restrictions on proselytisation.
Those advocating for faith organisations to take over more public services risk undermining these restrictions, which exist to protect both the public and third sector.
"We have concerns that some religious groups that seek to take over public services, particularly at local level, could pursue policies and practices that result in increased discrimination against marginalised groups, particularly in service provision and the employment of staff. Non-religious people and those not seen to confirm to the dominant ethos of a religious body, such as being in an unmarried relationship or divorced and being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered, could find themselves subject to discrimination."
Unitarian Church (Submission to the Parliamentary Public Administration Select Committee about the Big Society agenda)
There are also concerns about faith-based mental health and pastoral care in public institutions, including chaplaincy programmes in the NHS and the armed forces. Where such services are funded by the state, they should not be organised around religion or belief.
Religious commentators are often keen to document the contribution of religious organisations to the third sector and social activism. But they fail to demonstrate why it should be the state's role to build this capacity or why local authorities shouldn't have legitimate concerns about religious groups running services.
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Latest updates
Priests’ access to crime scenes: Police must weigh priorities
Posted: Wed, 13 Apr 2022 13:20
Police have been told to 'balance priorities' when asked to allow priests on crime scenes, following advice from the National Secular Society.
The College of Policing has updated its guidance after parliamentarians attempted to enshrine the right of religious clerics to access crime scenes in law, following the murder of David Amess MP in October.
New guidance says priests and family members may be allowed to access a crime scene, but the decision maker "must balance medical and investigative priorities and requirements". This addresses concerns raised by the NSS.
Last rites at crime scenes
In November Baroness Stowell of Beeston tabled an amendment to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill that would introduce "a presumption that the constable in charge will allow entry to the crime scene to a minister of religion in order to perform religious rituals or prayer associated with dying".
The amendment was tabled in response to reports that a Catholic priest had attempted to gain access to David Amess to administer last rites as he died after being stabbed by Islamist terrorist Ali Harbi Ali. Police reportedly denied the priest entry to the crime scene.
Stowell withdrew the amendment after Home Office minister Baroness Williams of Trafford said the presumption that religious officials be allowed to enter a crime scene "has the potential to prevent the police being able to do their job effectively in catching criminals and bringing them to justice".
Williams added that Catholic cardinal Vincent Nichols and the Metropolitan Police Commissioner had agreed to "work together to establish a joint group" to study the access given to Catholic priests to crime scenes.
NSS concerns
The NSS wrote to the joint working group in January to express concerns that police may be "pressured" into undermining priorities to protect the integrity of evidence and to safeguard public security at crime scenes by those with a religious agenda.
It said police frequently "have very good reasons for not allowing members of the public, sometimes including family and loved ones, to access a crime scene".
It also said any allowances made for religious clerics to access seriously injured people at crime scenes should be given to family and loved ones. It said it would be "highly distressing for all involved" if clerics were allowed on scene, but not family or friends.
The NSS expressed additional concerns about the appropriateness of allowing clerics to pray for dying victims when they are unable to communicate and give consent. It said: "Unless the wishes of the individual in question can be clearly established, it would surely be a breach of privacy and ethics to allow a religious minister to access that individual in order pray for them".
New guidance
The College of Policing in March updated the guidance on requests for "third party access" to crime scenes to attend a victim, which includes priests and family members.
It said the decision maker "must balance medical and investigative priorities and requirements, with empathy for the victim, their family and any religious needs" when considering such requests.
Factors to consider include "immediate priority to save life", "health and safety in and around the crime scene", "the need to secure and preserve the crime scene", and "the rights and needs (including religious rights and needs) of the victim".
It also says decision makers should consider whether the purpose of the request "can be accommodated without the third party entering the scene, for example, standing at the edge of the scene, close to the victim".
NSS response
NSS head of policy and research Megan Manson said: "The new guidance is clear that priests' requests to access victims at crime scenes should not undermine other important considerations, including health and safety and securing the crime scene.
"This is very reassuring, as is the inclusion of family among third parties whose requests may be considered.
"Some questions remain, for example whether requests from close friends of the victim would be considered, or to what extent a seriously injured victim is able to consent to a priest praying for them.
"But overall this guidance provides sensible balance and clarity over what police should do on the rare occasions priests or other third parties ask to attend crime victims. We are glad the Met Police have listened to, and engaged with, our concerns."
Image: ShepherdMedia from Pixabay
NSS urges Scotland to ensure food banks are inclusive
Posted: Tue, 11 Jan 2022 14:09
The National Secular Society has advised the Scottish government to address discrimination in religious charities tackling poverty.
The NSS urged the government to ensure it only supports organisations that are "genuinely inclusive of all, regardless of religion or belief, in tackling poverty", in response to a consultation on ending the need for food banks.
The NSS welcomed the government's aim to "strengthen the protection of human rights" in its policies on tackling food insecurity.
But it warned food banks, debt advice and other services "may not pay full regard to human rights" when delivered by organisations with a religious agenda.
The NSS raised the issue of religious discrimination against prospective employees of food banks affiliated with the Trussell Trust, whose network accounts for approximately two-thirds of all emergency food bank provision in the UK.
The Trussell Trust is "based on, shaped, and guided by Christian principles" according to its website.
In September Dundee Foodbank, which is a member of the network but is independently run, was accused of breaching the Equality Act 2010 after publishing a job vacancy for a stock coordinator stating successful candidates must have "Christian values" and "evidence a live connection with the church".
The NSS urged the government to raise the issue of discriminatory recruitment practices in its food bank network with the Trussell Trust during its engagement with them.
The NSS also raised concerns about plans to distribute over £7 million to providers of free debt advice.
It noted that in the past, the Scottish Government had funded Christians Against Poverty (CAP), an evangelical Christian charity which invites clients to pray while providing debt advice.
Advice UK, the national charity which supports independent advice services, terminated CAP's membership in 2011 when it judged the 'emotional fee' of asking clients to pray whilst offering debt advice to be incompatible with membership.
CAP also has a policy of only recruiting Christians, which appears to be applied to all roles regardless of the duties involved.
The NSS urged the government to "place greater requirements on recipients of public funds to ensure they do not proselytise and do not apply religion-based discrimination in their recruitment policies."
NSS Comments
NSS head of policy and research Megan Manson said: "Social action by faith-based organisations clearly contributes enormously to the welfare of Scottish society.
"However, where religious organisations join others in delivering publicly funded services, it is reasonable to require them to respect boundaries and refrain from proselytising or discriminating against service users or their employees.
"We therefore sincerely hope the Scottish Government will proactively address the issues raised here when working with foodbanks, debt advice providers and any other community service provider to eliminate poverty, to ensure all members of the public are treated with fairness and dignity regardless of religion or belief."
