The UK is one of the last western democracies with a state religion: the Church of England.
The Church's entanglement with the state is bad for both.
Join our campaign to disestablish the Church.
CAMPAIGN ALERT: Support the disestablishment bill
In November 2023, a private member's bill to disestablish the Church of England was selected in the ballot.
Please write to your MP and urge them to support this bill, to make the UK are more equitable and democratic country for people of all religions and beliefs.
Since our founding in 1866, one of our primary objectives has been disestablishment of the Church of England: its formal separation from the state.
More than 150 years later, census figures show most people in England and Wales are not Christian. Surveys consistently reveal a similar picture in Scotland. The case for disestablishment has never been stronger.
Disestablishment means the Church would no longer have privileged input into government - but also that government could not involve itself in the running of the Church. Both sides would gain autonomy. This is why support for Church-state separation can be found within the CofE itself.
There have been many proponents, religious and non-religious, for church-state separation, and there are a wide variety of motivations for supporting this reform.
The existence of a legally-enshrined national religion privileges one part of the population, one institution and one set of beliefs. Removing all symbolic and institutional ties between government and religion is the only way to ensure equal treatment to citizens of all religions and none.
The Church of England has enjoyed significant privileges relating its established status for many centuries. These privileges have remained largely unchanged despite the massive and continuing reduction in support for the Church in the UK. It is highly likely that this trend will continue for the foreseeable future, making the Church of England's continuation as the established church unsustainable.
- Christians are a minority in Britain. In Wales and Scotland the majority have no religion.
- Just 1% of 18-24 year olds say they belong to the Church of England.
- Less than 1% of the population regularly attend Church of England church services.
The Church of England is also out of step with the UK public on several key issues: it remains opposed to same-sex relationships and allows parishes to reject women as bishops and priests. These discriminatory positions cannot be reconciled with the Church's status as part of the UK state.
And no institution with the shameful historical record of the Church of England safeguarding and abuse should retain its privileged role in the British establishment.
The existence of a legally enshrined national religion privileges one part of the population, one institution and one set of beliefs. Removing all symbolic and institutional ties between government and religion is the only way to ensure equal treatment of citizens of all religions and none.
Take action!
1. Write to your MP
Ask your MP to support the separation of church and state
2. Share your story
Tell us why you support this campaign, and how you are personally affected by the issue. You can also let us know if you would like assistance with a particular issue.
3. Join the National Secular Society
Become a member of the National Secular Society today! Together, we can separate religion and state for greater freedom and fairness.
Latest updates
CoE put its reputation before child protection, abuse inquiry finds
Posted: Tue, 6 Oct 2020 14:25
The Church of England failed to take action to deal with child abuse as it prioritised the defence of its reputation, an inquiry has found.
In a report outlining its findings on the Anglican Church, released today, the Independent Inquiry on Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) said the C of E's culture enabled child abusers to "hide".
The report said "deference to the church's authority and to individual priests" presented a barrier to the disclosure of abuse, which many victims couldn't overcome.
It highlighted other barriers including "taboos surrounding discussion of sexuality" and "an environment where alleged perpetrators were treated more supportively than victims".
The report said:
- The church has failed to respond consistently to victims and survivors of child sexual abuse "with sympathy and compassion, accompanied by practical and appropriate support".
- The church's neglect of children and young people's wellbeing in favour of protecting its reputation was "in conflict with its mission of love and care for the innocent and the vulnerable".
- A culture of clericalism in the church meant "the moral authority of clergy was widely perceived as beyond reproach".
The report highlighted examples of the mishandling of abuse allegations, one of which was the case of youth worker Timothy Storey. Storey was allowed to continue working with children after expressing "remorse for everything he had done wrong".
He is currently serving 15 years in prison for several offences against children, including rape.
The report's recommendations included that responsibility for safeguarding should be taken away from diocesan bishops and given to safeguarding officers employed by the church's central hierarchy.
Issues for future consideration
The report said the inquiry would return to issues including the mandatory reporting of abuse and the seal of the confessional in due course.
The National Secular Society argues for a law mandating the reporting of abuse allegations, without exemptions for religious institutions, including when abuse is revealed in the confessional.
Response
NSS chief executive Stephen Evans said the findings "demonstrate why religious institutions need to be properly and independently regulated without special treatment or undue deference".
"In its willingness to neglect the wellbeing of children in favour of protecting its own reputation, the Anglican Church's actions have facilitated the continuance of abuse, perpetrators being shielded from justice and vulnerable victims either foregoing compensation or having to go to enormous lengths to secure it.
"The hollowness of claims that the Church of England provides our country's moral leadership has again been laid bare. Its status as the established church should be re-examined."
Richard Scorer, a solicitor acting for 20 survivors of abuse in the C of E who is also an NSS vice-president, told The Guardian the report was "very damning".
"It confirms that despite decades of scandal, and endless promises, the C of E continues to fail victims and survivors. Bishops have too much power and too little accountability. National polices are not properly enforced. Sexual offending by clergy continues to be minimised.
"It's clear from the report that huge change is still required, including proper support for survivors and removing bishops' operational responsibility for safeguarding . To make change happen, we also need mandatory reporting and independent oversight of church safeguarding. It is imperative that IICSA recommends these in its final report next year."
The inquiry's hearings
IICSA held public hearings into safeguarding in the C of E in July 2019.
The previous year it also held hearings into the church's handling of abuse allegations in the diocese of Chichester and allegations against the abusive bishop Peter Ball as case studies.
Read more on today's report: Church of England failures 'allowed child sexual abusers to hide', from the BBC.
Image by Myriam Zilles from Pixabay.
End C of E bishops’ entitlement to sit in Lords, says report
Posted: Tue, 25 Feb 2020 17:18
The automatic right granted to 26 Church of England bishops to sit in the House of Lords should be repealed, according to a report from a parliamentary group published today.
The report, from the all-party parliamentary Humanist group on religion or belief in the UK parliament (APPHG), says there should be "a time for reflection" on the UK's constitutional settlement.
Its recommendations, several of which align closely with National Secular Society campaign goals, include:
- The end of the state's role in running the C of E, including the end of parliamentary oversight of the church;
- Religious leaders to be appointed to the Lords only if they earn positions on merit;
- The end of the practice of saying prayers as part of official parliamentary business.
The recommendation to remove religious representatives from the Lords echoes the key measure proposed in the House of Lords (Removal of Bishops) Bill, which was introduced to parliament last month.
The bill was proposed by Dick Taverne, a Liberal Democrat peer and NSS honorary associate, and drafted with NSS support.
The report also finds that senior Anglican clerics used their guaranteed seats in the Lords to change the outcome of nine parliamentary votes between 2002 and 2018, including on education and equality.
The education secretary has a duty to convert schools into academies if they are deemed as failing. In 2016 the bishops' votes ensured the defeat of a clause which would have made this power discretionary.
The report notes that the C of E has more control over its schools when they are academies than when they are maintained.
The bishops' votes also swung the removal of a clause in the 2010 Equality Act, enabling the church to have more exemptions in its employment practices.
In the report's foreword, four parliamentarians say it "suggests ways forward for reform to make our parliament a more inclusive place and more reflective of the people it serves".
NSS chief executive Stephen Evans said the report was "a very welcome contribution to the debate about the future of the UK's constitution".
"Removing the entitlement of 26 Church of England bishops to sit in the Lords and ending the state's role in running the church are long overdue. These proposals would largely strike a blow for fairness and equality and enhance the quality of the UK's democracy."
Note on the APPHG
- The APPHG represents more than 100 parliamentarians and is backed by the charity Humanists UK.
