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
Prime Minister should ignore former archbishop's theocratic blundering, says NSS
Posted: Sat, 30 Mar 2013 09:15
The National Secular Society has urged David Cameron to ignore Lord Carey's "theocratic and anti-democratic blustering" after he accused the Prime Minister of making Christians feel marginalised.
Writing in the Daily Mail, the former archbishop of Canterbury said it was "a bit rich" for the prime minister to tell religious leaders to oppose secularisation, and accused the government of "aiding and abetting" 'aggressive' secularism in its approach to same-sex marriage.
Citing a ComRes survey of just 535 churchgoers, which suggested that two-thirds of Christians felt they were a persecuted minority, Lord Carey said: "The Prime Minister has done more than any other recent political leader to feed these anxieties."
Responding to Lord Carey's remarks, Keith Porteous Wood, executive director of the National Secular Society, said:
"Nothing in the proposed same-sex marriage legislation requires Christians to conduct or partake in same sex marriage, and Lord Carey has no right to insist that his discriminatory and intolerant views should prevail over those of the public and Parliament. And, rightly, they will not be allowed to.
"The survey referred to in the Daily Mail is a very small self selecting one. The more representative and independent polls show public support for equal marriage, including among Christians in the pews.
"Christians are far from being "marginalised" in this country. The UK is the only country in the world to give bishops the right to sit in its parliament, and England and Wales are the only countries where a daily act of Christian worship is a legal requirement in every state school. These unjustifiable privileges remain despite precipitously declining support, as shown by church congregations declining and ageing for many decades, which continued under Lord Carey's own poor leadership.
"Historically, gay people's lives have been blighted, and indeed ended, by the Church. Dr Carey is determined to continue persecuting them. Mr Cameron should be praised for helping to bring this persecution to an end.
"The UK is a diverse country, and a secular political system is the best chance we have to create a society in which people of all faiths and none can live together fairly and peacefully. There is nothing "aggressive" about this approach. Those practicing religion should show tolerance and more understanding of secularism and recognise the benefits that go with living in a secular society."
Prime Minister still desperately trying to placate religious bodies
Posted: Thu, 21 Mar 2013 16:11
Prime Minister David Cameron held yet another reception at Downing Street for religious leaders this week.
In an effort to build bridges after the controversy over his proposals to introduce same-sex marriage, Cameron said he was "looking forward to the enthronement of the new Archbishop of Canterbury". He said the inauguration of the new pope had been "a great week for Christians".
He told the religious big-wigs: "This government does care about faith. It does care about the institutions of faith, and it does want you to stand up and oppose aggressive secularisation."
One guest present was Chris Mould, executive chairman of the Trussell Trust, which runs a UK network of food banks.
The prime minister reminded his audience that in a "difficult budget" today, the government had reaffirmed its commitment to increasing overseas aid. He said he'd raised religious freedom on visits to Egypt and Pakistan. "Wherever we go, we stand up for the right of Christians to practice their faith," he said.
At a similar event last year, Cameron attacked the NSS's campaign to end prayers as part of the agenda of council meetings.
The prime minister said he viewed Easter as the most important Christian festival.
"It's all about, for me, the triumph of life over death," he said. "Which in politics is always useful."
