Opinion
Universities must commit to free expression – and they should stop hiring religious chaplains
A chaplain should not have been sacked for criticising Pride off campus, says Chris Sloggett. But universities can... Read More »
Anglicanism's 'purple circle' of bishops cannot be trusted over child abuse
NSS president Keith Porteous Wood reflects on the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse's hearings into the... Read More »
Pakistan’s elections will mean little for minorities and secularists
Religious hardliners have pushed both frontrunners in Pakistan's elections to the right – and neither is prepared... Read More »
The Church of England provided the perfect cover for Peter Ball’s offending
Opening statement by lawyer Richard Scorer of Slater and Gordon, also an NSS vice president, at the IICSA inquiry's... Read More »
Church schools are faith schools. Pretending otherwise is dishonest
The Church of England's pretence that 'its' schools aren't faith schools is a dishonest attempt to avoid association... Read More »
Sectarian schooling is nothing to celebrate
Integrating schools isn't a magic bullet to end sectarianism, but no serious attempt to address the issue can ignore... Read More »
I was concerned about proselytisation on a school trip – and the school listened
Sometimes concerns regarding religious interference in education can be easily resolved, simply through clear and... Read More »
Ten years on from the abolition of blasphemy, free speech still needs defending
Marking ten years since the criminal offence of blasphemy was abolished in England and Wales, Stephen Evans argues... Read More »
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 »
