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Religion & Law

National Secular Society News

News related to freedoms of the non-religious.
By National Secular Society

Post Frequency: 1.1/day

Last Entry: March 24, 2011 at 21:00:00

How free schools really operate in Sweden

Posted on October 14, 2010
As Government Education minister Lord Hill tells the NSS that there will be no legislation to stop proselytising in the new free schools and academies, evidence is emerging from Sweden — where the free school idea originated — that religious bodies are abusing the system.

Papal visit costs spread across departments ? but ultimately, the taxpayer picks up the tab

Posted on October 14, 2010
Nearly ?10 million of the costs towards the visit of Pope Benedict XVI last month were split between six Whitehall departments, a response to a Freedom of Information request has shown

Affirmation is acceptable in British embassies abroad, FCO assures

Posted on October 14, 2010
The Foreign and Commonwealth office has assured the NSS that anyone visiting a British Embassy abroad on business that requires them to swear an oath have the legal choice to make an affirmation or declaration instead if they so desire.

NSS tribute to honorary associate Claire Rayner

Posted on October 11, 2010
Claire Rayner — who has died at the age of 79 — was a great supporter and honorary associate of the National Secular Society and will be greatly missed.

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Government won?t outlaw extremists taking over schools

Posted on October 07, 2010
There will be no new legislation to stop extremist religious views being taught in the Government's new free schools and academies, said Lord Hill of Oareford, Parliamentary under-Secretary of State for Schools, in a letter to the National Secular Society.

NSS joins with French Freethinkers to oppose religious schools

Posted on October 07, 2010
The National Secular Society and the French Freethinkers (Libre Pens?e) have agreed a joint policy proposal on 'Religion in Schools'. The policy aims to ensure the complete separation of religion and state in the provision of public education.

New report finds young people aren?t interested in religion

Posted on October 07, 2010
Young people have little or no interest in religion, according to a new report published by the Church of England. They do not share the previous generation's hostility and rebellion against religious teachings – they are simply indifferent to them and pay them little attention.

Council of Europe: ?Freedom of conscience? supporters wreck move to protect women?s access to lawful medical care

Posted on October 07, 2010
Attempts to stop religious doctors from denying women an abortion on grounds of 'conscience' were defeated last night at the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly (PACE).

Religious service marks the start of legal year

Posted on October 07, 2010
In a classic example of the distinct lack of separation between church and state in Britain, the start of the UK legal year was formally marked this week with a religious service in Westminster Abbey.

Free speech flows only one way for religious believers

Posted on October 07, 2010
With the Organisation of Islamic Conference busy at the United Nations trying to introduce an international ban on 'defamation of religion' (that's religion singular, namely Islam), we have individual cases around the world of religion ruthlessly eroding free speech.

The inconvenient figures that the Catholic Church chooses to ignore

Posted on October 07, 2010
As we all know, the media did their best to play up the pope's visit as much as they could. But an indelible legacy of the visit, which will live on to haunt the Church, is the damning indictment recorded by the opinion polls.

European Humanists put Holy See on the spot at human rights conference

Posted on October 07, 2010
The President of the European Humanist Federation (to which the NSS is affiliated) has launched a blistering attack on the 'undiplomatic behaviour' of the Holy See at a conference of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

Hospital chaplains culled as NHS axe falls

Posted on September 30, 2010
In the light of reported cuts in health service chaplaincy services, the chief executive of the NHS has sent out a bulletin to all Trusts reminding them to be 'rigorous in their assessment of local need' when planning chaplaincy provision.

Another council considers cutting free transport to 'faith schools'

Posted on September 30, 2010
Swindon Council in Wiltshire is the latest to consider axing free transport to 'faith schools' as part of its cost-cutting measures. It has to make ?45 million in savings over the next few years.

Census will ask religion question again

Posted on September 30, 2010
The 2011 census will be the first one that it has been possible to complete online – and the second time in ten years that the public will be asked about their religion.

Ed Miliband: he may be an atheist, but is he a secularist?

Posted on September 30, 2010
The Jewish Chronicle says Ed Miliband is the first person from a Jewish heritage to lead the Labour Party, although he professes no religion and is an unmarried father with a non-Jewish partner, Justine (who is pregnant).

European Court tells German churches to respect employees? private lives

Posted on September 30, 2010
In 1997 a little girl announced in a German kindergarten that she was going to be a big sister. This was enough to get her father, Bernhard Sch?th, fired without warning from his job as organist and choirmaster at a Catholic parish church.

Vatican attempts to thwart UN?s goal of reducing poverty through family planning

Posted on September 30, 2010
When the NSS questioned the use of public money to fund the pope's visit to the UK, we were told by the Foreign Office that the Holy See is a valuable partner of the British Government in its ambition to fight global poverty through achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Attempts to protect freedom of expression from religious pressure

Posted on September 30, 2010
The National Secular Society — acting on behalf the International Humanist and Ethical Union — has submitted a report to a recent Council of Europe conference on the topic of protecting freedom of expression from religious demands.

Religious conscience in medicine debate in EU Platform for Secularism

Posted on September 30, 2010
The European Parliament Platform for Secularism in Politics (EPPSP) hosted a debate at the Parliament in Brussels on Conscientious Objection in Healthcare on 15th September 2010.

New child abuse investigation at home where the Catholic Church is trying to avoid payment of compensation to victims

Posted on September 23, 2010
Police are investigating dozens of fresh claims of child abuse at St William's Community Home, in Market Weighton in Yorkshire. Two members of the De La Salle Order of Christian Brothers, which ran the home, have already been jailed for abusing a number of boys at the home.

The stirrings of secularists indicate trouble ahead for theocrats

Posted on September 23, 2010
Up to 20,000 secularists rallied in the streets of London last Saturday to make their opposition to the teachings and behaviour of Joseph Ratzinger perfectly clear

BBC under fire for excessive papal coverage

Posted on September 23, 2010
The BBC has so far received 384 complaints from viewers who felt there had been too much coverage of the pope's visit, while 122 people contacted the BBC to commend it for its coverage.

The Pope and Nazism

Posted on September 23, 2010
The pope made much of the evils of Nazism in his speeches while in Britain. He said that the Nazis had thrived in a godless culture.

Poll shows pope seriously out of step with Catholics in Britain

Posted on September 23, 2010
Seven out of 10 British Catholics believe that a woman should have the right to choose whether to have an abortion, according to a remarkable new poll that shows how far out of step the Vatican is with its congregation as Pope Benedict XVI completes his first visit to the UK.

Catholics trying to write religious doctrine into EU law ? your chance to object

Posted on September 23, 2010
The European Parliament Platform for Secularism in Politics (EPPSP, of which the NSS is a founding member) met on Wednesday 15 September to hear four short talks on the subject of "Conscientious Objection in Medicine".

Protest the Pope rally sees thousands march through London's streets

Posted on September 17, 2010
Between ten and twelve thousand secularists have marched through the streets of London to protest against the state visit of Pope Benedict XV1.

Join the 'Protest the Pope' March Against The State Visit of Pope Ratzinger

Posted on September 16, 2010
The Big Pope-Nope march through London that is the centre-piece of the Protest the Pope campaign, will take place tomorrow Saturday 18 September at 1:30pm in London – on the same day and near where the pope will be preaching in Hyde Park.

Nailing the Pope?s lies

Posted on September 16, 2010
As expected, the fawning British media is giving the pope a very easy ride, despite a string of ridiculous and untrue claims in his speeches.

British Government warns that it intends to religionise Britain

Posted on September 16, 2010
Conservative Party chairman Baroness Warsi has insisted that the coalition Government not only 'does God' but that faith groups should have a greater role in public services under the auspices of David Cameron's Big Society.

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