National Secular Society News: Religion & Law

Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Religion & Law Blogs

OR PHONE (866) 635-1838 for Bankruptcy Help, (866) 635-6190 for Divorce,
(866) 635-2689 for Personal Injury or (866) 635-9402 for Criminal Defense

Find a Local Lawyer

Bankruptcy (866) 635-1838
Divorce (866) 635-6190
Personal Injury (866) 635-2689
Criminal Defense (866) 635-9402

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

Swiss join the flight from churches

Posted on May 27, 2010
Only about a quarter of people in Switzerland who identify themselves as Christians say that they are religious or very religious.

College chaplain faces chop

Posted on May 27, 2010
As continuing education establishments begin to be seriously affected by financial cuts, many are beginning to question whether paying for the resident chaplain is a good use of resources.

New Government promises many more ?faith schools?

Posted on May 20, 2010
The new coalition Government of Conservatives and Liberal Democrats announced this week that it intends to create many more state-funded 'faith schools' in a radical shake-up of the education system.

Council prayer battles rage around the country

Posted on May 20, 2010
Bideford Town Council held an extraordinary meeting this week to consider the National Secular Society's letter advising them that the saying of prayers as part of council meetings is illegal.

To access this complete feed in the blog feed reader login or register for free.

More on religion and the new government

Posted on May 20, 2010
As the new Parliament begins to find its feet, we can take another look at where religion will feature in it, and which personalities are likely to make an issue of it in policy-making.

Reactionary Catholics finding it harder to get elected

Posted on May 20, 2010
There seems disagreement between the two leading Catholic journals as to how many MPs in Parliament now describe themselves as Catholic.

Leicestershire man is penalised ? because he is not a Catholic

Posted on May 20, 2010
The reality of the religious discrimination that is being practised in the provision of home to school transport has been brought home to a Leicestershire man who has been told that he must pay higher school bus fares because his children are not Catholics.

NSS tests the claim that the Today programme is ?secular?

Posted on May 20, 2010
This week the Church of England issued another warning to the BBC not to cut religious programming as part of the Corporation's review of managing its diminishing resources.

Are humanist ?chaplains? a good idea?

Posted on May 20, 2010
Two humanist 'lay advisors' have joined the chaplaincy staff in Hertfordshire Constabulary. Their presence makes Hertfordshire the first force in the country to have humanists on its team.

Libel courts are secular and cannot rule on religious doctrine, says judge

Posted on May 20, 2010
A senior judge said this week that libel courts must not become places where religious bodies go to sort out their doctrinal differences.

Portugal?s bishops ?lamenting? new gay marriage law

Posted on May 20, 2010
Portugal's president President Anibal Cavaco Silva said this week that he would reluctantly ratify the country's new gay marriage law.

Vatican still bans ?the pill?. Catholic women?s response? ?So what??

Posted on May 20, 2010
According to data from the (US) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 98 percent of American women between the ages of 15 and 44 have used some form of contraception and more than 44 million have used the pill. This indicates that Catholic women take practically no notice of the Vatican's continued order to them to desist.

NSS launches its No to Council Prayers campaign ? and opens a fighting fund

Posted on May 13, 2010
The NSS's campaign to remove prayers from council meetings entered a new phase last week when a lawyer's letter ahead of action was sent to Bideford Council setting out the grounds under which we believe the practice to be illegal.

Catholic faith school transport privileges under scrutiny in Staffordshire

Posted on May 13, 2010
As the recession begins to bite, and local authorities look around desperately for ways to make ends meet, the scandal of free school transport to 'faith schools' is increasingly coming under scrutiny.

Muslim MPs or MPs who are Muslim?

Posted on May 13, 2010
The number of 'Muslim MPs' (shouldn't that be MPs who are Muslim?) increased to eight after last week's election. But looking at their previous records, there is little evidence that any of them are coming with a religious agenda attached.

And the others....?

Posted on May 13, 2010
From a total of 233 new Members of Parliament, we have yet to discover how many are over-enthusiastic — that is to say evangelical — Christians, but we can expect quite a few on the Tory back benches. There is speculation of the imminent emergence of an 'evangelical Tory Right' that could have a disproportionate influence on public policy making.

Good luck to Yasmin Toor ? and may she be the first of many

Posted on May 13, 2010
In Oldham, a woman from a Muslim background has become the first to be elected on to the local council. Yasmin Toor said: 'It's time for a female voice in Oldham, I hope to represent all women in Oldham. I am really proud to be a positive role model for women...

End this Balkanisation of the Scouts

Posted on May 13, 2010
The Scout Association has got together with the charity, Mosaic, to encourage more members of Muslim communities to become Scouts volunteers.

Secular Medical Forum director gets an Erotic Award

Posted on May 13, 2010
Beating off stiff competition, Dr Antony Lempert, co-ordinator of the Secular Medical Forum, was voted ‘Academic of the Year' in the 2010 Erotic Awards.

Have you been a victim of Catholic child abuse?

Posted on May 13, 2010
The NSS is planning a series of events in protest at the presence of the Pope in Britain in September. We are looking for people who have been victims of abuse by the Catholic Church who are prepared to speak about their experiences to journalists and in public.

Secularist Evan Harris loses his seat in election shock

Posted on May 06, 2010
Valued Honorary Associate and former Secularist of the Year, Dr Evan Harris, has lost his parliamentary seat in the General Election. Dr Harris was beaten by 176 votes by the Tory candidate.

NSS launches legal challenge in ?Council Prayers? campaign

Posted on May 06, 2010
The National Secular Society last week launched its legal challenge against a local Council's practice of starting its meetings with prayers.

One law for Tohseef Shah and another for Harry Taylor

Posted on May 06, 2010
A Muslim man who daubed a war memorial with an incitement to kill Gordon Brown and with the message 'Islam will dominate the world' has been cleared of a religiously aggravated offence.

Evidence that Ratzinger knew about child abuse and did nothing

Posted on May 06, 2010
The Vatican has tried had to cast a fog around what the present Pope knew about child abuse when he was Cardinal Ratzinger and in charge of investigating all accusations.

Street preacher charged for spouting against gays

Posted on May 06, 2010
A Christian street preacher was arrested for allegedly saying that homosexuality is a "sin" that goes against God.

Religious Right get all fired up over their fantasies

Posted on May 06, 2010
The Christian extremists who are agitating around the country to create the impression that they are being 'persecuted' and 'marginalised' have been working overtime in the last few weeks.

French Muslim men to be punished for forcing their wives to wear burqa

Posted on May 06, 2010
A leaked Government document reveals that France's proposed anti-burqa laws would target the husbands of women wearing the Islamic garb more harshly than the women themselves.

Catholic Church in Poland is flourishing ? or is it?

Posted on May 06, 2010
The initial headlines told that 'Support for the Roman Catholic Church has risen in Poland.' A survey showed that among 1,056 people who responded in Poland, 73% 'had high regard for the church's work – up five percentage points from March.' Only 18% of respondents viewed the church critically.

High court judgement affirms that the law is secular

Posted on April 29, 2010
In an extraordinary judgment — which will have long-term implications — a High Court Judge has told Christian campaigners that they are not entitled to special treatment under the law and that their attempts to obtain such privilege is 'divisive'.

Religion and Politics: Latest Election News

Posted on April 29, 2010
Dr Evan Harris — NSS honorary associate and winner of Secularist of the Year award — is under severe attack from religious fundamentalists in his constituency of Oxford and Abingdon.

Previous | Next

Related Law Bulletins

2007 Dallas Morning News Texan of the Year: The Illegal Immigrant
The Dallas Morning News came up with a surprise today -- the newsp...

BREAKING NEWS - NJ Supreme Court's Decision in Mt. Laurel v. MiPro
Today, the New Jersey Supreme Court issued a decision in Mount Lau...

Medical Malpractice News Roundup
From the Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, a summary of recent de...

NSEERS - National Security Entry-Exit Registration System
NSEERS - NATIONAL SECURITY ENTRY-EXIT REGISTRATION SYSTEM Special ...

National Episcopal Church Gets Only Limited Intervention In Property Dispute
In Diocese of Central New York v. St. Andrews Episcopal Church, (N...