All posts tagged: secularists

Secularists call for renewal of liberal values at NSS conference

Secularists call for renewal of liberal values at NSS conference

Published by skeptic

Educators, parliamentarians, and academics highlighted the need to challenge religious threats to universal freedoms at a National Secular Society conference in London on Saturday. Shedding light on the complex issues affecting liberal societies, speakers from a wide range of backgrounds emphasised the importance of secularism to liberal values. Liberal values and the secular state Opening the first panel of the day, Professor Ronan McCrea of UCL said liberalism is the “idea that disagreement is permanent, and the search for truth ongoing”. Journalist Emma Park said the starting point for liberal society is that “civil liberties are precious and should be jealously guarded”. She emphasised the importance of the twin values of free thought and free speech. Liberal Democrat peer Paul Scriven, who introduced a bill last year to disestablish the Church of England, gave an inside perspective on how the Church has a “special hold on the levers of power”. He said experiencing the influence of the 26 bishops given automatic seats in the House of Lords impressed upon him the need for disestablishment. Anglican …

What do parties in NI, Scotland & Wales have to offer secularists?

What do parties in NI, Scotland & Wales have to offer secularists?

Published by skeptic

The 2024 General Election is next week. Following our analysis of the manifestos from the main nationwide parties, let’s look at how the parties running exclusively in Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales approach issues of importance to secularists. We’ve looked at the manifestos of all parties which had at least one MP when the election was called: the Alliance Party, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Sinn Féin and the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) for NI; ALBA and the Scottish National Party (SNP) for Scotland; and Plaid Cymru for Wales. Bishops in the House of Lords Every party would, as a bare minimum, reform the House of Lords in a way which would call into the question the 26 seats assigned as of right to Church of England bishops. The DUP’s policy is the softest: a smaller chamber with a distribution of seats that “strengthen representation for the devolved regions”. The presence of 26 clerics exclusively from an English church would therefore have to be addressed. However, the DUP also want the Lords to …

What secularists want from the next UK Government

What secularists want from the next UK Government

Published by skeptic

The UK that goes to the polls on 4 July will be the most religiously diverse in election history. Less than half the population of England and Wales describe themselves as ‘Christian’. Most people in Scotland are now non-religious. And there are now more Catholics than Protestants in Northern Ireland, but even here we are seeing more and more people turning away from religion. This sustained shift in demographics demands a radical response from the state. Entrenched Christian privilege and a laissez-faire approach to social cohesion are ill-suited to a religiously diverse, pluralistic population. That’s why the National Secular Society is calling on the next Government to seriously rethink the role of religion in public and political life. Here’s what we want to see from the incoming Government. Secular, inclusive education Schools play a key role in shaping future generations and fostering a culture of tolerance and understanding. But faith schools build division into the system. A third of all schools are faith schools. This isn’t sustainable. Already, the prevalence of religious schools means many …

Hindu group threatens secularists with police over “offensive” talk

Hindu group threatens secularists with police over “offensive” talk

Published by Sam

A Hindu charity has threatened to report a secularist group to the police over a talk critical of Hinduism. In December, Leicester Secular Society (LSS) held a talk, entitled “Hinduism: Wretched Immoral Compass”, by a former Hindu. The talk aimed to “highlight the failure of Hinduism as a moral compass and show that it was flawed from the very outset”. It also examined “the contribution of several neglected Indian figures who stood for liberty, equality, fraternity, social justice, women’s rights, secularism/humanism and more”. The promotional image for the flier included a diagram of the Hindu ‘caste system’. Hindu council: failure to rectify situation “may lead to further escalation” Before the talk took place, LSS received an email from Rajnish Kashyap, general secretary of the London-based Hindu Council UK (HCUK), to express the charity’s “deep concern and offense [sic]” at the event’s title. The email said the title “seems designed to appeal and incite hatred towards Hindus, who are one of the largest and most peaceful groups globally”. It went on: “We intend to bring this …