Episodes

Is it time to remove Church of England bishops’ automatic right to sit in the House of Lords? Liberal Democrat peer Dick Taverne is introducing a private members’ bill – drafted with the NSS’s assistance – to do just that. Emma Park travels to Westminster to interview Dick about why it’s time to abolish the bishops’ bench and reform the Lords, why constitutional reforms can take such a long time, and why the UK is still not a secular country. Follow Emma on Twitter: @DrEmmaPark Watch this epis...

In this episode, Emma Park speaks with Maddy Bridgman and Sam Fitzsimmons of the Integrated Education Fund, a charity that supports inclusive, integrated education (not segregated into de facto Protestant and Catholic schools) in Northern Ireland. Maddy and Sam discuss the IEF’s campaign to support an integrated school system, and outline some of the difficulties the IEF has faced, both political, administrative and structural. They also discuss positive signs that school students who attend i...

In this episode, Emma Park speaks with Lee and Lizanne Harris about their experience of the collective worship requirement in schools. The Harrises recently initiated judicial review proceedings against the primary school attended by their children. They challenged its decision to provide no alternative to a proselytising Christian assembly once a week conducted by representatives of the local C of E church. Lee and Lizanne discuss their children’s experiences of these assemblies, what happene...

This week, Emma Park is joined by Stephen Evans and Chris Sloggett for a general election special. During the campaign the NSS is calling on parties to adopt 11 secularist pledges on subjects such as education and free speech. But which of these are on the parties’ agendas? Will any of them make it onto the statute book any time soon? And is religion stifling political debate? Join Stephen, Chris and Emma for comment and analysis. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/7mwTBwyy6Xo Tran...

In this week’s episode, Emma Park is joined by the NSS’s Megan Manson and Chris Sloggett to discuss the Church of England’s privileged role in Remembrance Sunday. Is it right that the church should lead the service of remembrance at the Cenotaph? Does the C of E represent modern Britain? Will Britain continue to remember if the ritual of remembrance is tied up with religion? Emma then speaks to Keith Porteous Wood, president of the NSS, about the society’s campaign to expose institutional abuse...

In this week’s episode, Emma Park is joined by Chris Sloggett and Helen Nicholls to discuss whether BBC Radio 4’s Thought for the Day should still be exclusively for “speakers from the world’s major faiths”. John Humphrys, former presenter of the Today programme in which Thought for the Day is featured, recently criticised it as ‘discriminatory’. Emma also speaks to Stephen Evans and Alastair Lichten about a consultation on the reform of sex and religious education launched by the Welsh governm...

In this week’s episode, Emma Park speaks to Megan Manson about Operation Christmas Child, a programme that encourages schoolchildren and youth groups around the UK to send Christmas shoeboxes to children in developing countries. Those sending the shoeboxes may not be aware that they are being used as part of a conversion drive by an evangelical Christian charity, Samaritan’s Purse. The case raises the question of whether ‘the advancement of religion’ should still be a charitable purpose. Emma t...

Emma Park speaks to Stephen Evans, CEO of the NSS and Chris Sloggett, communications officer, about the NSS’s opposition to a definition of ‘Islamophobia’ which was proposed by a parliamentary group in November 2018. Chris and NSS campaigns officer Megan Manson also join Emma to discuss two recent rows relating to infant circumcision. Megan highlights a court case in which a Nigerian Christian woman, Martina Obi-Uzom, was given a suspended sentence for having an infant boy circumcised without ...

In this episode, Emma Park speaks to the NSS’s Head of Education, Alastair Lichten, about the Society’s ongoing campaign against collective worship in schools. This is followed by a brief update on the NSS’s other campaigns in education, and its new resource for schools, Exploring Secularism. It is, surprisingly, still a legal requirement in England and Wales that state schools practise some form of collective religious worship every day. Emma and Alastair discuss what the law is, how it is put...

Chris Sloggett spoke to NSS head of education Alastair Lichten about our new report Religious Reps: Unrepresentative, Unnecessary and Unjustified. The report makes the case for ending the requirement on all Scottish local authorities to include religious appointees on their education committees. They discussed the report’s findings and recommendations and next steps for the campaign. Campaigns officer Megan Manson also joined to discuss work the NSS has been doing on vaccinations, blasphemy law...

Chris Sloggett spoke to NSS chief executive Stephen Evans and campaigns officer Megan Manson about the recent BBC documentary ‘A cut too far?’ and the ethics of ritual infant male circumcision. Did the documentary go far enough and is the tide turning against this abusive practice? Also in this episode our head of education Alastair Lichten spoke with Andrew Moffat, creator of the inclusive education resource ‘No Outsiders’ and speaker at our upcoming Bradlaugh Lecture. Watch this episode on Yo...

Here’s a little bonus content from Secularism which was originally going to be in our post conference review. In this episode, Emma Park, a freelance writer and NSS volunteer, interviewed five of the Conference speakers to explore some of the issues raised by their talks in further detail. Some of these were a bit more wide ranging than the topic. Everyone’s views are their own and do not necessarily represent those of the NSS. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGO...

In episode 11, Chris Sloggett spoke to Megan Manson about charities which exist only to promote religion and whether these or religious charities which do harm are in the public benefit. Chris also spoke to and Alastair Lichten about protests by religious reactionaries against LGBT inclusive education and what the NSS is doing. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVmWU1jwrXE&feature=youtu.be Transcripts: https://www.secularism.org.uk/transcripts Links Make a stand for...

In episode 10, Helen Nicholls, Megan Manson and Alastair Lichten joined Chris Sloggett for a review of our recent conference (Secularism 2019: Reclaiming Religious Freedom). They discuss some of the speakers, key takeaways and how these will continue to influence our work going forward. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/tlyczsqLx9I Transcripts: https://www.secularism.org.uk/transcripts Links Make a stand for freedom, fairness and human rights by adding your voice to the call for a...

Continuing our series of discussions exploring religious freedom, Alastair Lichten spoke with Simon Barrow. Simon is the director of Ekklesia – a Christian think tank focusing on politics, social justice and belief. Simon is a commentator, journalist, publisher, NGO consultant, adult educator/trainer and theologian. This is part of a series of interviews leading up to our major conference in May, Secularism 2019: Reclaiming Religious Freedom: https://www.secularism.org.uk/2019 Watch this episod...

Continuing our series of discussions exploring religious freedom, Alastair Lichten spoke with Izzy Posen. Izzy grew up in the Chasidic community and attended an illegal, unregistered school where corporal punishment was routinely used, particularly to silence children who asked questions. He is now president of Bristol University’s Free Speech Society This is part of a series of interviews leading up to our major conference in May, Secularism 2019: Reclaiming Religious Freedom: https://www.secu...

Continuing our series of discussions exploring religious freedom, Alastair Lichten spoke with Geoffrey Robertson QC – the internationally renowned human rights barrister, academic, author and broadcaster and founder of Doughty Street Chambers. This is part of a series of interviews leading up to our major conference in May, Secularism 2019: Reclaiming Religious Freedom: https://www.secularism.org.uk/2019 Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOuTCTdEP3k&feature=youtu.be...

Continuing our series of discussions exploring religious freedom, Alastair Lichten spoke with Rudolf Eliott Lockhart (Rudi) CEO of the Religious Education Council of England and Wales. This is part of a series of interviews leading up to our major conference in May, Secularism 2019: Reclaiming Religious Freedom secularism.org.uk/secularism-2019 Watch this episode on YouTube: youtu.be/cVE8vsffUOk Transcript: secularism.org.uk/uploads/rudolf-eliott-lockhart—exploring-religious-freedom-episode-06....

Continuing our series of discussions exploring religious freedom, Alastair Lichten spoke with Dr Antony Lempert. Dr Lempert is chair of the Secular Medical forum, a regular speaker and expert on freedom of and from religion in healthcare. This is part of a series of interviews leading up to our major conference in May, Secularism 2019: Reclaiming Religious Freedom Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdPBHCZICPc&feature=youtu.be Transcript: https://www.secularism.org.u...

Continuing our series of discussions exploring religious freedom, Alastair Lichten spoke with secularist activist Annie Laurie Gaylor. Annie Laurie is a co-founder of – and, current co-president of – the Freedom From Religion Foundation. This is part of a series of interviews leading up to our major conference in May, Secularism 2019: Reclaiming Religious Freedom. www.secularism.org.uk/2019 Watch this episode on YouTube. | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cspncemMA9A&feature=youtu.be Links fro...

Continuing our series of discussions exploring religious freedom, Alastair Lichten spoke with secularist activist Maryam Namazie. Maryam is the spokesperson for Iran Solidarity, One Law for All, and the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain and is a patron of London Black Atheists. This is part of a series of interviews leading up to our major conference in May, Secularism 2019: Reclaiming Religious Freedom. https://www.secularism.org.uk/2019 Transcript: https://www.secularism.org.uk/uploads/marya...

Continuing our series of discussions exploring religious freedom, Alastair Lichten spoke with Rachel Laser – head of Americans United for separation of church and state, and the keynote speaker at our upcoming conference Secularism 2019: Reclaiming Religious Freedom. https://www.secularism.org.uk/2019 Discuss this episode on Facebook Watch this episode on YouTube Links to Rachel’s recommended reads: God and Government: Twenty-Five Years of Fighting for Equality, Secularism, and Freedom Of Cons...

In the first of a series of discussions exploring religious freedom, Alastair Lichten spoke with Stephen Evans – chief executive of the National Secular Society. Stephen argues that religious freedom and secularism that allows people of different religions and beliefs can live together. In the interview Stephen explains the basis of religious freedom in human rights law and its limits. Discuss this episode on Facebook. Watch this episode on YouTube Links to the books/films that Stephen mentione...