Suffolk Humanists and Secularists

Cartoon by Wiley, via www.gocomics.com. With thanks to the American Humanist Association.

A couple of days ago it was reported that Moors murderer Ian Brady had given a sealed envelope to his mental health advocate that may or may not give details of where he'd left the body of his victim Keith Bennett, who was twelve. Today it was announced that Keith's mother, Mrs Winnie Johnson, had died. Interviewing Mrs Johnson's solicitor, John Ainley, on BBC News 24, weekend presenter Maxine Mawhinney asked if Brady was religious. Ainley said he wasn't. Mawhinney said that this meant that Brady wouldn't have a conscience about his crime or about withholding information about where Keith's body might be found.

Should we be angry about this sort of thing? It's the sort of casually judgemental comment that we hear all the time from religious people, but newsreaders ought to know better. A complaint is one its way.

Read about him on Wikipedia

If you receive the National Secular Society's weekly email, Newsline, you'll already have read this message:

Why we need you to commit to your principles

A message from Terry Sanderson, NSS President

We know there are millions of people in this country who would prefer religion not to interfere in their life and to stay where it belongs – in places of worship and in the homes of worshippers.

There is a definite feeling of discomfort abroad about the way that churches, mosques, temples and other places of worship are putting out tentacles that reach into all our lives – whether it is into our children's education (another huge increase in the number of 'faith schools' is on the way), our taxes (why do churches get special tax privileges, like reduced VAT, when the rest of us are shown no mercy?), our hospitals (why is the NHS paying the salaries of clergy when hospitals are going into administration?), our legislature (why are Church of England bishops involved in making laws that we all have to live by?), and our media (why is religion given such special consideration by the BBC – especially when religious programmes have so few listeners or viewers?).

Via NSS on Facebook. Click here for Chris Addison's website.

Leading Australian Young Earth Creationist Ken Ham is visiting Ipswich for an Answers in Genesis conference on 8 August. Ham says that "maths is fundamentally Christian" (not sure what he means by that), that there were dinosaurs on Noah's Ark but their average size was about the same as a sheep (explaining how there was room), that the universe was created about 6,000 years ago and that Noah's flood occurred about 4,500 years ago in the year 2348 BC. This is despite gaining a bachelor's degree in Applied Science, with emphasis in Environmental Biology, through the Queensland Institute of Technology and, in order to begin teaching science in Australian public schools, a diploma in Education from the University of Queensland.

Ham is President of the Answers in Genesis Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky, a project that cost $27million. It was featured in Bill Mahers' comedy documentary film, Religulous.

It all goes to show that you can give a young man a science education, but it doesn't make him rational.

If anyone fancies going to the St John the Baptist Church in Cauldwell Hall Road, Ipswich, on 8 August and asking Mr Ham some questions, please let us know.

Illustration: 19th century engraving of dinosaurs, minus ark.

The BHA reports:

A group of creationists has gained approval from the Government to open a fully state-funded Free School in 2013. The group are behind the plans for ‘Exemplar – Newark Business Academy’, a revised bid from the same people who proposed ‘Everyday Champion’s Academy’ last year. Everyday Champion’s Academy, which was formally backed by Everyday Champions Church, was explicitly rejected due to concerns surrounding the teaching of creationism.