A new feature on BBC Radio Suffolk’s website by Andrew Woodger includes references to Humanism. More people have been going to church in Suffolk, but the diocese has concerns that it may be a blip in the face of long-term decline. However, Muslims say they’re buoyant in the county, as do the humanists who don’t have any faith in a god. We’re constantly hearing that religion, particularly the Christian Church of England, is in decline with fewer bums-on-pews.

An article about the British education system, and the “Academies”. For Blair, the two classes of school that really mattered were the voluntary-aided schools, now usually called ‘faith’ schools, and a new type of school, the city academy. Of the two, Gordon Brown’s government is clearly putting its money on the academies. The faith schools were a particular enthusiasm of Blair’s but are viewed with suspicion by the Labour Party as a whole.

Like many local authorities, Babergh District Council has Christian prayers at the beginning of full council meetings. It’s assumed that all the members will participate. Together with humanists and secularists in other parts of the country, we regard this practice as archaic and discriminatory. We have no problem with prayers before meetings, provided they are optional. If they’re held 10 minutes before meetings start, say, and it’s made clear that members are under no obligation to attend, we feel that non-Christians or members of other faiths would feel much happier about getting involved with the democratic process.

We wouldn’t argue that puppies can be “unclean”, what with the puddles and all, but offensive? This is Rebel, the black German Shepherd puppy whom Tayside Police chose to feature in their postcard (above) advertising a new non-emergency telephone number. It was printed and distributed in the Spring, but according to reports today some Muslims in the Dundee area allegedly find this image of the six-month old puppy “offensive” and “ritually unclean”.

This reminded me of a woman who came to visit a few years ago, in search of info about Humanism. She was one of those try-a-new-weird–belief-a-month brigade, who can sometimes subscribe to two or more contradictory sets of beliefs at the same time. She seemed to think that Humanism was a new agey thing, with everyone sending each other healing energies, only not religious (she said). When she mentioned the healing power of crystals, I said I thought they had as much healing power as clutching your favourite pair of wellies would do.

No love lost between Yasmin and Cristina. I know whose side I’m on. I cannot stand Cristina Odone, and the feeling is mutual. We haven’t spoken for years, since the week when, as deputy editor of the New Statesman, she commissioned a hatchet profile on me by a female journalist (of course), who had met me once on a radio show. Even I, well used to abrasive attacks, was knocked back by the virulence in a left-wing magazine I had previously worked for.

It’s usually a waste of time responding to Creationist nonsense privately, as nothing penetrates their stubborness, but is worth doing so in public, if it makes people think. Accordingly, here is an exchange of correspondence between me and Mr George Gardner, who wrote to the local Evening Star about a feature article (see attachment) on Humanism with the usual anti-atheist, pro-Creationist drivel. The Star published my letter in response to his:

Further to our earlier report on Babergh District Council’s position on council prayers, Devon Humanists have issued the following press release: Campaign to end the discriminatory practice of having prayers at Council meetings Do you know that your local Council starts its meetings with prayers? If you say that to most people nowadays they think that you are joking. Devon Humanists today announce the launch of a campaign to end the discriminatory practice of having prayers at Council meetings.

The July edition of New Humanist magazine is on sale, containing articles on the following: Torch bearers – Politics, religion and money may be wrestling to control the Olympics. But, argues Paul Sims, they’ll never be a match for the sheer drama. Gender traitors – From 19th century anti-suffragists to today’s anti-feminists, Sally Feldman finds a common link between women who turn against themselves. The genius myth – Lisa Jardine tells Laurie Taylor why she believes in doubt, precision and uncertainty.

In a decision with potentially disastrous implications for the government’s equality agenda (not to mention the idea of a secular society), an employment tribunal has upheld a claim from a Christian registrar that she suffered direct discrimination after she was “bullied” and “harassed” for refusing to conduct civil partnerships for gay couples. The ruling appears to place the religious “conscience” of registrars above their legal duty to carry out parliament’s legislation.

From P Z Myers’ blog: There are days when it is agony to read the news, because people are so goddamned stupid. Petty and stupid. Hateful and stupid. Just plain stupid. And nothing makes them stupider than religion. Here’s a story that will destroy your hopes for a reasonable humanity. “Webster Cook says he smuggled a Eucharist, a small bread wafer that to Catholics symbolic of the Body of Christ after a priest blesses it, out of mass, didn’t eat it as he was supposed to do, but instead walked with it.

A typical assumption the religious make is that the absence of God deprives life of essence and meaning – that the cold eye of reason is arrogant and robs life of its soul and mystique. Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor has colourfully described this as “spiritual homelessness”. He opined that: “Many people have a sense of being in a sort of exile from faith-guided experience.” This sense of alienation cuts across theological lines.

It looked increasingly unlikely yesterday that cinema audiences will get to see the planned film sequels in Philip Pullman’s children’s fantasy trilogy, His Dark Materials. Sources in the film industry said that plans for a sequel to The Golden Compass appeared to have been put on ice following the fervent Christian protests surrounding the first film, which led to boycotts and box office disappointment in the United States. Christian protests may leave Philip Pullman’s trilogy as one of a kind – News, Film & TV – The Independent.

Responding to the Ministry of Justice White Paper, the British Humanist Association (BHA) has urged the Government to ensure that there will be no reserved places for Bishops in a reformed House of Lords. Andrew Copson, BHA Director of Education and Public Affairs, commented, ‘The UK is the only Western democracy to give religious representatives the automatic right to sit in the legislature. Modern Britain is a society with a great diversity of religious and non-religious beliefs and it is outrageous that both Labour and Conservatives are proposing that this anachronistic policy should continue.

From Humanist Philosopher Julian Baggini’s Herald column; he doesn’t seem overly impressed by the increase in Humanist weddings in Scotland. Humanist weddings, and other ceremonies, are unusual in that they provide a like-for-like replacement for what religions offer. Since people will always want to mark significant events in life in a shared, public way, once humanist weddings were made legal in Scotland it was inevitable that those who held broadly humanist views would take them up.

DURING HIS US TOUR in 2008, Biologist and bestselling author Richard Dawkins met with some of the world’s leading scientists to discuss topics such as Quantum Physics, Biology, Evolutionary Psychology, Science education, religion, atheism and more. This video brings you the fascinating unedited discussions between Richard Dawkins and Nobel Prize-winning Physicist Steven Weinberg, Physicist Lawrence Krauss, Biologist and blogger PZ Myers, and Evolutionary Psychologist David Buss. From a public conversation at Stanford University to private conversations in Austin and Minneapolis, this collection offers a rare and inspirational opportunity to observe some of today’s top scientists as they discuss some of the big issues without interruption.

In 1963 the magazine New Society ran an article by Ronald Fletcher, then a lecturer in sociology at Bedford College, London, entitled “A Humanist’s Decalogue”. The author was suggesting an updated version of the Biblical list of dos and don’ts as a set of non-commandments – “principles on which the individual must work out his/her own conduct when faced by particular problems”. The article was one of a series dealing especially with young people’s values.

The Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain was one year old on June 21. For many, this will come as a surprise given the organisation’s importance and the scope of its activities so far. In the short time since the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain was launched in June 2007, it has achieved much with volunteers alone. Some of the highlights are: We currently have 120 members and 90 supporters. Given that membership in our organisation comes with certain risks, these numbers represent many more that are unable or unwilling to renounce religion and Islam publicly.

Our latest newsletter contains articles on depleted uranium, getting involved with “equality bodies”, care of the elderly, and more, plus our full programme of meetings and events. Suffolk Humanist & Secularist News, August 2008 (pdf) To open a pdf file, you need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.

A city council has blocked its staff from looking at websites about atheism. Lawyers at the National Secular Society said the move by Birmingham City Council was “discriminatory” and they would consider legal action. The rules also ban sites that promote witchcraft, the paranormal, sexual deviancy and criminal activity. BBC NEWS | England | West Midlands | Council ban on atheist websites. Tags: BBC, Birmingham+City+Council, Atheism, Discrimination

TV to look out for; Richard Dawkins on Charles Darwin, Monday 4 August, 8pm, Channel 4. As we approach the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin’s masterpiece, On The Origin Of Species, ethologist and writer Richard Dawkins presents the ultimate guide to Darwin and his revolutionary theory of evolution by natural selection. Dawkins considers this to be the most important idea to have ever occured to a human mind.