Category Archives: Religion
Is it a crime to burn a book ?
Or can this apparently destructive act sometimes be a force for good? The furore over the quran burnings in Sweden have apparently sparked outrage in the Islamic world, and a difficult debate about freedom of expression in the more secular … Continue reading
Coronation Chicken…
Can I open my eyes? Is it over yet – the festival of privilege?The TV has been off, I’ve been maintaining radio silence, trying to avoid the nonsense that has been going on in my name, but not with my … Continue reading
The Satanic Verses – Book Review
I bought this book more out of a sense of duty than anything else – a desire to show support for its author. As I’m sure you’ll all know, shortly after the book was published (1988), Salman Rushdie had a … Continue reading
Book Review – The Reluctant Gay Activist
This is the memoir of the late Terry Sanderson, familiar to me as a leading light in the National Secular Society (NSS), of which I’ve been a member for some years. I never spoke to Terry, but I remember him … Continue reading
Isn’t it our deference to religion that let the Taliban in?
Could it be that the Taliban’s greatest strength is not ruthlessness, lack of compassion, or their powerful external backers, but instead, their subservience to what they consider to be an unquestionable ideology? And surely then, the Western allies’ biggest mistake … Continue reading
Why you should consider joining the National Secular Society
On Saturday, for the first time, I attended the AGM of the National Secular society. It isn’t easy for me to get down to London, where they ‘re normally held, but this year, because of the pandemic, it was held … Continue reading
Queen’s speech an insult to most Britains
It seems a strange choice for the queen to use the few minutes she gets to speak to ‘her people’ each year to promote a minority religion. I wonder what the people thought today, when they tuned in to hear … Continue reading
Religious Intrusion in Perth
Mrs Literarylad and I have recently come back from a holiday in Australia. In Perth, we metaphorically walked our legs off exploring this city that we know well from previous visits, but which is changing rapidly. Down by the waterfront, … Continue reading
Charles Bradlaugh: Forgotten Hero?
If you haven’t heard of the Victorian freethinker and rights campaigner Charles Bradlaugh, it’s probably because the establishment have done their best to write him out of history. Bradlaugh was an atheist at a time when atheists were expected to stand … Continue reading
Airbrushing Easter
Apparently some church people have accused the National Trust of airbrushing Easter. I wondered what they were worried about – after all, airbrushes do give a nice smooth effect. Maybe, I thought, they don’t want the NT to use airbrushes because … Continue reading
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