Tag Archives: religion

Isn’t it our deference to religion that let the Taliban in?

Posted on September 2, 2021 by literarylad

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 →

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Why you should consider joining the National Secular Society

Posted on December 1, 2020 by literarylad

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 →

Posted in Ethics, Religion, Writing | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Religious Intrusion in Perth

Posted on April 10, 2018 by literarylad

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 →

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Charles Bradlaugh: Forgotten Hero?

Posted on September 15, 2017 by literarylad

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 →

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Airbrushing Easter

Posted on April 5, 2017 by literarylad

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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First Sunrise

Posted on January 3, 2017 by literarylad

This New Year’s Day started wet and grey, and it seemed like a bad omen – a sign that 2017 was going to continue in the same vein as 2016. But then the rain cleared. This morning I woke up and watched the … Continue reading →

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The Inquisition may be History, but The Church is still an Oppressor

Posted on December 19, 2016 by literarylad

A nurse was recently dismissed from the Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust for repeated inappropriate behaviour towards patients. Sarah Kuteh claims that she simply offered to pray with patients that she dealt with in the surgical pre-assessment unit. However, the … Continue reading →

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Bird Brain & The Maniac Street Preacher

Posted on March 25, 2015 by literarylad

Up until now I’ve resisted Twitter. I’ve never wanted to become a member of the ‘Twittersphere’, ‘Twitterati’ or whatever made-up twit-word you care to use, because while Twitter could be argued to give everyone the opportunity to have their say, … Continue reading →

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At Cross Purposes…

Posted on September 17, 2014 by literarylad

The British Legion sent me this cross. I like the British Legion. They’re a worthy charity, and they do valuable work, including providing social clubs for millions of people across the country (even if many of those clubs are in decline). … Continue reading →

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Religious schools are the problem

Posted on June 10, 2014 by literarylad

I’m not surprised that Michael Gove’s free school program has run into difficulties. The focus of discontent has so far been limited to fundamentalist (i.e., extreme) Muslim schools. It’s easy to see the danger of allowing a school to be … Continue reading →

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