The Scottish Secular Society Welcomes the News That The SNP Governing Body Are Moving to Debate the Repeal of Blasphemy Laws
The Scottish Secular Society welcomes the news that the SNP’s governing body are moving to debate the long overdue repeal of Scotland’s blasphemy laws. We fully support any move to more formally entrench freedom of expression as it is laid out in Article 19 of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights, and hope this action gains cross party support. We would support Scotland joining England, Wales and many other countries across the world in removing blasphemy laws from the books. We also agree that such action would allow Scotland a more firm moral position when...
Read MoreThe Right To Assisted Suicide
We had the pleasure of being invited this year’s debate ‘Persons who wish to decide when to end their lives should be able to do so with the assistance of a registered physician’
Read More5 April | Mhairi Black, MP: The Future of Scottish Politics
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FOR: THURSDAY 5 APRIL, 2018. TICKETS NOW ON SALE.
Read MoreScottish Declaration on Human Rights
Below is the letter drafted by our human rights adviser John Duncan in response to the unveiling of the Scottish Declaration on Human Rights. In response to this letter we were given information on how to sign up and can now proudly say we are signatories to the Scottish Declaration. You can find information on how to sign up either personally or on behalf of your organisation here: https://humanrightsdeclaration.scot/sign-up Any organisation from the public, private or third sectors can sign their support for the Declaration. Big or small, old or new – as long as your organisation works in...
Read MoreReligion and the Highlands and Islands Film Guild 1946-71
Dr Ian Good and Dr Ealasaid Munro present some of the key findings of their AHRC funded research into the Highlands and Islands Film Guild (1946-1971) Dr Ian Good and Dr Ealasaid Munro present some of the key findings of their AHRC funded research into the Highlands and Islands Film Guild (1946-1971). This was a travelling cinema funded by local government which sought to bring ‘secular entertainment’ to some of Scotland’s most geographically isolated and pious communities. How did churches respond to the arrival of cinema in rural areas? And how do people express their memories of...
Read MoreAndrew Copson- Secularism: politics, religion, and freedom
Chief Executive of Humanists UK and President of the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU), Andrew Copson, will be joining us on the 1st of February to discuss his book “Secularism: Politics, Religion, and Freedom. Secularism is an increasingly hot topic in public, political, and religious debate across the globe. It is embodied in the conflict between secular republics – from the US to India – and the challenges they face from resurgent religious identity politics; in the challenges faced by religious states like those of the Arab world from insurgent secularists; and...
Read MoreDoes Denominational School Provision in Scotland Match Religious Affiliation?
Source: Does Denominational School Provision in Scotland Match Religious Affiliation? Original post by Patrick Mackie The usual rules of such questions apply; the answer is, of course, no. I’d better begin, by stating yet again that my beef is not against any particular church, or Christianity, or religion per se; this post drills a bit deeper into the information I’ve dug out since being asked to speak at a school debate on the motion “This house would abolish state-funded faith schools”. (Read more…)
Read MoreFirst Anniversary of Western Isles Secular Society!
A series of unexpected events afforded me a surprise opportunity to travel to Stornoway to join the Western Isles Secular Society as they celebrated their 1st anniversary. Given the wild ride through their inaugural year, it was a privilege to join them in celebrating their success. The official celebration was to be held on the first Sunday evening in December, at the Caladh Inn. This gave me an extended weekend to wander around the beautiful eastern area of Lewis & Harris. Strong messages in the media about Stornoway’s unique desire for publicly and privately keeping the Sabbath holy...
Read MoreGuest Debate: This House Would Abolish State Funded Faith Schools
Patrick Mackie, board member of the Scottish Secular Society, participated as a special guest of the Debating Society at George Heriot’s School in Edinburgh.
Read MoreLetter: The Scottish Secular Society responds to Kevin McKenna’s article
Kevin McKenna was correct in arguing that having denominational schools are not a right of religions; he was wrong in arguing that we should seek to establish more faith schools in Scotland to compensate for the over-provision of Catholic schools. Love, compassion and human dignity are not the exclusive preserve of religions and do not require the provision of faith schools for young people to learn them. These are obvious components of an inclusive and civilised society. The Scotland of 2018 is not the Scotland of 1918. Religious affiliation is falling, and is crashing among young people. ...
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