Our response to the survey indicating that 70% of young people in the UK do not consider themselves religious
This week saw the publication of figures concerning the religiosity of Europe’s young people. These figures published in a report prepared by Stephen Bullivant for the European Council of [Catholic] Bishops are based on data from the European Social Survey 2014-16 and show that in the UK a majority of the adult population, and 70% of young people (16-29), identify as having no religion. These figures show the privileged place of religion in our system of government to be grossly out of step with the views of the governed. Currently the...
read moreThe 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...
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,...
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...
read moreKnowledge Café 2017 – Audit Scotland
As a secular organisation, and active campaigners for improved equality and ever-better human rights policies and practices, we see it our duty to learn how to listen across these invisible lines that divide our identities. And we try to help those citizens who come to us, learn how to communicate their own needs.
read moreThe Scottish Secular Society’s response to controversy on Lewis
The residents of Lewis and Harris have both enjoyed and suffered the position of isolation from the national narrative for too long.
read morePress Release: The SSS welcomes the announcement of a pardon for thousands of gay and bisexual men
The Scottish Secular Society welcomes the announcement yesterday (7th November) by the First Minister of a pardon for thousands of gay and bisexual men who were subject to legal prosecution prior to 1981 and subsequently due to use of outdated laws.
read moreEquality and Human Rights Commission – Stakeholder Dinner
I was privileged to represent the SSS at a recent dinner for stakeholders hosted in Edinburgh by the EHRC Scotland.
read morePress Release: The SSS welcomes Norther Ireland’s referendum on the 8th Amendment
This referendum is the result of a long-fought campaign to repeal the 1983 decision.
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