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NSS Summer 2009 Bulletin

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NSS Summer 2009 Bulletin challenging religious privilege Bulletin Summer 2009 Issue 42 www.secularism.org.uk Our debaptism certificate Hospitalchaplain causes international stir researchstarts or many years the NSS has American radio and on TV and radio nationaldebate been providing a free in Britain. F download of a jokey When we launched an attractive ith the help of nearly forty “debaptism” certificate, the brain new certificate printed on volunteers from around the child of former President Barbara parchment paper, available for a Wcountry, NSS member Smoker. It was clear from the modest cost, the office struggled to Dennis Penaluna used Freedom of statistics that it was one of the keep up with demand. Then Time Information legislation to discover most popular items on our website. magazine also took up the story, how much the National Health But then the BBC suddenly took which became the most read article Service is spending on its an interest in it, and also in John on its website for several days. This chaplaincy services. Hunt, who, with the help of the NSS, sparked another wave of interest to The final annual salary cost of was trying to get himself officially the point that the Macmillan £32 million is equivalent to around debaptised by the Church of Dictionary website made £40 million when all the associated England. “debaptism” its word of the week. expenses are taken into account – When the BBC featured this – on Especially in the USA, Christian sufficient to pay a further 1,500 TV, radio and on-line – the bloggers and commentators saw nurses or 2,300 cleaners. Especially certificate became the focus of debaptism as another sign of an in times of stringency, the priority worldwide attention. The Press increasingly secularised Europe. must be front line services. Association then took up the story Britain’s Premier Christian Radio The churches should pay for and within days it was in media even felt the need to start a rival whatever level of chaplain provision around the world. President Terry campaign calling on Christians to they wish; or they may decide it is Sanderson was interviewed on sign up to make a more economical to send local declaration of their priests to hospitals on request. faith. Terry Sanderson and Keith While some are Porteous Wood took part in dozens concerned that the of broadcasts, including the Today certificate implicitly programme, about the findings. This imbues baptism with caused the Church of England, who unwarranted supply most of the chaplains, to go significance, others into maximum defence mode, value it as a symbol arguing that chaplains are of their personal “essential” and “irreplaceable”. rejection of the church. As we have come to expect The Church of England insists however, the BBC deliberately gave that it does not use baptismal the impression that the NSS was figures as a basis for membership calling for an end to the chaplaincy Church of England statistics, but The Times’ Ruth service, when we were solely Newspaper Gledhill has established that the questioning: “should the NHS be top story CofE has submitted these figures to paying for them?” The dice were from March 27 2009 continues on page 2, col 1 3 continues on page 2, col 2 3 The Bulletin can be read online at www.secularism.org.uk/bulletins.html BulletinOnline Stories marked with a have hotlinks to additional information. Visit the new-look NSS website at www.secularism.org.uk and join Friends of the NSS on Facebook 7 “Debaptism” continued 7 “Hospital chaplains” continued secure extra places on the World further loaded by the BBC coming to Nurses are not Council of Churches. Also, in 2000, the aid of chaplains in several pastors the “Wakeham” Royal Commission programmes, while conspicuously report included a disingenuous avoiding any dissenting voices. The NSS was the only claim that the CofE had nearly 25 As with debaptism, this story organisation to support the right million members in the UK (based started a national debate; many of North Somerset Primary Care on baptism) in an attempt to justify people were surprised that it was the Trust to discipline Nurse Caroline the retention of bishops in the NHS rather than the churches paying Petrie for asking a patient in their House of Lords. the clergy’s wages. They had been own home if they would like to under the impression that chaplains pray. The Trust faced a barrage were simply local vicars and priests of condemnation from Christian who came into hospitals as part of groups and even the Justice their normal duties. The viciousness Secretary. The controversy gave of comment in the religious press rise to countless media and the extent to which we have interviews and significant press been misrepresented suggests we coverage for the Society. have struck a nerve once more. ARE YOU GETTING IT EVERY WEEK? Newsline’s editor Terry Sanderson hopes you are all receiving our weekly email newsletter. There have been some email distribution problems which can be overcome if you contact us. If you would like Newsline but are not receiving it, please contact the office. As seen on the Macmillan website Tribute paid to our Human Rights work ttacks on freedom of expression and attempts to responsible for Human Rights, and her team. Gratifyingly, undermine individual universal Human Rights are she paid tribute to IHEU’s work both on the floor of the Abecoming commonplace at the United Nations UNHRC, and to the way it had raised the international Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva. profile of concerns over freedom of expression and the This is why the NSS has teamed up with the International disturbing direction the UNHRC is taking. Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) to do whatever we can The First Secretary agreed with Keith Wood’s analysis of to assist their courageous efforts to stop the erosion of the complex challenges facing both the Council and free expression and other Human Rights. The IHEU team at Western Governments steadfastly committed to upholding the UNHRC is led by NSS Member Roy Brown. Human Rights. Further regular meetings are planned. Most of the attempts to undermine Human Rights come Keith was accompanied at the meeting by an MP on the from countries that are part of the Organisation of the Foreign Affairs Committee that oversees the Foreign Islamic Conference (OIC). Other countries vote with the OIC Office’s work. The meeting was set up following a out of self-interest, forming a bloc that can command a conversation between Keith and Mark (now Lord) Malloch majority at the UNHRC. Brown. He is now a Foreign Office minister but is the Repeated resolutions are being passed by this voting previous Deputy Director General of the United Nations. bloc proposing the outlawing of what they term Keith later attended a diplomatic reception at Lancaster “defamation of religion”. The clear intention is to create House to mark the launch of the Foreign Office’s Human some kind of super blasphemy law that would apply Rights Report for 2008. The NSS made a detailed internationally to prevent any criticism of Islam, the only submission about the 2007 Report suggesting that the religion specifically mentioned in the resolutions. problems at Geneva should be given a great deal more Keith Porteous Wood requested a meeting at the Foreign analysis and prominence in the next Report. We are and Commonwealth Office with the First Secretary pleased that they have been. Royal Marriages and Succession to the Crown (Prevention of Discrimination) Bill Over the Christmas break, Keith introduced sought to eliminate both though he was in South America. carried out some detailed research religious and sex discrimination Keith was in the Commons Chamber for Evan Harris MP on the above from the line of succession. The for the five-hour debate. Justice topic on the very outside chance Queen had to be consulted before Secretary Jack Straw wound up for that Evan would win a private the Bill could be debated. Due to the Government accepting the members’ ballot to table a bill about the level of public interest, the validity of the aims of the Bill and it. Against the odds, Evan won a Prime Minister commented about it indicating that Government would place in the ballot. The Bill he on the Today programme, even consider taking them forward. 2 Bulletin Summer 2009 Equality Bill NSS meets community A new Equality Bill has started its passage through Parliament, replacing existing piecemeal minister Sadiq Khan legislation. It applies to England, Scotland and Wales. Some time The NSS was invited to set out its concerns to before its publication, NSS Vice Sadiq Khan, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of President Anna Behan and State at the Department for Communities and Executive Director Local Government in a private meeting. The Keith Porteous meeting was attended by Vice President Anna Wood met with Behan and council member Peter Vlachos as the senior civil well as the Executive Director. The NSS set out servant its philosophies and broad concerns. responsible for The greatest of these concerns relates to drafting the Bill. the excessive attention paid by Government to While one religious groups, and especially their leaders. recommendation Anna Behan To us this appears to go beyond merely they made has reaching out to vulnerable sectors of the been incorporated, other important community: it extends to giving them privileged Sadiq Khan ones have not. The NSS was input into Government policy. Similarly, the advised by a top civil servant Government has set up a Faith Communities about the broad content of the Bill Unit, despite the fact that the majority of the population has little or no time in advance of its publication.
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