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Remembering Richard Feynman (d. February 15, 1988)
The Disestablishment of the Church of England Bill had its first reading in the UK Parliament today. The Bill, if enacted, would disestablis
By: Humanists UK
Published: Dec 6, 2023
The Disestablishment of the Church of England Bill had its first reading in the UK Parliament today. The Bill, if enacted, would disestablish the Church of England and remove the automatic right of bishops to sit in the House of Lords. Humanists UK, which campaigns for a secular state and the separation of church and state, welcomed the Bill.
The Bill, introduced in the House of Lords by Lord Scriven, a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group, would remove the Church of England from its position as the official state church. The Bill faced significant opposition, but eventually passed.
The recent British Social Attitudes survey demonstrated how unrepresentative our current system is. Only 12% of people consider themselves Anglican. What’s more, 68% of 18-24 year-olds say they belong to no religion versus 18% saying they are Christian – including only 0.7% saying they are Anglican.
The Church of England was disestablished in Wales in 1920 and there has never been an established church in Northern Ireland, as the Church was disestablished in 1869, before Irish independence. This is one of many archaic policies that still exist in the UK. Arguably, most egregious is the fact that 26 seats in the House of Lords are reserved for bishops of the Church of England. The only other state which has reserved seats for religious officials from a state religion is Iran.
As well as seeking to remove the automatic right for bishops to sit in the House of Lords, the Bill would remove the monarch’s role as Head of the Church of England.
This change will not interfere with the right to freedom of religion or belief. In 2018 Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said that disestablishment of the Church of England would not be ‘a disaster’ for the Church, and is ‘a decision for parliament and the people’. He also said that ‘I don’t think [disestablishment] would make it easier [for the Church], and I don’t think it would make it more difficult’.
The Bill will now move onto its second reading, though no formal date has yet been set.
Humanists UK Director of Policy and Public Affairs, Kathy Riddick said:
‘Humanists UK welcomes the introduction of this Bill. In a modern, diverse society, it’s crucial to separate religion from state, allowing for genuine equality of all religions and beliefs. Disestablishment would mark a crucial step towards a fairer, secular state, ensuring that public institutions remain neutral and inclusive.’
Blasphemy laws can NEVER be justified 'Insult to religion' laws put religious feelings above human rights. These laws are absurdities wherever they stand on statute books. They lend a false legitimacy to those who commit acts of violence. So long as 'blasphemy' remains a crime across the globe, extremists will find justification for murder and inhumanity.
"Blasphemy laws" are the codification of "words are violence."
In this episode, Andrew speaks to actor and fledgling scientist Isaac Hempstead Wright about what he believes, from inquiry and truth, joy of finding things out, question after question, and how creativity and imagination are essential for science, and mak...
Isaac Hempstead-Wright did a podcast episode for the What I Believe series with Andrew Copson – the chief executive of Humanists UK.
In addition to being a nice guy, Isaac is exceptionally bright and articulate.
We don’t usually hear actors talking about neuroscience and dropping names like Immanuel Kant in an intelligent way. Isaac grew up in a science-friendly household and gravitated towards reason and logic even as a kid.
The podcast episode includes talk about how Game of Thrones shaped him as he was growing up while doing the series.
His views on social media and the internet are thoughtful and discerning.
If Bran Stark in the end was destined to be a philosopher king, Isaac Hempstead-Wright was perfectly cast for the part.
Here’s an additional link if you prefer to listen via Apple Podcasts.
Isaac Hempstead Wright What I Believe
"A normal human being does not want the Kingdom of Heaven: he wants life on Earth to continue.
This is not solely because he is 'weak,’ ‘sinful' and anxious for a 'good time.’ Most people get a fair amount of fun out of their lives, but on balance life is suffering, and only the very young or the very foolish imagine otherwise.
Ultimately it is the Christian attitude which is self-interested and hedonistic, since the aim is always to get away from the painful struggle of earthly life and find eternal peace in some kind of Heaven or Nirvana.
The humanist attitude is that the struggle must continue and that death is the price of life."
-- George Orwell
Xianity looks forward to being done with this dirty, imperfect little soul petrie dish, eagerly and impatiently awaiting the return of Jesus to destroy everything and whisk them away somewhere better.
A new weekly podcast series hosted by Andrew Copson, interviewing contemporary humanists about the values, convictions, and opinions they live by.