Main British Secular Organisations

British

In Britain the three main secular organisations are the National Secular Society, the British Humanist Association, and the Rationalist Association. To a large extent these organisations share the same distinguished supporters, including the prominent New Atheists Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens.

The National Secular Society

The National Secular Society (NSS), founded in 1866 by the celebrated secular humanist Charles Bradlaugh, is the traditional promoter of secularism in Britain. The NSS describes itself on its website as 'the leading pressure group defending the rights of non-believers from the demands of religious power-seekers'. The NSS campaigns on a range of issues, including 'religious influence in the government, the disestablishment of the Church of England, the removal of the Bench of Bishops from the House of Lords and for conversion of religious schools (paid for by the taxpayer) to community schools'.

Furthermore, they state that they campaign to defend free expression from attacks by religious groups, to abolish the blasphemy law and defend artistic expression from religious censors, to reduce the amount of 'religious propaganda' broadcast by the BBC, and ensure that human rights always come before religious rights, and fight the exemptions religious bodies are granted from laws all others have to observe.[1]The NSS include among their honorary associates who work and speak on their behalf prominent British atheists such as Peter Atkins, Richard Dawkins, A.C.Grayling and Christopher Hitchens.

People with Placards - Foolish Professors

Demonstrators outside Liverpool Philharmonic Hall at a talk given by Richard Dawkins. February 2008.

The British Humanist Association

The British Humanist Association states on its website that it 'exists to promote Humanism and support and represent people who seek to live good lives without religious or superstitious beliefs'. The BHA carries out humanist funerals, weddings, baby-namings and other non-religious ceremonies, and campaigns on a similar range of issues to the National Secular Society, including freedom of belief and respect for the non- religious, an end to discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief, an end to religious privilege, inclusive (as opposed to faith-based) schools, impartial education about religion and beliefs, and schools assemblies without religious worship.[2] The BHA also include Richard Dawkins, A.C.Grayling and Lewis Wolpert among their distinguished supporters, and Dawkins and Wolpert currently serve as vice - presidents of the organisation.

The Rationalist Association

The Rationalist Association is a charity whose stated goal is to promote reason and evidence in the understanding of life. Through their magazine, New Humanist, they claim to promote and debate rationalism in contemporary society by 'supporting and promoting humanism and rational inquiry and opposing religious dogma, irrationalism and bunkum wherever it is found'.[3] Their stated core aims are 'the mental and moral improvement of the human race by means of the advancement of rationalism and humanism', and 'the advancement of education and in particular the study of rationalism and humanism and the dissemination of knowledge of their principles'.[4] New Humanist is the UK's leading freethought and rationalist book publisher. The influential American atheist Paul Kurz currently serves as one of the vice presidents of the Association, and they also include Atkins, Dawkins, Grayling, Hitchens and Wolpert among their honorary associates.

Bibliography

Footnotes

[1]↑ See the 'About the NSS' section of the National Secular Society's website at: http://www.secularism.org.uk/about.html
[2]↑ See the 'About the BHA' section of the British Humanist Association's website.
[3]↑ See newhumanist.org.uk.
[4]↑ See newhumanist.org.uk.

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