Should organisations be entitled to tax breaks and other privileges solely on the basis that they ‘advance religion’?
Full shownotes and subscriber information: https://www.secularism.org.uk/podcast/2021/10/ep-59
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A spoof religion devised to mock creationism has attracted a global following. But what does ‘religion’ mean anyway?
With Derk Venema (03:20), Tanya Watkins (28:35), and Tony Meacham (43:17).
Full shownotes and subscriber information: https://www.secularism.org.uk/podcast/2021/08/ep-55
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Lloyd Evans was an elder in the Jehovah’s Witnesses, before he left the organisation in 2013. He has since been campaigning to expose its workings to the public.
Full shownotes and subscriber information: https://www.secularism.org.uk/podcast/2021/04/ep-48
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In this week’s episode, Emma Park speaks to Megan Manson about Operation Christmas Child, a programme that encourages schoolchildren and youth groups around the UK to send Christmas shoeboxes to children in developing countries. Those sending the shoeboxes may not be aware that they are being used as part of a conversion drive by an evangelical Christian charity, Samaritan’s Purse. The case raises the question of whether ‘the advancement of religion’ should still be a charitable purpose.
Emma then speaks to Alastair Lichten about the NSS’s revelation that 20,000 children have been assigned to faith schools in the state sector this year despite their parents opting for a non-faith school as their first choice.
The episode also features highlights from our 2019 Bradlaugh Lecture. Assistant head Andrew Moffat defended inclusive education in his talk ‘No Outsiders: Reclaiming Radical Ideas in Schools’.
Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIQHMg3_wsY&feature=youtu.be
Transcripts: https://www.secularism.org.uk/transcripts
Notes
Does Operation Christmas Child benefit the public?
Samaritan’s Purse Mission Statement
https://www.samaritans-purse.org.uk/who-we-are/
Charities Act 2011, section 3: List of charitable purposes
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2011/25/section/3
Complete videos of the NSS’s Bradlaugh Lectures
https://www.secularism.org.uk/bradlaugh-lecture.html/
20,000 children sent to faith schools against parental preferences in 2019
Make a stand for freedom, fairness and human rights by adding your voice to the call for a secular democracy. Join the National Secular Society today https://www.secularism.org.uk/join
Support the podcast, share with a friend and leave a five star review everywhere you can.
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In episode 11, Chris Sloggett spoke to Megan Manson about charities which exist only to promote religion and whether these or religious charities which do harm are in the public benefit. Chris also spoke to and Alastair Lichten about protests by religious reactionaries against LGBT inclusive education and what the NSS is doing.
Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVmWU1jwrXE&feature=youtu.be
Transcripts: https://www.secularism.org.uk/transcripts
Links
Make a stand for freedom, fairness and human rights by adding your voice to the call for a secular democracy. Join the National Secular Society today https://www.secularism.org.uk/join
For the public benefit? The case for removing ‘the advancement of religion’ as a charitable purpose: https://www.secularism.org.uk/charities/charity-report
Faith free sex education: https://www.secularism.org.uk/sex-education/
Bradlaugh Lecture 2019 | No Outsiders: Reclaiming Radical Ideas in Schools https://www.secularism.org.uk/no-outsiders.html
Support the podcast, share with a friend and leave a five star review everywhere you can.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download