Copson, Andrew

Threats of violence force cancellation of London University talk on sharia law

Copson, AndrewUnited KingdomFreedom of expression

A meeting at the University of London had to be cancelled yesterday after threats of religious  violence. The talk on ‘Sharia Law and Human Rights’ was organized by the Atheism, Secularism and Humanism Society at Queens College.

UK Government agrees to not fund creationist schools

Copson, AndrewUnited KingdomSeparation of religion & state

The British Humanist Association (BHA) has welcomed the British government’s decision to not fund schools that teach creationism or are run by creationist groups. The Department of Education issued a new revision of the model funding agreement for Free Schools in order to preclude "the teaching, as an evidence-based view or theory, of any view or theory that is contrary to established scientific and/or historical evidence and explanations"  The change follows the BHA coordinating the ‘Teach evolution, not creationism!’ campaign, which called for this precise change.

Research debunks the myth that Christians contribute more to society

Copson, AndrewUnited Kingdom

Secular people are just as likely to participate in society as religious people, suggests new research by the British government. The British Humanist Association (BHA) has welcomed the findings as further evidence against the idea – increasingly advanced by religious and government leaders – that religion increases people’s contribution to society. The survey also revealed that Christians were much less likely than any other belief group to mix with people of different beliefs or ethnicities.

World Humanist Day celebrated with website to reach millions of non-religious people

Copson, AndrewUnited KingdomWorld-wide

To mark World Humanist Day on June 21, the British Humanist Association (BHA) has launched a new online resource called The Really Simple Guide to Humanism. The website features quizzes, games and videos, as well as answers to some of the most common questions about Humanism.

British Humanists praise “victory for equality and liberty”; Christian B&B owners found guilty of discriminating against same-sex couple

Copson, AndrewUnited KingdomSeparation of religion & state

A landmark UK court judgment, which has found that Christian hotel owners had unlawfully discriminated on grounds of sexual orientation, has been welcomed by the British Humanist Association as a victory for equality and liberty.

Humanists included in UK Remembrance ceremonies

Copson, AndrewUnited Kingdom

For the first time, Humanist representatives will lay wreaths at the official Remembrance Sunday commemorations for Scotland and Northern Ireland. However a request for Humanists to be included in the UK national ceremony in London has been refused. Remembrance Sunday commemorates the contribution of British and Commonwealth servicemen and women in the World Wars and later conflicts.

British Humanists launch campaign to be counted in census

Copson, AndrewUnited Kingdom

British Humanists have launched a nationwide campaign to overcome the massive undercounting of the non-religious population in the national census. "The Census Campaign" has been launched today by the British Humanist Association (BHA), calling on people who are not religious, including atheists, agnostics, skeptics, and "cultural Christians", to be counted and included in the 2011 UK census by ticking the "No religion" response box.

British Humanists rebut Papal attacks on atheism and secularism

Copson, AndrewUnited Kingdom

Pope Benedict XVI has begun his state visit to the UK with attacks on atheism and secularism. In his opening address to the Queen at Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh on 16 September, the Pope referred to "a Nazi tyranny that wished to eradicate God from society" and then went on to urge the UK to guard against "aggressive forms of secularism". In response, IHEU member organizations in Britain denounced the Pope’s attempt to equate atheism with Nazism and argued that secularism is the best guarantee for human rights for all.

Protestors Rally Against Pope's State Visit to the UK

Copson, AndrewUnited Kingdom

Organizers of the "Protest the Pope" march and rally on Saturday 18th September have announced the speakers for the rally opposite Downing Street. The event is part of a wave of protest against the first ever official state visit to Britain by a Pope. Organizers include Humanist groups, human rights organizations, and survivors of sex abuse by priests.

British Humanists contribute to documentary against faith schools

Copson, AndrewUnited Kingdom

A new documentary by world-renowned atheist Richard Dawkins calls time on the growth of state-funded religious schools in Britain. Andrew Copson, vice president of the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) and chief executive officer of the British Humanist Association (BHA), is among a number of experts interviewed for ‘Faith School Menace?’. The show will premiere this Wednesday, 18 August, at 9pm on the UK channel More4.

Syndicate content