Why our beliefs matter
Secularism would have us place disagreements about the existence of God to one side. But when that disagreement sits at the heart of our disputes over more worldly issues, ignoring…
Faith & Religion
The Independent profiles Britain’s ex-Muslims
It was good to see an article in the Independent this weekend on the growing number of British atheists from Muslim backgrounds. In the piece, several ex-Muslims discuss their experiences…
The world’s most dangerous places to be atheist
After the UK granted asylum to an Afghan man on the ground of his atheism, Anna Vesterinen surveys the countries where a lack of belief can put your life at…
Vatican facing UN showdown on sex abuse record, and other stories – our morning round-up
Vatican facing UN showdown on sex abuse record The Vatican is gearing up for a bruising showdown over the global priest sex abuse scandal, forced to defend itself publicly for…
Is there such a thing as a “Muslim birthrate”?
Some people are Muslim. Many of those people will have children. It’s possible to measure the rate of births among people who are Muslim and compare it to the rate…
The case of Masood Ahmad reveals how blasphemy laws in Pakistan are used to persecute minorities
Masood Ahmad is 72. A British-Pakistani dual national, he returned to his native Pakistan in 1982 after working in London for some years to pay his children’s school fees. On…
In defence of the War on Christmas
Alex Gabriel is one atheist who won't be decking the halls with boughs of holly this year.
How to win power and then lose it again
At the start of 2013, it looked as if Islamists had gained the most from the uprisings that shook Egypt and Tunisia two years earlier. What happened next? Rachel Shabi…
Religious dress codes and the meaning of ‘tolerance’
What would JS Mill have had to say about a recent suggestion to ban face coverings in public?
‘Secularism is Christianity’s greatest gift to the world’
In the first of Alom Shaha's series of interviews with believers, historian Tom Holland explains how he reconciles his scepticism with his enduring Christian faith