Swearing on the Bible: Lessons from a secular defeat
What do MPs think about the failed proposal to end the courtroom practice of swearing on the Bible? Alex Stevenson reports
Faith & Religion
Germany’s “bling bishop” and the Church for the poor
A German bishop's excessive expenditures have provoked public criticism over clergy’s spending habits and the Church’s opaque financing. But, will the luxury bishop now face Pope Francis’ wrath?
Prison officers warn of forced Islamic conversion of inmates, and other stories – our morning round-up
Britain’s jails facing ‘growing problem’ of forced conversion to Islam, officers warn The Prison Officers Union has said that Muslim gangs are growing in power in Britain’s jails, leading to…
Playing the apocalypse: video games and religion
It may come as a surprise to those opposed to "soul-destroying" violent video games to find that some of the most violent ones are far from diabolical.
Christian newspaper must not use the word “Allah”, rules Malaysian court, and other stories – our morning round-up
Christian newspaper must not use the word “Allah”, rules court in Malaysia Three Muslim judges in Malaysia’s appeals court ruled that the word is specific to Muslims and may not…
Pope Francis calls extraordinary synod, and other stories – our morning round-up
Pope Francis calls extraordinary synod on family and marriage Pope Francis will host an Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops to discuss the topic, “The Pastoral Challenges of…
Time to end blasphemy laws in Europe
Humanist representatives at Europe's largest human rights conference call on the continent's states to remove their blasphemy laws, and condemn Russia's recent clampdown on gay rights
A flawed contribution to the faith schools debate
We should welcome any call for an evidence-based approach to the increasingly polarised debate on religious schools. But the Christian think tank Theos fails to deliver with its partial and…
Vatican Bank publishes accounts for the first time, and other stories – our morning round-up
Vatican bank publishes accounts for the first time in history In the latest attempt of Pope Francis to increase Vatican’s accountability, the Bank revealed that its earnings for 2012 were…
Why Irish schoolchildren should be taught about atheism
Our plans will counter discrimination against secular parents, writes Michael Nugent of Atheist Ireland