Against the credulous
Modern spin and marketing have made us too easy to fool. It's time to get real, argues Eliane Glaser
Faith & Religion
Theatre review: Believers Anonymous
A new play imagines a dystopian future in which religion is outlawed, and remaining believers must be weaned off faith like addicts. Natasha Lewis climbs the Twelve Steps
Q&A: Shazia Mirza
Taboo-busting comic Shazia Mirza has combined an international reputation for close-to-the-bone gags with a belief in Islam. But now she faces her greatest challenge as she submits to New Humanist’s…
The passion of the bishop
After years of struggle with his faith and dispair at the church's in-fighting and repressive attitude to sex, fomer bishop of Edinburgh Richard Holloway left religion behind. Caspar Melville hears…
Rites & responsibilities
The appalling case of Kristy Bamu, tortured to death for being a witch, suggests belief in malign spirits is becoming widespread in Britain. Sarah Ditum explores what is being done…
Cult following
Exploitative religious fringe groups are on the rise in the UK. What should we do about it? James Gray reports
No more lies
In his powerful new book, The Young Atheist’s Handbook, Alom Shaha challenges young Muslims to be honest if they don’t believe, and calls on organised atheism to broaden its appeal…
Saint for all seasons
The front runners are men, but could a woman born more than half a millennium ago hold the key to the French elections? asks Sally Feldman
How I became the poster-boy for polygamy
In their increasingly desperate fight against equal marriage, Christian campaigners will use any argument to mask their homophobia. Which is why they're holding me up as the figurehead of an…
Phony war
A motley minority of moralists have launched an assault on British secularism. Bad move, says Paul Sims