National Secular Society

The National Secular Society is an organisation of the United Kingdom which promotes secularism. It was founded by Charles Bradlaugh in 1866.

Objectives

The society campaigns for

• the disestablishment of the Church of England
• the withdrawal of state subsidies to religious schools
• the end of tax exemptions for churches
• the abolition of the blasphemy law
• an end to the public funding of chaplains in prisons, hospitals and the armed services

Although explicitly an organisation for non-believers, the NSS does not campaign for an end to religion per se, arguing that freedom of religion is a human right and that state sponsorship of selected religions encroaches upon that right. It makes little mention of the state sponsership of some sports more than others, as this would more overtly demonstrate its remit of deciding what categories of activity (sporting, religious, social, educational) may enjoy funding. In seeking to represent the interests and viewpoints of the non-religious the NSS is often critical of what it sees as the damaging effects of religion. See also secular state.

Honorary Associates

Honorary Associates of the society include

• Iain Banks
• Michael Cashman MEP
• Nick Cohen
• Richard Dawkins
• Michael Foot
• Dr Evan Harris MP
• Patrick Harvie MSP
• Christopher Hitchens
• Paul Holmes MP
• Ted Honderich
• Sir Ludovic Kennedy
• Graham Linehan
• Alice Mahon
• George Melly
• Sir Jonathan Miller
• Taslima Nasrin
• Sir Harold Pinter
• Philip Pullman
• Claire Rayner
• Joan Ruddock MP
• Brian Sedgemore
• Dr David Starkey
• Polly Toynbee
• Gore Vidal

'Secularist of the Year' award

In October 2005, the NSS held the inaugural Irwin Prize award ceremony for Secularist of the Year [1]. The prize, a cheque for £5000, was won by Maryam Namazie [2] and presented by Polly Toynbee.

Past presidents

• Charles Bradlaugh 1866-1890 (A. Trevelyan held the Presidency, 1871-1872)
• GW Foote 1890-1915
• Chapman Cohen 1915-1949
• R.H. Rosetti 1949-1951
• F.A. Ridley 1951-1963
• David Tribe 1963-1971
• Barbara Smoker 1971-1996
• Daniel O'Hara 1996-1997
• Denis Cobell 1997- to date

Bibliography

• Royle, Edward (1974). Victorian Infidels: the origins of the British Secularist Movement, 1791-1866. Manchester: Manchester University Press. ISBN 0719005574 Online version
• Royle, Edward (1980). Radicals, Secularists and Republicans: popular freethought in Britain, 1866-1915. Manchester: Manchester University Press. ISBN 0719007836
• Tribe, David (1967). 100 Years of Freethought. London: Elek Books.
• Tribe, David (1971). President Charles Bradlaugh, MP. London: Elek Books. ISBN 0236177265

External links

• National Secular Society Website