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

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• 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. However, 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.

Related Topics:
Religion - Secular state

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