Empowerment

National Secular Society

The National Secular Society champions the separation of religion and state and equal respect for everyone's human rights so no one is disadvantaged, nor privileged, because of their beliefs.

We campaign for a secular state in which all citizens are free to practise their faith, change it, or have no faith at all. We promote secularism as the surest guarantor of religious freedom and the best means to foster a fair and open society, in which people of all religions and none can live together as equal citizens.

Assisted dying

Five out of six people in Britain are prepared to support the legalisation of assisted dying for terminally ill, mentally competent adults, a poll has found, despite religious institutions' opposition. Read more here:

assisted dying

Charities must have 'charitable purposes' that demonstrate how they provide a public benefit.

The benefit provided by most of the 13 'charitable purposes' set out in the Charities Act 2011 is clear. The benefits of relieving poverty, promoting good health, saving lives and protecting the environment are obvious to all. But the public benefit of "the advancement of religion" is highly contestable.

Our report – For The Public Benefit? – argues that "the advancement of religion" should be removed as a charitable purpose, on the grounds that promoting religion is not inherently a public benefit and can sometimes even cause harm to society.