John Humphrys as you’ve never heard him before – talking with religious leaders about his unfulfilled desire to believe in God. How is faith possible in a world of suffering, much of it arguably caused by religion or religious extremism and to which God seems to turn a blind eye? Is there a place for religion in an age dominated by science? John Humphrys talking to rather than interviewing Archbishop Rowan Williams is worth listening to.

This talk was prepared for a Faith & Reflection Day at Farlingaye High School, Woodbridge, on 3 November 2006. The event ended the school’s One World Fortnight. I had to skip a chunk of my talk because the previous speakers overran (don’t you just hate it when that happens?), and we were running out of time. The other speakers included a Jew, a Unitarian, a Buddhist, the Mayor of Woodbridge, John Gummer MP, a Hospice Chaplain, the Bishop of Dunwich, a Quaker, and the local Vicar, who said he agreed with everything I said.

The Church of England has challenged the Royal Mail’s move to issue festive stamps without a Christian theme. Santa, a snowman and a reindeer are among the festive images on the Royal Mail’s 40th set of Christmas stamps. The church “regretted” Royal Mail’s decision not to launch “Christian themed designs reminding people of the true meaning of Christmas”. Link: BBC NEWS | Business | Church challenges festive stamps

E-mail: mail@suffolkhumanists.org.uk Event description: Margaret Nelson from Suffolk Humanists will review the papers with Rachel Sloane on BBC local radio. Can’t be sure of the exact time, but from about 7 am. BBC Radio Suffolk is on 95.5, 95.9, 103.9 & 104.6 fm. See the link on the Radio Suffolk website to listen online if you’re not in the area.

A few years ago, the mayor of a Suffolk town, an atheist, planned to mark Armistice Day with an inclusive, secular ceremony. After the procession through the town and a wreath-laying on the war memorial, it would be up to those who were Christians whether or not they attended a church service. It never happened. The mayor had to deal with a family matter and handed the arrangements over to others who (influenced by conservatives in the British Legion) did things the usual way, with religious ceremonial.

There is currently an online petition calling for the abolishment of faith schools. It reads: We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Abolish all faith schools and prohibit the teaching of creationism and other religious mythology in all UK schools. Online petitions are often a waste of time, but 10 Downing Street is actually encouraging them. They say: Downing Street is working in partnership with the non-partisan charitable project mySociety to provide a service to allow citizens, charities and campaign groups to set up petitions that are hosted on the Downing Street website, enabling anyone to address and deliver a petition directly to the Prime Minister.

David Starkey argues that the Church must be disestablished to ensure that other religions can’t claim a right to faith schools and the other privileges it has. We need “a level playing field”. I adore much about the Church of England, profound atheist though I am. I raise funds for its cathedrals and parish churches, which I regard as absolutely intrinsic to the fabric of England. But because of what is happening with Islam, the sweet, confused C of E has, alas, to be disestablished.

Some of the children were dancing, their bodies writhing and twisting, their arms flailing in the air, perspiration on their foreheads. Some had fallen to the ground, ‘slain in the spirit’, as the phrase has it, and were now crouching and kneeling in prayer, while the grown-ups moved among them laying on hands, some speaking in tongues. Ruth, who is eight years old, was sobbing quietly. Earlier that day she had been one of those to come forward during the ‘prophetic dance’ session, when Pastor Becky Fischer asked if anybody had heard the word of God and had something to impart.

E-mail: mail@suffolkhumanists.org.uk Event description: T4TD by Margaret Nelson during Mark Murphy’s programme on BBC Radio Suffolk (95.5, 95.9, 103.9 & 104.6 fm). Listen online or listen again via the Radio Suffolk website.

E-mail: mail@suffolkhumanists.org.uk Event description: T4TD by Margaret Nelson during Mark Murphy’s programme on BBC Radio Suffolk (95.5, 95.9, 103.9 & 104.6 fm). Listen online or listen again via the Radio Suffolk website.

E-mail: mail@suffolkhumanists.org.uk Event description: T4TD by Margaret Nelson during Mark Murphy’s programme on BBC Radio Suffolk (95.5, 95.9, 103.9 & 104.6 fm). Listen online or listen again via the Radio Suffolk website.

Richard Dawkins, evolutionary biologist and the Charles Simonyi Professor of the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University, took part in BBC Radio 4’s ‘In Our Time’ programme this morning (23 November) on Altruism. The programme is presented by Melvyn Bragg. You can download the programme, or Listen Again via the In Our Time website. The other participants were Miranda Fricker, Senior Lecturer in the School of Philosophy at Birkbeck, University of London, and John Dupr, Professor of Philosophy of Science at Exeter University and director of Egenis, the ESRC Centre for Genomics in Society.

On this day (24th November), 147 years ago, Charles Darwin’s revolutionary book, On the Origin of Species, was published. His theory of evolution by natural selection is still generally accepted as the best explanation of how life on Earth developed. Darwin was reluctant to publish his book because he knew it would attract widespread condemnation from those who believed, or said they believed, the biblical creation story. He was a quiet, studious man who preferred to avoid controversy or offending religious people.

The Suffolk Humanist group, Suffolk Humanists, is affiliated to the British Humanist Association, which recently commissioned an Ipsos MORI poll about British attitudes towards religion and humanism. The following is part of a press release that’s been sent to all the Suffolk media. Feel free to draw the attention of anyone who may be interested, such as your MP and county councillor, to what it says. We get the feeling that since religion has been in the news so much lately, the publicity has backfired on the religious authorities because an increasing number of people are saying they’re tired of the way they’ve been demanding attention.

Dozens of schools are using creationist teaching materials condemned by the government as “not appropriate to support the science curriculum”, the Guardian has learned. The packs promote the creationist alternative to Darwinian evolution called intelligent design and the group behind them said 59 schools are using the information as “a useful classroom resource”. Link: Revealed: rise of creationism in UK schools | News crumb | EducationGuardian.co.uk We’re not aware of any Suffolk schools that are doing this, but if you know different, please contact us.

A network of independent local secular groups which share the aims of the National Secular Society (NSS).

Ministers have been accused of overturning the nation’s morality in a searing attack on new gay rights laws by a leading Roman Catholic churchman. Archbishop of Birmingham Vincent Nichols threatened to withdraw Catholic co-operation with the Government over schools, charity programmes and adoption agencies if the new sexual orientation regulations go ahead. Link: Don’t impose your morality: Catholic Archbishop attacks gay rights bill | the Daily Mail Maybe Archbishop Nichols needs a reality check.

E-mail: mail@suffolkhumanists.org.uk Event description: NOTE: this event has been cancelled due to urgent dental surgery, but please get in touch with Action Aid to find out more about Fair Trade. Action Aid’s 24 Hour Coffee Break. A 100g jar of instant coffee costs 1.94, yet a Ugandan coffee farmer only earns 7p. Buy fair trade products to make a difference. We drink fair trade tea and coffee at Suffolk Humanist meetings.