In the latest New Humanist magazine, philosopher Julian Baggini says that one of religion’s attractions to the religious is that it offers hope, and asks if living without religion means living without it. Most atheists accept that Hope is essential to life, as AC Grayling put it to me, a beautiful, central thing in all our lives. Philosopher Nigel Warburton, recalling the inscription Abandon all hope, ye who enter here at the entrance of Dantes Hell, told me, Hell is not having hope.

We recently reported on how Sanal Edamaruku, President of The Indian Rationalist Association, is facing arrest for offending Catholics by proving that the source of “holy water” from a crucifix was, in fact, a leaky pipe. They had been drinking the filthy stuff. New Humanist magazine reports that, yesterday, Delhi police officers went to Sanal’s house to arrest him, but he wasn’t there. When he returns, he’s likely to be arrested.

As you’ll see from yesterday’s comments on our blog post from last year about the Scout Association’s promise to “love God”, the issue is still topical here in the UK. Today there’s news from Australia that the Girl Guides there will no longer have to promise allegiance to God and the Queen, though Australian Scouts have yet to catch up. The BBC reports: Girl Guides in Australia will no longer have to pledge allegiance to the Queen and God and will instead promise to serve the community and Australia.

The Times Educational Supplement reports that ICCE qualification based on creationism have been approved: They confidently claim that the Loch Ness monster disproves Darwinism and that there is clear proof of creationism. But that has not stopped a set of controversial Christian qualifications – used by dozens of British private schools – being described as comparable to international O and A levels. The International Certificate of Christian Education (ICCE) has been rubber-stamped by a government agency, even though it is based on a curriculum that says the Bible is the “final authority” on scientific matters.

The BHA reports: A group of creationists has gained approval from the Government to open a fully state-funded Free School in 2013. The group are behind the plans for Exemplar Newark Business Academy, a revised bid from the same people who proposed Everyday Champions Academy last year. Everyday Champions Academy, which was formally backed by Everyday Champions Church, was explicitly rejected due to concerns surrounding the teaching of creationism.

Leading Australian Young Earth Creationist Ken Ham is visiting Ipswich for an Answers in Genesis conference on 8 August. Ham says that “maths is fundamentally Christian” (not sure what he means by that), that there were dinosaurs on Noah’s Ark but their average size was about the same as a sheep (explaining how there was room),that the universe was created about 6,000 years ago and that Noah’s flood occurred about 4,500 years ago in the year 2348 BC.

Via NSS on Facebook. Click here for Chris Addison’s website.

If you receive the National Secular Society‘s weekly email, Newsline, you’ll already have read this message: Why we need you to commit to your principles A message from Terry Sanderson, NSS President We know there are millions of people in this country who would prefer religion not to interfere in their life and to stay where it belongs in places of worship and in the homes of worshippers. There is a definite feeling of discomfort abroad about the way that churches, mosques, temples and other places of worship are putting out tentacles that reach into all our lives whether it is into our children’s education (another huge increase in the number of ‘faith schools’ is on the way), our taxes (why do churches get special tax privileges, like reduced VAT, when the rest of us are shown no mercy?

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