Communities Secretary Hazel Blears today set out how Government envisages working in future alongside the many faith based organisations already making a real difference to their communities. The Framework for Partnership published today [21 July 2008] outlines new support and £7.5m worth of investment to encourage and enable greater local activity bringing people from different religions and beliefs together. It also reaffirms government support for the valuable work faith groups contribute to delivering services, responding to some of the toughest challenges that society faces.

Libby Purvis writes in the Times Online that Prof. Dawkins is “bitchy” (wrong gender, surely?), and sarcastically refers to a “coming-out party” for American atheists as “a blast” – it’s not a blast for those American atheists who are shunned by their religious relatives and neighbours. She also writes, I am indebted to Matthew Parris who has contributed to a British Humanists campaign to put an ad on a bus saying “There’s probably no God.

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Darwin’s theory of evolution was simple, beautiful, majestic and awe-inspiring. But because it contradicts the allegorical babblings of a bunch of made-up old books, it’s been under attack since day one. That’s just tough luck for Darwin. If the Bible had contained a passage that claimed gravity is caused by God pulling objects toward the ground with magic invisible threads, we’d still be debating Newton with idiots too. Charlie Brooker’s screen burn | Culture | The Guardian.

TV to look out for; Richard Dawkins on Charles Darwin, Monday 4 August, 8pm, Channel 4. As we approach the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin’s masterpiece, On The Origin Of Species, ethologist and writer Richard Dawkins presents the ultimate guide to Darwin and his revolutionary theory of evolution by natural selection. Dawkins considers this to be the most important idea to have ever occured to a human mind.

A city council has blocked its staff from looking at websites about atheism. Lawyers at the National Secular Society said the move by Birmingham City Council was “discriminatory” and they would consider legal action. The rules also ban sites that promote witchcraft, the paranormal, sexual deviancy and criminal activity. BBC NEWS | England | West Midlands | Council ban on atheist websites. Tags: BBC, Birmingham+City+Council, Atheism, Discrimination

Our latest newsletter contains articles on depleted uranium, getting involved with “equality bodies”, care of the elderly, and more, plus our full programme of meetings and events. Suffolk Humanist & Secularist News, August 2008 (pdf) To open a pdf file, you need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.

The Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain was one year old on June 21. For many, this will come as a surprise given the organisation’s importance and the scope of its activities so far. In the short time since the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain was launched in June 2007, it has achieved much with volunteers alone. Some of the highlights are: We currently have 120 members and 90 supporters. Given that membership in our organisation comes with certain risks, these numbers represent many more that are unable or unwilling to renounce religion and Islam publicly.

In 1963 the magazine New Society ran an article by Ronald Fletcher, then a lecturer in sociology at Bedford College, London, entitled “A Humanist’s Decalogue”. The author was suggesting an updated version of the Biblical list of dos and don’ts as a set of non-commandments – “principles on which the individual must work out his/her own conduct when faced by particular problems”. The article was one of a series dealing especially with young people’s values.

DURING HIS US TOUR in 2008, Biologist and bestselling author Richard Dawkins met with some of the world’s leading scientists to discuss topics such as Quantum Physics, Biology, Evolutionary Psychology, Science education, religion, atheism and more. This video brings you the fascinating unedited discussions between Richard Dawkins and Nobel Prize-winning Physicist Steven Weinberg, Physicist Lawrence Krauss, Biologist and blogger PZ Myers, and Evolutionary Psychologist David Buss. From a public conversation at Stanford University to private conversations in Austin and Minneapolis, this collection offers a rare and inspirational opportunity to observe some of today’s top scientists as they discuss some of the big issues without interruption.