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Monday 28 November
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Anti-choice groups such as the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) and LIFE are entering our schools and giving talks, in which they oppose Sex and Relationships Education (SRE), oppose abortion, promote abstinence education, and blame gay people for breaking up traditional family life. Though often not explicit, some of these groups have religious as well as political motivations for their work. These groups are growing in force and gaining in credibility, with LIFE earlier this year being invited to join the government’s Advisory Group on Sexual Health, in place of abortion provider BPAS. The anti-choice, anti-SRE groups are also becoming more organised, as earlier this year they formed the ‘Sex and Relationships Education Council’, along with Care/Evaluate, Lovewise, Challenge Team UK, Silver Ring Thing, Family Education Trust and Right to Life.
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Although SPUC has not joined the SRE Council, its Safe at School campaign has seen its representatives tour the country organising events aimed at parents to persuade them to oppose sensible SRE. In places such as Milton Keynes and Tower Hamlets, the events were co-organised with Muslim groups, and the group in Tower Hamlets has even been reported to have links to the extremist group Hizb ut-Tahrir. You can read more about some of the anti-choice groups on Education for Choice’s blog. The BHA is concerned that information these groups provide is unbalanced and inaccurate. Schools inviting these groups in to do a presentation often do not know the nature of their work, and with training for teachers in PSHE often inadequate, these groups’ lessons may be the only SRE that young people get. Local humanists attended three of SPUC’s parent events in order to investigate what’s happening, but we’d like even more material in order to build up our evidence base, particularly focusing on their work in schools. That’s why we’d like members and supporters to find out if their local schools have received a visit from one of the anti-choice groups, and if so, see if they can get copies of any presentations used. If you’re interested in assisting us in investigating local schools, please email our Faith Schools Campaigner, Richy Thompson, for further information. You can also read more about our position in favour of comprehensive, age-appropriate SRE on our website, and there’s still time to submit a response to the PSHE Review if you haven’t already.
Your donations worth twice as much!
We are taking part in the 2011 December Big Give Challenge, which means that any donation you make to the BHA between Monday 5th - Friday 9th December at the Big Give website will be worth twice as much! Find out more about the Big Give here and bookmark our donation page here to donate next Monday. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No to Bishops - BHA gives evidence The BHA firmly believe that there is no legitimate reason to keep automatic places for Bishops in the House of Lords, and the government’s proposals to do so undermine equality and represent a religious privilege insupportable in today’s society, We will give evidence to the Joint Committee on the draft House of Lords Reform Bill in a session from 18.45 today in the Moses Room, House of Lords.. Read more here. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2011 SACRE Reps Annual Meeting an outstanding success The Annual Meeting of humanist representatives on Standing Advisory Councils for Religious Education (SACREs) took place in London on Saturday 19th November. The British Humanist Association (BHA) supports humanists on SACREs and Agreed Syllabus Conferences (ASCs), with almost half of the 151 SACREs in England and 22 SACREs in Wales having a humanist Representative. Thirty-four Reps were in attendance, a 50% increase on the year before, and John Keast OBE, Chair of the Religious Education Council of England and Wales (REC), was the guest speaker. Find out more a about the meeting here. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Hume ‘inspires new thought even in disciplines unheard of in Hume's own day’ The writing of David Hume has had tremendous influence and will continue to do so, argued Peter Millican at Thursday evening’s Bentham Lecture, hosted by the British Humanist Association, the Humanist Philosophers and UCL. Read the full report here.
HOLY QUARKS
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Friday 2 December, 19.00-21.00 and Saturday 3 December, 10.30-17.30 Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE Science and faith are at war - or so it seems. A special two-day event to explore this complex and controversial issue, through performance, talks and discussion. BOOK NOW. Call 020 7611 2222 or visit our website. Sign the Petition for 21st Century Sex and Relationships Education Demand Relevant, 21st Century Sex and Relationships Education for All! QED 2012 tickets now on sale! QED is a two day conference that takes place in Manchester on the 10th and 11th March and features science, atheism, secularism and skepticism with a healthy dose of entertainment. Visit the website for more information. Confirmed speakers include paranormal researcher Joe Nickell, the world's first professor of complementary medicine Edzard Ernst, human rights activist Maryam Namazie, author and journalist David Aaronovitch, incoming editor of The Skeptic magazine Deborah Hyde, the biologist Professor Steve Jones, musician and roboticist Sarah Angliss, ufologist Ian Ridpath, writer Massimo Polidoro, podcaster Richard Saunders and author Ophelia Benson. Robin Ince will be providing some of the evening’s comedy. |
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 A tweet from the week from Thursday: 4thought is looking for 16-18 year olds to talk about moral and ethical issues. Email sara@humanism.org.uk for details.Follow us at twitter.com/BHAhumanists
Sat 14 Jan  10:30am - 4pm Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, Holborn, London WC1R 4RL
A day conference presented by the Centre for Inquiry UK taking a closer look at spirits, mediums and ghosts. Featuring Chris French, Hayley Stevens, Paul Zenon, Richard Wiseman, and Ian Rowland.
 10:30am - 4:30pm Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, Holborn, London WC1R 4RL
A day conference on blasphemy, religious hatred, and human rights: who speaks for the sacred? Tickets available here, including special offers.
 Creation: synthetic biology and the origin of life
Wednesday 8 February 7pm - 9pm Congress Hall, Congress Centre, 28 Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LS
Chaired by Richard Dawkins, the 2012 Darwin Day lecture will be presented by renowned author, broadcaster, scientist, and geek Adam Rutherford.
BHA choir Winter Concert Sun 11 Dec 8pm – 10pm Unity, 227a Upper Street, Islington, London, N1 2TZ This year the BHA Choir will be joining the Navadina choir for an evening of secular songs. Both choirs will be performing news songs and old favourites as well as joining forces during the evening. Tickets £10 (£5 concessions) available at the event. Charity Events Sun 11 Dec 10pm – 4pm Singing and collecting for The Food Chain Green Park Station Mon 12 Dec 6pm – 7pm Carol Singing Trafalgar Square . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
 This week's Pod Delusion takes a journey across time and space as it looks forward to the Mars Science Lab mission. Episode 112 also features a talk about a new play that takes a look back into recent history through the medium of former Labour MP Chris Mullin’s diaries, talks to Marcus Chown about his new book and is scared by news of what the SOPA act could mean for the internet.
 This week Humanist Life has an article on Creationist groups that are continuing to push for Free Schools and links to articles on the 'outrage as homosexuality is taught to 4 year olds' in another sex education 'scandal', eviction notices at Occupy London, and thought crime arrests.
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