Why do faith school supporters want them to be so awful?

I have to admit to coming out of the Lib Dem debate on 5-19 education feeling somewhat perplexed. After a complicated series of four amendments wrangling over the same bunch of lines, what the party has come up with seemed to be little more than a state commissioned figleaf scheme. Let me explain. The motion… Continue reading Why do faith school supporters want them to be so awful?

Thought for the day: does Giles Fraser have a point?

The Vicar of Putney writes: The problem is that atheism is defined by what it’s against, that it is not theism. And to introduce such a sense of “againstness” would fundamentally alter TftD’s character. Some years ago, Richard Dawkins was offered a slot to experiment with a secular TftD. He told us religious explanations were… Continue reading Thought for the day: does Giles Fraser have a point?

Aborting common sense

Three examples of the zaniness of anti-abortion campaigners: First of all, there was the curious case of the abortion doughnuts. I have to admit that when I first heard about “abortion doughnuts” my first thought was that Krispy Kreme had started putting marshmallow foetuses in the jam. However, the reality turns out to be much… Continue reading Aborting common sense