
In recent years the government has introduced a raft of new speech crimes, including incitement to religious hatred and incitement to sexual hatred.
This book examines the changing relationship between faith and politics. For the best part of 1700 years, the institutional church has enjoyed a hand-in-hand relationship with government. Indeed, the church has often been seen as the glue that has stopped political systems from disintegrating into anarchy. But in this post-Christendom era the relation of Church and State has weakened to the point where the church can no longer claim to play any significant part in Government. What does the future hold? Where is it all heading? What should be done in the face of radicalised religion?
A short paper about the issues raised by the Government's Racial and Religious Hatred Bill, looking at blasphemy and the place of religion in public life.