Faith schools, philosophers, and the weaponisation of outrage

Dear reader,

Our leading article this week is an interview with Alex Byrne, professor of philosophy at MIT. Byrne's latest book, Trouble with Gender, was first accepted by Oxford University Press and then rejected. It is now being published by Polity Press. Was the topic too hot? Why is it so difficult to talk about gender issues and the trans debate? Why does free speech on these topics matter?

Even the UN thinks that England's system of faith schools and religious admissions criteria is out of date. But where do the main political parties stand on religion in schools? Stephen Evans of the National Secular Society presents his analysis.

In the Muslim world, the media use incidents like the recent Quran-burnings in Scandinavia to whip up feeling against the non-religious. What can be done to improve the situation? Tehreem Azeem reports.

New Assistant Editor

We're delighted to welcome Daniel Sharp as Assistant Editor at the Freethinker. Daniel comes from a background of humanism, secularism and freelance writing. He is currently preparing a book about Christopher Hitchens.

Articles
'When the chips are down, the philosophers turn out to have been bluffing’ – interview with Alex Byrne
Faith schools: where do the political parties stand? by Stephen Evans
The power of outrage, by Tehreem Azeem
Image of the week: a double vanishing act, by Mohammed Jones

I hope you enjoy our latest articles, and if you do, please share them with others.

Best wishes,

Emma Park
Editor, The Freethinker
freethinker.co.uk
@freethinkermag
FB: freethinkermag
editor@freethinker.co.uk