In the past few generations, Britain - like much of Europe - has undergone a process of ‘secularisation’ [Ref: Encyclopedia.com]. While it was once a largely Christian country, church membership and attendances have fallen steadily, and people now tend to see religion as a matter of individual choice rather than public morality or political import. At the same time, immigration has brought significant numbers of Muslims, Hindus and other religious communities into the country, making religion a marker of group identity rather than something that binds the nation together [Ref: Evening Standard]. In this context, some worry there is a lack of public affirmation or even support for the ‘secular liberal’ values that underlie mainstream politics and culture today, and in recent months such concerns have come to the fore. The Equality Act, which received Royal Assent in April [Ref: ePolitix]; the case of Gary Macfarlane, the sex therapist sacked after he refused to advise gay couples on the grounds of religious conscience [Ref: BBC News]; the Pope’s pronouncement that equality legislation is contrary to natural law [Ref: BBC News], and the Belgium Parliament’s banning of the burqa in public places have all contrived to make the debate about religious freedom and its place within a secular society a deeply important one. In particular, discussions that preceded the passing of the Equality Bill in April saw profound disagreement on the question of whether religious groups and individuals should be exempt from equality legislation that would otherwise require them to go against their religious beliefs. Some argued that the principle of equality must come first and be applied universally, but others insist faith groups should be free to act on their beliefs even if others disapprove. Some Christians as well as Muslims protest that a ‘militant’ secularism makes society increasingly hostile to religious belief, and arguments rage about religious attitudes and practices, from wearing particular symbols to educating children in ‘faith schools’ [Ref: Guardian]. So should the state compel people to conform with secular values they do not share?

What is a secular society?
A secular society is one in which the state and official bodies are neutral with respect to religion, and religious belief is a matter for individuals, families and self-selecting communities rather than the whole society as such. Although the Church of England is ‘established’ – officially part of the state – Britain is generally considered to be a secular society because its citizens hold many different faiths and none, and religion does not have a prominent role in public life [Ref: University of Botswana]. By way of comparison, France is a more strictly secular society [Ref: BBC News], and the USA is secular in that there is a constitutional separation of church and state [Ref: Religioustolerance.org], but Christianity is a prominent part of the culture and the US is therefore often considered less secular than the UK [Ref: Social Affairs Unit]. Secularism should not be confused with atheism, however, as individuals in a secular society can still be religious. [Ref: BBC]

Is secularism in conflict with religion?
Religion is sometimes controversial in secular societies. In France, the government has banned the wearing of Muslim headscarves or any other ‘religious symbols’ in state schools [Ref: BBC News], and some have called for a similar law in the UK, where there has also been controversy about Christian and other religious symbols at school or at work [Ref: BBC News]. Some advocates of secularism worry that faith groups are pushing their beliefs on the rest of society, and argue that religion has no place in public life [Ref: National Secular Society], but others argue that such symbols are harmless and people should be free to express their beliefs [Ref: The Samosa]. What is at stake is not just whether people should be allowed to wear particular symbols, but what kind of society we live in. Britain is often described as a ‘multicultural’ society, but there is disagreement about whether the celebration of diversity should extend to beliefs and values, or whether everyone should subscribe to core, ‘secular liberal’ values [Ref: BBC News].

Religious exemptions from equality legislation
One particularly controversial question is whether religious groups and individuals should be exempt from rules against discrimination, a debate that caused considerable disagreement in the passing of the Equality Bill [Ref: Equalities Office]. In general employers are not allowed to discriminate on the grounds of religion, but religious groups can insist that applicants for specifically religious jobs, like being a priest, are of the appropriate faith [Ref: BBC News]. More controversial was the question of whether such institutions should be allowed to discriminate when it comes to other jobs, like cleaners or accountants, and in particular teachers in faith schools. In the original proposal for the bill, government were pushing to narrow the freedom of religious institutions to have employment rules in line with their teachings, but eventually conceded following amendments proposed by the House of Lords. Most controversial of all was whether religious institutions should be allowed to discriminate against gays and lesbians, not just when employing people, but when providing services on the grounds that their religious teachings condemn homosexuality [Ref: Pink News].

Beyond the letter of the law, some have expressed disquiet at what has been deemed a growing ‘climate of intolerance’ towards religious belief. Most recently there was an outcry amongst the liberal press when Conservative MP Chris Grayling suggested that Christian B&B owners should be allowed to act upon their conscience over giving double beds to same-sex couples, a reaction that some lambasted as ‘hysterical’ [Ref: Daily Mail]. Similarly there have been a number of cases where religious individuals have declined to do certain aspects of their jobs, such as a registrar Lillian Ladele who refuses to perform same-sex civil partnerships , and have been sacked as a consequence [Ref: Christian Institute]. Whilst the Act will allow for religious exemptions some have voiced concern at its wider repercussions. For example, many more have expressed unease at the lack of cultural support for the universal political principles of freedom of conscience and freedom of association, reflected throughout this debate in recent months [Ref: spiked].

Tolerance of intolerance?
The question of religious exemptions, or ‘conscience clauses’, involves a clash of values [Ref: Christian Institute]. On the one hand, equality legislation is meant to ensure that individuals do not suffer discrimination on the grounds of race, gender, sexuality, or indeed religion. On the other, in a secular society it is generally held that people are entitled to believe whatever they like, and should not be compelled to go against those beliefs. Some people even argue that coercive equality legislation is fundamentally unjust and undemocratic [Ref: spiked]. Equality, they argue, is something that is achieved by the political struggles that take place within society, not by government legislation. More generally, supporters of religious exemptions insist that the conscience of the individual must be respected [Ref: Telegraph], but critics object that religious belief should not be a special case: after all racists are not allowed to discriminate against ethnic minorities in the name of their ‘conscience’ [Ref: Ekklesia]. In part, then, this is a debate about what constitutes a legitimate belief: should religious beliefs be protected in a way that other beliefs are not, perhaps on the grounds that religion is a wider social good? Or does the state have a responsibility to ensure equal treatment whatever people’s reasons for discriminating?