By RICHARD DAWKINS
Updated: Thu, 13 May 2010 16:06:01 UTC

Evan Harris, former Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Oxford West and Abingdon, was arguably the most secular/atheist-friendly MP in any party, and one of the few MPs who were scientifically trained. He lost his seat in the 2010 election to an evangelical Christian Conservative, by only 176 votes out of a total of 56,480. In my opinion, his departure from parliament is one of the saddest losses in this whole election.

Pamphlets (http://www.thestraightchoice.org/full.php?q=2533#l6131) were widely circulated in the constituency during the election campaign by opponents of Dr Harris. Referring to him as 'Dr Death', because of his support for voluntary euthanasia, these campaigners apparently regarded the following facts as reasons to vote against him. I wonder whether they really did count against him:

Dr Evan Harris is "one of the most outspoken secularists in Parliament."

Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society

Vice President of the British Humanist Association

Patron of the Oxford Secular Society

Vice President of the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association

Won 'Secularist of the Year' award 2009 [I was proud to present it to him at a ceremony in London. RD]

He has campaigned for the closure of Faith Schools. . .

Currently, Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens, prominent members of the British Humanist Society, are leading a campaign to arrest the Pope . . . The constituents of Oxford West and Abingdon call on Evan Harris to state his own position, and dissociate himself from this campaign. [I am one of many constituents of Oxford West and Abingdon for whom these pamphleteers do not speak! RD].

Parliamentary Activities

1. Evan Harris sits on the Joint Committe of Human Rights. In 2007, he reported the Committee's support for not allowing faith-based adoption agencies to act according to their religious beliefs. . . As a result, Catholic adoption agencies have been shut down.

2. He successfully campaigned and tabled an amendment to abolish the common law offence of Blasphemy in England and Wales . . .

3. He sat on the Equality Bill Advisory Committee. In 2009, he consistently tabled amendments that would restrict religious liberty. He even wanted to use the Bill to remove 'God' fromthe age-old Scout's pledge!

4. Since 1997 he has campaigned vigorously for the introduction of compulsory sex education in primary schools.

Voting Record

Voted against keeping the presumption that religious charities provide public benefit

Voted for the Sexual Orientation Regulations which restrict religious liberty

Voted against a free speech amendment to the 'homophobic hatred' offence . . .

If these points really did cause Evan Harris to lose votes, rather than gain them, we in Britain should stop being complacent vis-à-vis our American friends. And remember, we don't have the protection of a constitutional separation of church and state.

Richard

TAGGED: EDUCATION, ESTABLISHMENT CLAUSE, HUMAN RIGHTS, POLITICS, REASON, RELIGION