Nelson Jones

Belief, disbelief and beyond belief

Religion

Is Pope Francis about to launch an anti-gay witchhunt in the Vatican?

14 June 2013

The pontiff's remarks about the existence of a "gay lobby" in the Vatican draws on a number of age-old homophobic tropes.

International Politics

My brush with Bilderberg

10 June 2013

Claims of global conspiracy seem far-fetched but Bilderberg does represent an immense networking and lobbying opportunity, says Nelson Jones. The concerns of rabble-rousing Texan radio host Alex Jones may be risible but those of Labour MP Michael Meacher are not.

Society

Equal marriage could only threaten gender roles if it magically turned everyone gay

04 June 2013

The modern basis of marriage is partnership and equality rather than innate difference.

Religion

Assisted dying isn't contested on religious grounds - it's about power, paternalism and control

14 May 2013

A recent YouGov poll has shown that a majority of people - from almost all religious denominations - support doctor-assisted dying. It is our secular and spiritual leaders who are refusing to catch up.

Politics

In a political arena largely devoid of obvious talent Michael Gove is a star turn

10 May 2013

Nelson Jones <3 Michael Gove.

Nelson Jones

Are attacks on goths, heavy metal fans and other "subcultures" hate crimes?

04 April 2013

A legal and bureaucratic scheme that privileges some types of hate crime as special while ignoring others is dangerous in itself, says Nelson Jones.

Politics

Is Pope Francis I's past enough to damn him?

14 March 2013

Pope Francis flourished, occupying a prominent position in the Argentine church, at a time when its leaders worked hand in glove with one of the most brutal dictatorships of the 20th century. Is that enough to damn him?

Nelson Jones

Gilberto Valle: Can you be tried for having fantasies about eating your wife?

04 March 2013

The trial of the "Cannibal Cop" forces us to ask the question: when a fantasy crime become a reality?

Healthcare

We are in danger of loving the NHS to death

21 February 2013

Universal healthcare is the least citizens should expect. To make the NHS better for patients, politicians, press and public alike need to cultivate a healthly scepticism towards it, not give it unlimited adulation.

Religion

Opponents of gay marriage won't face discrimination, says Equality Commission

14 February 2013

The advice, given to MPs today, also refutes suggestions that unwilling clergy might be forced by human rights law to marry same-sex couples.