JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2010

REGULARS 5 Editorial Bishops, belief and barnets 6 Parish news 8 Yours sceptically Readers’

letters 49 Chris Maslanka’s Quiz 50 Endgame Laurie Taylor does some thinking aloud

FEATURES 10 Minority report Paul Sims talks to the ex-Scientologist blowing the whistle on the violent secrets of the celebrity cult 14 Welcome back, Uncle Joe

Josef Stalin is being written back into Russian history, reports Michael Binyon 16 Suffer the little children The

Catholic Church blamed the victims of abuse and covered up their crimes for decades. For Laurie Taylor it’s personal 20 Bad Faith Awards 2009

Which irrationalist has walked away with our prestigious prize? 22 In search of the G Spot Is faith hard-wired in the the brain? Raymond Tallis scans some new claims 26 Head to head Modern-day philosophes Tzvetan Todorov and AC Grayling discuss the legacy of the great 18thcentury Enlightenment 32 Dangerous liaisons

Will the new Crime and Policing Act protect prostitutes – or persecute them? asks Sally Feldman 36 Fair Game? It’s time we gave video games their cultural dues, says Michael Bywater 39 Who needs God? Why is religion on the rise in so many countries? Tom Rees finds the missing link 42 Going gentle Ken Worpole on the care centres restoring humanity to architecture

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Red renaissance

[42] [32] Can we be realistic about prostitution?

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A safe place to die

COLUMNS 7 Diary Andrew Copson takes the reins at the BHA 31 Opinion Terry

Sanderson of the National Secular Society reveals his true feelings about religion

BOOK REVIEWS 44 Max Houghton on stunning new photographs of America’s state asylums 46 Colin Brewer admires the last testament of an atheist priest 47 Andreas Campomar surveys the 20th century with a Uruguayan master 48 Marcus Chown enjoys a graphic maths lesson 48 Edna Fernandes isn’t quite convinced by an explanation of India’s religious nationalism

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7,000 voted. Who won?

Who won?won?

won?

won?

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