Protestors demonstrating against
the sale of Salman Rushdie's novel
The Satanic Verses
© PA/EMPICS

So what is the right course for a predominantly secular society in which many people are devout followers of different faiths? Do we protect free speech at all costs? Or should faiths be protected from attack? Is it possible to draw the kind of distinction the government is attempting, between deriding and insulting someone's faith (legal) and inciting hatred against them because they practise that faith (illegal)?

For that matter, what constitutes a faith, as opposed to a set of beliefs? And why shouldn't secular convictions be considered as worthy of respect as religious ones? In response to the upsurge in religious lobbying, the secularists are becoming more vocal. High-profile atheists like Richard Dawkins, Claire Rayner and Polly Toynbee spread the word in books, conferences and newspaper articles.

Some atheists see religious belief as intrinsically dangerous – a rejection of reason that often leads to oppression. Others argue that humans will always search for transcendent meaning. They point out that while many in the UK have drifted away from organized Christianity, our society still seems hungry for spirituality. Publishing has a thriving new sector called 'Mind, Body, Spirit', in which subjects from Babylonian texts to healthy eating are approached as part of a quest for spiritual growth.

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