BBC sticks to atheist and humanist ban on Thought for the Day

The BBC has refused to broaden its longstanding Radio 4 Thought for the Day slot to include contributions from atheists and humanists.

It comes despite the editor of the Today Programme having previously written in favour of broadening its contributors to include non-religious groups.

The British Humanist Association (BHA) is campaigning, along with other groups, for the three minute slot to include contributions from those who do not align themselves to any faith or believe in a deity.

In an open letter to Tony Hall, BBC Director-General the BHA said: “More than half the British population do not belong to any religion and around a quarter have a humanist worldview. By barring humanists from Thought for the Day (TfTD), the BBC is blatantly failing its remit to reflect the diversity of beliefs of its audience and wider population, and its legal duty to treat non-religious and religious beliefs equally.

“To many, the exclusion of humanists from Thought for the Day sends a very clear

message that humanists do not have as much to contribute as religious people to one of the BBC’s most high-profile ethical slots.”

But in a statement the BBC said the slot on the Today programme, which has hosted it for nearly 50- years, “does not need changing”.

This is despite Sarah Sands, the Today’s programme’s current editor, suggesting just two months before taking up her post in May last year that humanist contributions should be included on Thought for the Day.

In February last year Ms Sands had written: “This slot, it seems to me, is about the meaning of life, so the title hardly does it justice. It is much, much more than platitudes about Jesus and Brexit, balanced now and then with a view from another faith. And if this is about profound faith, surely we should also include humanists?

“I admire religion and believe it is robust enough to have challengers. I wonder what the listeners think of this?”

It is understood that since taking up her role Ms Sands has emphasised that Thought for the Day is part of the heritage of the Today programme and part of British culture.

The slot appears in the middle of the programme that offers ‘reflections from a faith perspective on issues and people in the news’.

For months members of the South East London Humanist Group have held a weekly protest outside Broadcasting House calling for the BBC to widen the slot’s remit.

Backing the BHA campaign are high profile supporters such as Sandi Toksvig, the co-presenter of The Great British Bake Off; agony aunt Virginia Ironsides; the comics Shappi Khorsandi and Ed Byrne; neuroscientist and author Professor Raymond Tallis and Richard Dalton, the former UK ambassador to Libya and Iran.

The BHA letter to Mr Hall stated: “Religion doesn’t hold a monopoly on ethical worldviews. There is another mainstream tradition, as old as religion, that has much to say on the ethical issues of our time – and that’s humanism.

“Humanists are people who shape their own lives in the here and now, because they believe it’s the only life we have. They make sense of the world through logic, reason, and evidence, and always seek to treat others with warmth, understanding and respect.”

It added: “Equally importantly, religious and non-religious beliefs have always been part of the same conversation on how to live, how to interpret events, and how to act ethically. They have evolved together, sharing ideas and influencing each other. It’s now time to bring religion back into conversation with other worldviews so that we can all engage with and talk to each other on a level playing field.”

But religious leaders have backed the BBC's stance. 

The Bishop of Leeds, the Rt Revd Nick Baines, a regular contributor on the slot, said: “Given the secular humanist assumptions that underlie the Today programme, Thought for the Day is an opportunity to look at the world through a religious lens. It opens up perspectives on why the world is the way it is and shines a different light on world events that the rest of the programme might otherwise miss.”

The BBC said: “Thought for the Day features speakers from the world’s major faith traditions reflecting on topical events and issues. We considered its remit as part of last year’s religion review and concluded that in the context of the BBC’s overall output it serves a distinct purpose and does not need changing.”

The corporation added that long-running strands such as Sunday and Beyond Belief explore religious beliefs and practice “across all faiths and none”, from major religions to humanism and atheism.