Biased to religion

Our state broadcaster’s insistence that it will continue interrupting morning news programmes with pronouncements on issues taken “from the perspective of a religious faith” (Thought for the Day) is ­unsustainable.

Relaxing the rules to allow an atheist Thought for the Day an hour earlier from its usual ­transmission on Boxing Day, leaving the cleric their usual space before the news at 7am, is as insulting as BBC Scotland once permitting a humanist to share their perspective.

Former BBC director general Mark Thompson, a devout Catholic educated by Jesuits, oversaw the construction of BBC’s new production centre at Glasgow’s Pacific Quay which included a separate studio for religious broadcasts.

The BBC Trust, also headed by devout Catholic Lord Patten, has repeatedly rejected our efforts to challenge such unqualified privilege.

The BBC must open its doors to all philosophers, rational thinkers and those qualified to give a perspective on what life throws at us, whether they are ­religious or not.

Garry Otton

Scottish Secular Society

Broughton Street

Edinburgh