NOVEMBER & DECEMBER 2011

REGULARS 5 Editorial Vicars everywhere 6 Godless globe 9 Witness PadraigReidy,Rob

Deering,PeterTatchell, ManjitKumar 12 Yours sceptically Readers’

letters 49 Chris Maslanka’s Quiz 50 Endgame Laurie Taylor falls for a scam

FEATURES 14 Crossing the line? Ex-Met

Detective Robert Lambert has been accused of getting too close to Islamists. Paul Sims meets him 18 The cutting season Each year, hundreds of British girls are taken abroad illegally to undergo genital mutilation. Alice Onwordi reports 23 Last post Serving in

Afghanistan, Chris Holden attended numerous memorials to honour the dead. He describes how they looked to an atheist 26 Nine highlights from

Nine Lessons Some favourite moments from our rationalist Christmas shows 28 Interview: Rev Richard

Coles The Radio 4 host talks about changing his mind, Jesus Christ and life as a celebrity vicar 32 The last crusade Kenan

Malik challenges the myth of Christian Europe 36 Walk the tightrope We don’t need religion, but mystical traditions still have a lot to teach us, says John Burnside 39 The revolution is coming

Sally Feldman revisits the politics of the orgasm

[39] Inside the orgasmatron

[18]Theugly trade in mutilation

[28]Confessionsofa celebrity country vicar

42 Dissing God Jonathan

Rée on the theologians picking a fight with the Almighty

COLUMNS

13 Q&A: Al Murray The man behind the Pub Landlord 17 Chown’s Cosmos Spiral galaxy

Hoag’s Object 22 Mia Bloom The rise of the female suicide bomber

BOOK REVIEWS

44 Keith Kahn Harris finds religion in evolution 45 Poem Mike Harding 46 Mark Pagel weathers The

Viral Storm 46 Natalie Haynes endures a painful crime novel 48 John Appleby wonders What

It Means To Be Human 49 Jenny Bunker pursues the elusive David Hume

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The man behind the guv’nor

The man behind the guv’nor