One of the more intriguing aspects of Gordon Brown's first Labour party conference speech as serving prime minister was his decision to use consciously biblical language as part of his argument against those employing religious rhetoric to oppose his family policy.

Protests from secular and teaching groups have met an announcement by the government that many more faith-based schools are to be brought into the state-funded sector with a pledge to remove "unnecessary barriers" to religious groups.

At the root of death-dealing religion and ideology is fear, says Simon Barrow. The biggest challenge we face today is how to challenge cultures of death from within, replacing the logic of the sword with an invitation to life.