All posts tagged: Humanist

Justice Committee presses Government on humanist marriages

Justice Committee presses Government on humanist marriages

Published by skeptic

The UK Government has had the power to legally recognise humanist marriages since 2013 and thousands of couples are waiting The House of Commons’ Justice Select Committee has pressed the UK Government to legally recognise humanist marriages without further delay. Committee Chair Andy Slaughter MP has written to Marriage Minister Lord Ponsonby to highlight that ‘humanist couples across England and Wales have been waiting for over a decade to marry legally in accordance with their beliefs’, and request that the Government sets out its position on reform of humanist marriages. The letter echoed frustration recently also expressed by peers in the House of Lords, and said: ‘As you know, humanist couples across England and Wales have been waiting for over a decade to marry legally in accordance with their beliefs. Despite being recognised in Scotland and Northern Ireland, legal recognition in England and Wales has been under constant review since 2013, most recently by the Law Commission in 2022. ‘The Marriage Act 2013 recognised “marriages according to the usages of belief-based organisations”, allowing the Government to …

interview with humanist school speaker Nicole Shasha

interview with humanist school speaker Nicole Shasha

Published by skeptic

Based in Leicester, Nicole is a passionate Humanists UK volunteer who makes a real difference. In this interview, she discusses her experiences as a humanist school speaker, the impact it has had on her, and the importance of promoting tolerance and understanding in 2025. Hi Nicole! What motivated you to become a humanist school speaker? I was looking for a way to be active within the humanist community, as well as deepen my own understanding of humanism. I know that I would have loved to hear about humanism when I was in school, so I wanted to offer that service myself. The more worldviews that students learn about in school the better, as it broadens their perspectives and makes them less likely to develop prejudices. The non-religious are still often misunderstood, particularly in very religious schools or areas. I feel that I can help to dispel any myths that pupils might have about humanists, as well as thinking through my own philosophy through fresh eyes! What was your first school visit like? A bit terrifying, …

Humanist politicians meet to discuss Schools Bill and curriculum review

Humanist politicians meet to discuss Schools Bill and curriculum review

Published by skeptic

The All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group (APPHG) met on Wednesday evening to discuss the National Curriculum Review and the Government’s Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. Parliamentarians and others at the meeting welcomed the direction of the Review and many of the provisions in the Bill but also discussed how the Bill might be taken further to ensure better safeguarding for children and to prevent unintended consequences. Attending parliamentarians heard from Dr Kathryn Wright, CEO of Culham St Gabriel’s; Prof Ted Cantle, Founder, iCoCo (Institute of Community Cohesion) Foundation; Yehudis Fletcher, Author and Founder, Nahamu; Victor Shafiee, Deputy Director, Ofsted; and Andrew Copson, Chief Executive of Humanists UK. The meeting was chaired by Lizzi Collinge MP, who was also elected new Chair of the APPHG. Dr Kathyrn Wright discussed the inequity of religious education between schools and how the lack of its place within the national curriculum causes this difference in quality. She discussed Culham St Gabriel’s’ submission to the Curriculum and Assessment Review where it calls for this to change to ensure a minimum standard of …

Humanist, Secular Groups Sign Joint Statement Reaffirming Commitment to Protecting LGBTQ+ Rights

Humanist, Secular Groups Sign Joint Statement Reaffirming Commitment to Protecting LGBTQ+ Rights

Published by skeptic

For decades, the American Humanist Association has fought for and centered equality, dignity, and human rights for everybody—regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression—into our work. We recently signed a joint statement (below) alongside other humanist, atheist, freethought, and secular organizations to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to protecting and advancing the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly trans people. We support LGBTQ+ rights because it is a moral imperative rooted in the values of compassion, reason, and justice—a few of the humanist values we try to elevate and live by every single day. The AHA’s endorsement of this statement reflects our belief that everyone deserves the freedom to live authentically and without fear. LGBTQ+ rights are human rights, and the fight for inclusion is a fight for a society where equality prevails—especially against an incoming political backdrop bolstered by Christian Nationalism that has historically shown its desire to silence LGBTQ+ voices, particularly trans voices. In an era of increasing polarization, our participation in the statement below serves as a powerful reminder of the …

Humanist Mubarak Bala Freed in Nigeria

Humanist Mubarak Bala Freed in Nigeria

Published by skeptic

Mubarak Bala After four-and-a-half years in prison, Mubarak Bala, president of the Humanist Association of Nigeria, was released on Tuesday. Because Bala’s legal team believes he is still in danger, he is being housed at a secure location. Bala was originally arrested in April 2020 because of complaints lodged over posts he made on Facebook which were considered to be insulting to Islam. He was convicted in 2022 on eighteen blasphemy-related counts of “causing a public disturbance” and sentenced to twenty-four years of imprisonment. His case was consistently marked by irregularities, including detention without charges for over a year-and-a-half; denial of access to lawyers, family, and medical aid; and delays in his trial. Under duress, Bala pleaded guilty to the charges. Humanists International, of which the American Humanist Association (AHA) is a founding member, led the international efforts to free him. In collaboration with Humanists International, the AHA has advocated for Bala’s release since the arrest in 2020, working with the US Congress, US State Department and US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) to …

Nigerian humanist freed after imprisonment for ‘blasphemy’

Nigerian humanist freed after imprisonment for ‘blasphemy’

Published by skeptic

The National Secular Society has welcomed news that Nigerian atheist Mubarak Bala has been freed from prison, after spending four years behind bars for ‘blasphemy’. In 2022, Bala was sentenced to 24 years in prison, after Kano State High Court convicted him of 18 counts of causing a public disturbance. He was arrested in 2020 after a petition from a group of lawyers alleging he had called the Islamic prophet Muhammad “all sorts of denigrating names” was sent to police. Bala’s legal team said they believe Bala is still in danger. Bala told the BBC that that whilst he is now free, there remains “an underlying threat”, and “the concern about my safety is always there”. When asked why he pled guilty to the charges in court, which was not part of the agreed legal strategy, Bala said he believed this would save “not only my life, but people in the state, and especially those that were attached to my case”. Humanists International said it is likely he was subjected to intimidation, and there have …

Florida Humanist Groups Are Spreading Christmas Cheer

Florida Humanist Groups Are Spreading Christmas Cheer

Published by skeptic

AHA Executive Director Fish Stark attends a kick-off event in Orlando hosted by the Central Florida Freethought Community. It was easy to get American Humanist Association local Florida chapters Central Florida Freethought Community (CFFC) and Humanists of Tallahassee (HOT) on board with our campaign to Stop Governor Ron DeSantis’ War on Christmas. They know firsthand how difficult he makes it for families to afford groceries and housing, receive health insurance, access educational resources, and get hurricane relief funding (despite record-breaking devastating storms in 2024). They loved the opportunity to expand their regular local gift and supply drives with this national effort to provide toys, books, and everyday essentials to Florida families in need. They also identified local stores we could work with to further support communities beyond the holidays. All campaign donations (after credit card fees) go directly to purchasing gifts based on wish lists provided by our partners and requested by youth-serving charities, schools, and shelters serving low-income Florida families. On December 3, AHA Executive Director Fish Stark visited Orlando for a kick-off event, …

The Climate Crisis – A Humanist Perspective

The Climate Crisis – A Humanist Perspective

Published by skeptic

This article takes it as given that we are currently experiencing a global climate crisis. If you disagree—if you deny what your eyes can see, your ears can hear, your skin can feel, and your brain can process—then this is not the article, magazine, or organization for you. Otherwise, read on. The current climate crisis is a humanist issue in every way because it is a human issue in every way. Humans have caused it, humans are experiencing its effects, and humans can both mitigate some of its effects and prevent or lessen the impact of the worst possible outcomes. It is a humanist issue because humans caused it (in scientific terms, it is “anthropogenic”). This is not changing of the Earth’s climate, writ very large, over millennia, which occurs naturally over time due to tectonic and orbital shifts. Not changing of the Earth’s climate in a brief geological instant, as when a major volcanic eruption or meteor strike fills the atmosphere with particulates, ash and dust, blocking sunlight and lowering temperatures. The crisis is …

Wales urges Ministry of Justice to ‘expedite’ legal recognition of humanist marriages

Wales urges Ministry of Justice to ‘expedite’ legal recognition of humanist marriages

Published by skeptic

The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice in Wales, Jane Hutt MS, has called on the UK Government to grant legal recognition to humanist marriages in England and Wales without delay. A letter to the Marriage Minister Lord Ponsonby urges the UK Government to ‘expedite progress in looking at this issue’. Humanists UK has welcomed the intervention. Humanist marriages are already legally recognised in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Jersey, and Guernsey, but not in England and Wales. Marriage law is not devolved to Wales but is a matter for the UK Government for both England and Wales. The Welsh Government has long supported legal recognition of humanist marriages, and in 2021 told the UK Government that this issue should be resolved now, or else devolved. Legal recognition in England and Wales has been under constant UK Government review since 2013. The Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Act gave it the power to enact legal recognition of humanist marriages through secondary legislation. But in the years since, it has not done this. Instead the matter has been reviewed three times, …

The Path to Humanist Chaplaincy

The Path to Humanist Chaplaincy

Published by skeptic

Anthony Cruz Pantojas, MATS, MALS, BCC (they/them), is the Humanist Chaplain and Coordinator of Africana Spirituality at Tufts University. Currently, they are a board member for Secular Coalition for America, The Humanist Society, as well as the International Association of Chaplains in Higher Education. Cruz Pantojas’s praxis centers Afro-Caribbean humanist and freethought philosophies, promotes critical imagining and self-discovery, and inspires individuals to question and reimagine their inner/outer worlds. Cruz Pantojas talks about becoming a humanist chaplain, a role grounded in nonjudgmental care for diverse communities. Pantojas explains that humanist chaplains provide support not limited to humanist ideology, adhering to a pluralistic and ethically guided approach. They highlight the extensive education and clinical training required, such as programs at the United Theological Seminary, and the challenges chaplains face, including misconceptions from both humanist and non-humanist communities. Cruz Pantojas emphasizes humanist chaplaincy’s unique space for critical inquiry and the cultivation of interconnectedness, aiming to address skepticism and encourage broader acceptance within varied institutional settings. Scott Douglas Jacobsen: We are here with Anthony, and today we’re going to …