The current emergence of a rational appraisal of Cannabis is long overdue. Several aspects of the relationship between physical and mental health and religion, have been raised recently; the relative merits of conventional psychiatric treatment, versus counselling, ‘alternative therapies’, ‘spiritual’ healing and prayer; and whether the well are well, because of, or despite religious belief […]
Many older people seem suspicious of computers and the Internet, considering it only relevant to the young and economically active, games, travel information, buying tickets & trading on-line, not to mention pornography. It is as though the invention of the printing press had been dismissed as only useful to produce comics, tabloid papers, junk mail […]
We wanted to add a new element to this site in the form of more editorialized musings on social roles today in light of our ongoing mission to explore how the tenets of New Humanism manifest themselves today. Specifically, I wanted to talk about something I refer to as “nagging wife syndrome” and why I […]
A new report, commissioned by the Humanist Society of Scotland, reveals that a substantial majority of Scottish people do not hold religious or spiritual beliefs. This majority—around 59 percent—is a significant portion of the population. The research, performed by survey, polled over 1,000 Scottish residents about a range of issues relating to their religious affiliations […]
Late last month, The Guardian published an article decrying the banality of the average civil ceremony. Dry, white, and traditional, the piece argues that these weddings symbolize intolerance; planning one of these ceremonies is about as special as filling in a tax return. The author writes, “When standing in front of 100 friends and family, being married […]
In June, the Belfast Court of Appeals ruled that humanist marriages must be legally recognized. Two months later, Northern Ireland saw its first humanist marriage. Let’s start with what it means to have a humanist marriage. This wedding is a non-religious ceremony that is often deeply personal and conducted by a humanist celebrant. The ceremony […]
Source: The Blade Shawn Meagley and Douglas Berger have co-organized an organization called Secular Humanists of Western Lake Erie, or SHoWLE. Berger brings years of experience in leadership within the Humanist Community of Central Ohio. Though there are currently organized groups for atheists and skeptics in the area, the region has yet to see a secular humanist organization. […]
Source: WalesOnline June 21st marked World Humanism Day. In Wales, former Counsel General Mick Antoniw argued that the ideology is an important, even necessary source of values for Wales, which is becoming increasingly secular. In his essay, published by WalesOnline, he envisions Humanism as the ideology that will unite the country. According to Antoniw, the […]
Every once in a while, I do a Google News search for the terms “Humanism” and “New Humanism.” I am almost always disappointed—not because humanists around the world are behaving poorly (we’re not, I promise), but because of the misuse of the word itself. Journalists and columnists use the term “Humanism” to describe the phenomenon […]
Jason Heap has been denied the opportunity to join the Chaplain Corps. Despite receiving a recommendation from the Navy Chaplain Appointment and Retention Eligibility Advisory Board, the Navy rejected the application amid strong pushback from congressional Republicans. In early March, the United States Navy received a letter written by Senator Roger Wicker (RMS) and 22 […]
Steven A. Pinker, professor of psychology at Harvard University, has received the Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism. He accepted the prestigious award at a ceremony produced by the Humanist Hub at the Harvard Community of Humanists, Atheists, and Agnostics earlier in March. Pinker has worked with HCHAA and the Humanist Hub for several […]
Because Humanism emphasizes the importance of human agency and critical thought, proponents of the outlook believe that humans must claim responsibility for ongoing global conflict, be it physical or political. Nothing is left to chance; everything that has happened—from political election results to the outcome of wars and battles—is the result of human action, not […]
Still not totally sure what it means to be a Humanist? Here is a quick list of things we believe in: Civil liberties Human rights Church-state separation (secularism) Participatory democracy in government, the workplace, and education Global consciousness International exchange of thoughts and products Open discussion of social problems The International Humanist and […]
If you’re visiting this blog, you probably have some interest in Humanism in one of its forms. Therefore, I should first delineate how New Humanism is different from your standard, run-of-the-mill Humanism. The latter is simple; it is the outlook or thought that importance should be placed on physical, tangible human existence rather than the […]
We designed the old logo for the New Humanist, in part, as an homage to William Carlos Williams’ poem, “The Red Wheelbarrow.” so much depends upon a red wheel barrow glazed with rain water beside the white chickens. To me, this short poem captures what’s best about New Humanism. […]
Hi there! My name is Alice, and I’m a (New) Humanist. If you’ve landed on my blog, I can only assume that you are interested in Humanism for personal, academic, or conversational reasons. This blog is devoted to helping others understand Humanism and its various forms and applications. I discovered Humanism and New Humanism as […]