The New Humanist

Divorce rates are on the decline as external pressures to marry decrease. However, some marriage demographics have higher rates of divorce than others. Marriage and divorce data from Scotland in 2019 reveals that couples married in humanist ceremonies are four times less likely to get divorced.  Humanists UK used a freedom of information request to […]

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 […]