I am a Humanist

In 2018 I joined Humanists UK. With I suppose a slow dawning that I was, or might be, a Humanist. To be honest, I have little idea of what a Humanist is, so why did I join the society for Humanists? Their campaigns.

When I look at what campaigns Humanists UK supported and what policy changes they advocated, I find I agree with almost all of them. For me, they have a much higher hit-rate than other member organisations that I've joined.

I have their newsletter in front of me, where they announce that Alice Roberts is appointed President of Humanists UK. Professor Alice Roberts is brilliant and an outstanding communicator and leader. Love it.

Summarising the campaigns mentioned in the newsletter, we find:

Recognition for humanists in places traditionally reserved for the religious. In particular in the National Service in Whitehall (Humanists now included), and pastoral care (Humanists UK is campaining to increase non-religious pastoral care in the NHS and in prisons).

For education a general view that non-religious viewpoints are as valid as religious ones. Prosecuting illegal faith schools, widening Religious Education to include non-religious world views, the admission of humanists into Standing Advisory Councils for Religious Education, recommending that collective worship in state-funded schools be abolished, and ending religious discrimination in school admissions (abolished in Ireland, but in England we're about to allow more discrimination for academies).

A liberalisation of abortion law, and moving it from a criminal procedure to a healthcare matter. Therefore, including it in sex education, supporting the Lib Dem conference vote to decriminalise abortion, supporting the Supreme Court's opinion that Northern Ireland's abortion ban breaches human rights, supporting the Isle of Man in decriminalising abortion, and criticising Sajid Javid for abandoning an Isle-of-man-style abortion clinic buffer-zone in the UK.

Supporting victims of blasphemy (in Pakistan and Spain in particular), and supporting the decriminalisation of blasphemy (still a crime Spain, Pakistan, Austria; recently decriminalised in Ireland).

Also, Humanist Weddings. If you believe announcements made by government.

Do you support some or most of these campaigns? Maybe you're a humanist too.