Diary
Dont label children the billboard campaign
Wednesday, Nov 18, 2009![Don’t label me](/wp-content/uploads/Dont label me.jpg) After the Atheist Bus Campaign, people have been asking, “What next?” Now you have an answer; the Billboard Campaign. Richard Dawkins famously said that there are no Catholic babies, or Protestant babies, or Muslim babies, or Hindu babies they are all just babies. In the Observer in December 2001 he wrote, Where we might have said, Knowing his father, I expect young Cowdrey will take up cricket, we emphatically do not say, With her devout Catholic parents, I expect young Bernadette will take up Catholicism.BBC Trust says no to non-religious Thoughts for the Day
Tuesday, Nov 17, 2009The BBC Trust today announced its findings on a number of appeals about the broadcast of Radio 4’s Thought for the Day and BBC editorial policy on non-religious content. The Trust found that the editorial policy of only allowing religious contributors to participate on Thought for the Day does not breach either the BBC Editorial Guideline on impartiality or the BBC’s duty to reflect religious and other beliefs in its programming.Just what we need religious policy advisers
Monday, Nov 16, 2009It’s tedious, hearing those in Parliament wittering on about “secularism”, when they clearly haven’t a clue what it means. But then, neither do a majority of religious leaders (including Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury) who complain about “aggressive secularism”. Personally, I’m feeling quite aggressive about the latest threat to secularism; John Denham, the Communities Secretary, has announced that a new panel of religious experts has been set up to advise the Government on making public policy decisions.For celebration, amusement, or just to pass the time
Thursday, Nov 12, 2009A few of the stories that have caught my eye on the Interweb this week: * As an antidote to the depressing news that a significant proportion of British people think that creationism ought to be included in school science lessons, we can celebrate a development in education. Evolution will be in the national curriculum for primary schools when the new version is published soon. Andrew Copson from the BHA wrote in the Guardian:Hitchins & Fry versus the Catholic Church debate now online
Sunday, Nov 8, 2009The recent Intelligence Squared debate – ‘The Catholic Church is a Force for Good in the World‘ – when Christopher Hitchens and Stephen Fry soundly thrashed Anne Widdicombe and Archbishop Onaiyekan, is now online. Watch and enjoy.Onward Atheist Soldiers?
Sunday, Nov 8, 2009Although there were representatives of other faiths at the Cenotaph this morning, the religious part of the remembrance ceremony was Christian, as usual. Today and on Tuesday (Armistice Day, 11th November), Christian ceremonial will predominate, regardless of the fact that services personnel are of all faiths and none, and that those who join them on Remembrance Day are also a diverse cross-section of society. To be wholly inclusive, such ceremonial should be completely secular, allowing those who are religious to have separate ceremonies afterwards.Lords call for more Humanist broadcasting
Thursday, Nov 5, 2009While the BBC Trust deliberates today on whether to allow more Humanist broadcasting, including Thoughts for the Day, Humanist peers debated the issue last night. One of the speakers, Baroness Massey of Darwen, said, Humanism is growing in strength. It has growing public recognition in non-religious ceremonies such as marriages, funerals and baptisms. This has made significant contributions to public policy. The moral values held by humanists are weighed and considered.In praise of humanist funerals
Tuesday, Nov 3, 2009In today’s Guardian, Phil Hall writes about humanist funerals, and why he finds them much more satisfying than … … religious funerals, where a stranger usually officiates and witters on about heaven, often fail to commemorate a life well lived properly. Religious funerals can be a whimpering anti-climax. He goes on, In contrast, the humanist funerals in our family were completely satisfying and eclectic. They looked backwards and allowed us to see the lives of our loved ones clearly.Emitos Girls Humanist Football Team, Uganda, needs money
Wednesday, Oct 28, 2009Emitos Girls Humanist Football Club is a really special project running in Uganda. Supported by Women and the Free World Organisation (WOFEWO), the aim of the club is to empower and educate girls aged 12-20 years through football. The Central London Humanist Group is aiming to raise 3,700 for football kits, the costs of playing away and for 3 Workshops on reproductive health and HIV/AIDS through the International Humanist Trust, the charitable arm of the IHEU.Latest Gay & Lesbian Humanist magazine online now
Tuesday, Oct 27, 2009The latest Gay & Lesbian Humanist online magazine is available now – free. It includes a look at what life is really like for gay people in Russia and the former Eastern bloc countries of central and Eastern Europe.