All posts by humanistfreedoms

Humanist Heritage UK Earns a Grant

February 20, 2023 humanistfreedoms

Humanists UK and Conway Hall are delighted to announce the award of a grant of just over £160,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to expand the work of the Humanist Heritage project. Humanist Heritage uncovers the untold story of humanism in the UK – a story of people, groups, objects, places, movements, publications, and ideas.

Made possible by money raised by players of the National Lottery, the new two-year project – ‘Humanist Heritage: doers, dreamers, place makers’ – focuses on the remarkable freethinkers and activists who changed the world, and the communities they built around them. The project will combine digital interpretation with artistic response and public programming.

This year, a new interactive virtual tour of Conway Hall, London – one of the only two surviving buildings in the UK built by and for humanists – will enable people near and far to virtually visit this unique space for the first time, learning more about the rich history contained there. This will include school groups, university students, and those who – with no lift access to rooms above the ground floor – are unable to visit the library or main hall balcony in person.

From the life and work of its namesake, Virginia-born abolitionist and social reformer Moncure Conway, through a 130 year tradition of Sunday concerts, to the meetings and activities of LGBT Humanists (founded in 1979 as the Gay Humanist Group), there will be plenty for users to discover. 2024 will mark the 45th anniversary of LGBT Humanists, offering further opportunities to highlight its groundbreaking work and vibrant community through collaborations, exhibitions, and public events.

Research will be underpinned by Conway Hall’s vast library and archive, the largest and most comprehensive humanist research resource of its kind in the United Kingdom, as well as by the special collections at the Bishopsgate Institute. Personal stories will also be heard through the gathering of oral histories, offering insights impossible to capture from written materials alone.

The project will offer volunteers the chance to assist in the digitization, interpretation, and sharing of these collections and their stories. As well as shedding new light on the history and influence of non-religious people in the UK, these help to illuminate a vast range of themes and issues still resonant and relevant today, including work for freedom of speech and of the press, efforts to gain the vote, providing ceremonies, creating communities around shared values and ideals, and championing equality for women, ethnic minorities, and LGBT people. It also includes creators of art, literature, music, and song – all of which will be used to inform and inspire a new generation of artists and activists.

These various project strands represent a vibrant and ongoing history of challenging the status quo, and of creating space – physical and metaphorical – to foster community. The project will reveal, explore, and share this inspiring heritage, encouraging audiences and participants to see themselves as inheritors of the rights won and tradition revealed.

Commenting on the award, Humanist Heritage Coordinator Madeleine Goodall said:

‘We are so excited to have received this support thanks to National Lottery players and are looking forward to working closely with Conway Hall to celebrate these unsung heroes, and engage more people than ever before.

‘This grant gives us a transformative opportunity to explore the rich history of humanist activism in brand new ways, to discover even more about it, and to tell the story through the incredible space and collections of Conway Hall.’

Holly Elson, Head of Programming at Conway Hall, said:

‘We are delighted to be working with Humanists UK on this exciting project, and extremely grateful to The National Lottery Heritage Fund for supporting our work to increase access to these fascinating collections and stories. Working with artists, community groups, and young people will enable new perspectives and vibrant interpretations to be drawn from our historic spaces and archival material, and provide an exciting opportunity to explore their continuing relevance today.’

Director of Understanding Humanism Luke Donnellan commented:

‘Today more and more people are discovering a connection with the humanist worldview. This ongoing funding of the Humanist Heritage project will help to raise awareness of the rich and influential history of this approach to life. The resources will be of great value to students and teachers, of whom several supported the bid, as well as the wider public, and will bring learning about an often hidden history to life in new and exciting ways.’

Citations, References And Other Reading

Featured Photo Courtesy of : Conway Hall, UK

The views, opinions and analyses expressed in the articles on Humanist Freedoms are those of the contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the publishers.

^{By continuing to access, link to, or use this website and/or podcast, you accept the HumanistFreedoms.com and HumanistHeritageCanada.ca Terms of Service in full. If you disagree with the terms of service in whole or in part, you must not use the website, podcast or other material.}

Uncategorized

Got a Taste For Some BAHACON?

February 11, 2023 humanistfreedoms

If you’ve been hankering for a Canadian secular humanist conference ever since the Imagine No Religion series ended with INR7 in Toronto back in 2017, the folks in the Bluewater region (Sarnia, Ontario) may have served-up just the thing.

The first BAHACON conference was held in 2022 and everyone had such a good time, it seemed to be self-evident that a follow-up was going to happen.

According to the Bluewater Atheists, Humanists and Agnostic’s (BAHA) website and Facebook pages, the second edition of their conference (BAHACON) is scheduled to take place in Sarnia from August 25 to 28, 2023 – with tickets going on sale on March 1.

Currently, BAHACON appears to have at least a dozen top-notch speakers linked-up:

Seth Andrews

Dan Barker

Annie Laurie Gaylor

Matt Dillahunty

Aron Ra

Drew Bekius

Dave Warnock

Josh Bowen

Gretta Vosper

Jeremiah Camera

Mark Gura

Hemant Mehta

BAHA’s mission is to nurture a community in the Sarnia-Port Huron area that values secular humanism, promotes and preserves freethought in the public square, provides supportive fellowship, and engages in humanitarian good works.

Citations, References And Other Reading

Featured Photo Courtesy of : Bluewater Atheists, Humanists, Agnostics

The views, opinions and analyses expressed in the articles on Humanist Freedoms are those of the contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the publishers.

Uncategorized

The Morgentaler Decision: 35 Years-on

February 5, 2023 humanistfreedoms Leave a comment

On January 28, 1988, the Supreme Court of Canada struck down Criminal Code provisions which made abortion illegal in Canada. Only 35 years ago! Known as the “Morgentaler decision”, the case stands as one of Canada’s strongest legal precedents for the advancement of human rights.

Dr. Henry Morgentaler (1923-2013) was born in Poland but moved to Canada in 1950, having survived the holocaust. He started a medical practice in Montreal in 1955; In 1967, Dr. Morgentaler presented a brief before a House of Commons Health and Welfare Committee that was investigating illegal abortion. At the time, medical practitioners could, under Canada’s criminal code, face life in prison for attempting to induce an abortion; women could also face up to two years in prison. Typical of his deep compassion and humanism, Morgentaler presented the position that any woman should have the right to end her pregnancy without risking death.

Initially, Dr. Morgentaler refused requests to end pregnancies, referring to two other physicians providing abortions. In 1968, however, Dr. Morgentaler founded the Montreal Morgentaler Clinic, the first freestanding clinic to offer safe abortion services in Canada. It was established when Dr. Morgentaler, as an activist with the Canadian Humanist Association, began protesting Canada’s restrictive laws. The clinic was situated in the same house where Dr. Morgentaler had his family medicine practice, and remained there until 1995.

Despite raides by policy, criminal charges and conviction, firebombing of his Toronto clinic and decades of opposition, Dr. Morgentaler persevered in his fight to advance and sustain human rights of women in Canada and was appointed to the Order of Canada for his commitment to increased health care options for women in 2008. Polling indicted that two-thirds of Canadians agreed at that time.

Should you wish to learn more about Dr. Morgentaler and the Morgentaler Decision, you may wish to visit the 25th-Anniversary Celebratory website which remains available at this time.

Citations, References And Other Reading

Featured Photo Courtesy of :
http://www.morgentaler25years.ca/

The views, opinions and analyses expressed in the articles on Humanist Freedoms are those of the contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the publishers.

Uncategorized

Soka Gakkai International Association of Canada: It’s All About Buddhist Humanism

January 22, 2023 humanistfreedoms

Humanism is the perspective that humans are the starting point for all ethical, moral and intellectual inquiry. Despite a starting point of this type, a dominant assumption about humanism in our contemporary culture(s) seems to suggest that a particular form of humanism is the only version of humanism to be explored – and that is secular humanism.

Earlier in January, we shared information regarding Humanistic Judaism and Toronto’ Oranyu Congregation. Oranyu says that you can choose both when facing the question “How Can I be both Jewish and Secular Humanist?”

Another Toronto-base organization seems to offer a similar perspective to those who may be interested in Buddhism. Soka Gakkai International Association of Canada (SGI) was founded in 1985 and currently has centres in eight cities across the country.

SGI’s website suggests that their community model has, “e no set rules that regulate the lives of SGI members, but they are encouraged to live constructive and contributive lives and to respect the laws and norms of the societies and cultures in which they live. Based on conviction in the dignity and inherent worth of all human beings, as taught in the Lotus Sutra, individuals are trusted to develop the ability to see the true nature of their thoughts, words and actions, and the wisdom to make the right choices for their lives. Practicing Buddhism naturally leads one to refrain from denigrating and destroying life and to wish to support and encourage others. The SGI Charter lays out the broad goals of the organization and its vision of contributing to a peaceful, just and sustainable world based on the principles of Nichiren Buddhism.“

SGI’s religious practice model is base on the writing of Nichiren – a 13th-century Japanese Buddhist priest who formulated a practic eof chanting believe to bring a person’s life into harmony with the greater life of the universe,. This is believed to foster wisdom, courage, compassion and something called life force (at least, on the SGI website).

According to SGI, Nichiren’s version of enlightenment is the fusion of our subjective wisdom with objective reality (i.e. the real world). At SGI, Enlightenment is not a fixed point or achievement but an ongoing engagement of life’s challenges.

The peacefully-phrased position of SGI is that “At the heart of Buddhism lies the belief that each individual has limitless positive potential and the power to change his or her life for the better. Through their practice people can become more fulfilled and happier and also able to contribute more to the world. Buddhism teaches that a universal Law underlies everything in the universe, and that all life is interconnected. It also holds that we are all ultimately responsible for determining the direction of our own lives. “

For those who may crave the community of a religion with a focus on various deities and dogmas, SGI offers a form of Humanism to explore.

Note that SGI publishes periodicals in both English and French.

Citations, References And Other Reading

Featured Photo Courtesy of : https://tricycle.org/beginners/buddhism/who-is-nichiren-and-what-is-the-nichiren-school/
https://www.sgicanada.org/about/sgi-canada-centres
https://www.oraynu.org
https://tricycle.org/magazine/nichiren-chanting/

The views, opinions and analyses expressed in the articles on Humanist Freedoms are those of the contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the publishers.

Uncategorized

The Quest to Pantheonize Olympe de Gouges

January 14, 2023 humanistfreedoms

Perched atop the Montagne Saint Geneviève in Paris, The Panthéon is a secular mausoleum for distinguished French citizens. Since 1791, it has been a temple of the nation and an altar to liberty. The building, which had formerly been a church was transformed to a secular celebration with patriotic statuary and murals. To be Pantheonized is to be celebrated by the nation as a hero.

On January 7, 2022, a movement to Pantheonize Olympe de Gouges launched a petition to achieve this goal. According to the organizers, “the political exclusion of women has long persisted and its effects continue to be felt….Olympe de Gouges fought this exclusion at the root, she immediately denounced its injustice and misdeeds.“

Olympe de Gouges was is best remembered for championing women’s rights in her Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen (1791). As a humanist, she opposed discrimination, violence and oppression in all its forms.

According to olympedegouges.eu, Olympe was “denied a place in the powerful circles of her day she found her political voice by writing an astonishing number of pamphlets and posters that she freely disseminated around Paris. Her texts chart her battles against injustice and inequality, her belief that solidarity and cooperation should predominate, her hatred of dictatorships and the corrupting influence of power, her profound pacifism, her respect for mankind, her love of nature, and, of course, her desire that women be allowed a worthwhile role in society. She pleaded against slavery and the death penalty, dreamt of a more equal society and proposed intelligent taxation plans to enable wealth to be more fairly divided. She called for a form of welfare state, trial by jury and reasonable divorce laws to protect women and children from penury. Believing in the power of drama to encourage political change she wrote several plays that ingeniously highlight contemporary concerns...For having unreservedly expressed her opinions on democracy she was considered, by those in power during the last years of the French Revolution, to be a dangerous agitator. She was guillotined in Paris on the 3rd November 1793.”

Whether Olympe de Gouges is Pantheonized or not is a matter for the citizens of France. But it certainly seems as though she ought to be a leading contender.

What was Happening in Canada At Those Times?

In Canada in 1793, the Act Against Slavery came into force, making Upper Canada (i.e. Ontario) the first British-based jurisdiction to bring an end to slavery. While the act was a compromise that did not do all that it ought to have done, it remained in force until 1833 when it was superseded by the British Parliament’s Slavery Abolition Act.

Citations, References And Other Reading

The views, opinions and analyses expressed in the articles on Humanist Freedoms are those of the contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the publishers.

Uncategorized

Oranyu: You Can Choose Both

January 2, 2023 humanistfreedoms Leave a comment

Indeed, the vast majority of the well-known humanist organizations in Canada and around the world assert an overtly secular humanist identity. In many cases, these organizations strive to forge a secular humanist identity that eliminates any and all traces of organized religion (and much of the culture that goes with it) from the mix. While that may be just the recipe for fulfillment that some people need, for others – it may not be quite right.

And this is where the universal nature of humanism’s starting point – an ethical, moral and intellectual centred on humans – draws a tremendous strength and versatility. It allows for organizations like Oranyu Congregation for Humanistic Judaism to firmly assert that “you can choose both.“

Oranyu was founded in 1969 as the Secular Jewish Association by a group of families. Oraynu is based on the cultural and philosophical ideals of the Jewish Enlightenment, known as the Berlin Haskalah movement which began in Berlin in the late 1700s . The underlying principles of the Haskalah movement were to preserve Jewish culture while striving for integration with the dominant or surrounding societies.

In this modern iteration of these principles, Oraynu provides all the services required of a Jewish congregation within a secular humanist perspective.

For Oranyu, “The foundation of ethics is not God. The foundation of ethics is human dignity, human survival and human happiness. Ethical behavior consists of relationships between people. Some people behave well without believing in God and some people who believe in God do not behave ethically. We celebrate our Jewish identity. We use poetry and prose to express that connection – to encourage reflection and meditation. We sing Jewish songs in English, Hebrew, and Yiddish. We create our own liturgy which includes blessings for wine, challah, candlelighting, holidays, etc. As well, we sometimes adapt traditional materials to be consistent with humanistic Jewish philosophy.“

Here in the second decade of this twenty-first century, we have already experienced the emergence of altogether too many polarizing social, political and ideological events and situations and faced altogether too many over-inflated false dilemmas. Oranyu’s message, whether it is new or simply renewed, that “You can choose both” is perhaps one of the most necessary messages of this decade that any humanist organization might care to extend to the community.

The Oranyu Congregation for Humanistic Judaism is one of the many examples of Canada’s rich humanist heritage.

Citations, References And Other Reading

Featured Photo Courtesy of : https://www.oraynu.org

The views, opinions and analyses expressed in the articles on Humanist Freedoms are those of the contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the publishers.

Uncategorized

Atheistic Platonism

December 24, 2022 humanistfreedoms

Looking for something to read in the new year?

Atheistic Platonism: A Manifesto by Eric Steinhart is available as an e-book or printed format via Amazon.

Eric Charles Steinhart is Professor of Philosophy at William Paterson University. Among many articles and books, he has authored Your Digital Afterlives: Computational Theories of Life after Death, The Logic of Metaphor and Believing in Dawkins: The New Spiritual Atheism. You may wish to visit Steinhart’s website for chapter abstracts as a sampler.

According to Steinhart, “Atheistic Platonism is an alternative to both theism and nihilistic atheism. Where atheisms based on materialism fail, atheisms based on Platonism succeed.

Atheistic Platonism provides reality with foundations that are eternal, necessary, rational, beautiful, and utterly mindless. It argues for a plenitude of mathematical objects, and an infinite plurality of possible universes.

Atheistic Platonism provides mindless rational grounds for objective values, and for objective moral laws for the persons who evolve in universes.

Atheistic Platonism defines a meaningful and spiritually deep way of life, which facilitates ethical self-improvement.

Atheistic Platonism includes computational theories of life after death, in which humans ascend through transhuman and superhuman degrees of animal excellence.

Atheistic Platonism includes a rich system of spiritual symbols. It values transformational practices and ecstatic experiences.”

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Palgrave Macmillan; 1st ed. 2023 edition (December 1, 2022)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 3031177517
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-3031177514

Citations, References And Other Reading

Featured Photo Courtesy of : ericsteinhart.com
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/religious-studies/archive-collection/platonic-atheism

The views, opinions and analyses expressed in the articles on Humanist Freedoms are those of the contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the publishers.

Uncategorized

Humanly Possible: 700 Years of Humanist Freethinking, Inquiry and Hope

December 17, 2022 humanistfreedoms

COMING SOON – MARCH 2023

There’s a new history of humanism coming to libraries and bookstores in March that you may want to get your order(s) in for now! Written by Sarah Bakewell, Humanly Possible: 700 Years of Humanist Freethinking, Inquiry and hope promises to introduce “us to some of these people, as it asks what humanism is and why it has flourished for so long, despite opposition from fanatics, mystics and tyrants. It is a book brimming with ideas, personalities and experiments in living ‒ from the literary enthusiasts of the fourteenth century to the secular campaigners of our own time, from Erasmus to Esperanto, from anatomists to agnostics, from Christine de Pizan to Bertrand Russell, and from Voltaire to Zora Neale Hurston. It takes us on an irresistible journey, and joyfully celebrates open-mindedness, optimism, freedom and the power of the here and now ‒ humanist values which have helped steer us through dark times in the past, and which are just as urgently needed in our world today.“

Whether you think of yourself as a humanist or not, an education in ethical, philosophical and religious material is essential to navigating the ever-more complicated and challenging options and opportunities that we face as individuals and society. Bakewell’s book presents a history of humanism for those who are drawn to humanism, literature and the humanities as well as those who may prefer to base their moral choices on fellow-feeling and responsibility to others, rather than on religious commandments.

Bakewell’s book tells the story of the many extraordinary individuals throughout history who have put rational inquiry, cultural richness, freedom of thought and a sense of hope at the heart of their lives.

UK: Chatto & Windus, March 2023.

US: Penguin, March 2023.

Canada: Knopf, March 2023.

Translations

Translations are forthcoming in Chinese, Dutch, German, Italian, Spanish, Swedish and Turkish. More information will be posted here when available.

Citations, References And Other Reading

Featured Photo Courtesy of : sarahbakewell.com

The views, opinions and analyses expressed in the articles on Humanist Freedoms are those of the contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the publishers.

Uncategorized

December Solstice

December 14, 2022 humanistfreedoms Leave a comment

As 2022 draws to a close, HumanistFeedoms.com extends greetings of the season. Regular visitors to the site may notice a number of changes to the site in the coming weeks as we prepare for a new year and some changes in our strategic plan for the website.

Earlier this year we launched our logo (as seen at right). The logo design is intended to convey contemporary humanist principles which we try to fulfill and convey with every new article that we post:

the “Happy Humanist” emblem is used to stay maintain a close connection to Humanist organizations around the world;
the logo features three figures, each rooted in a common point (humanism and human rights and freedoms) while reaching for joy in their individual directions (individuality and diversity;
the figures are green to symbolize a connection with the environment (Eco-Humanism)

You may have noticed that we have added the brand Humanist Heritage Canada to the site. This added branding is in an effort to diversify the work that we do.

Currently, and for the foreseeable future, you will be able to find the site using either humanistfreedoms.com or humanistheritagecanada.ca. The branding of our Humanist news activities will continue as HumanistFreedoms.com and will continue as the “News” (blog) feed and menu item.

The website will be updated with a focus on stories and information under the theme of Humanist heritage in Canada and from a Canadian perspective. We look forward to providing educational content about important Humanist individuals, organizations and events.

Finally – we will also be launching a new podcast in January called The Humanist Freedoms Podcast by Humanist Heritage Canada. Stay tuned, as they stay, for more!

We need your help! To continue growth, we need help tracking and telling important stories. The project is volunteer-driven and self-funded. If Humanism is your thing and you like what we’re doing around here, we’d love to talk about how you could joining the team.

Citations, References And Other Reading

Featured Photo Courtesy of

The views, opinions and analyses expressed in the articles on Humanist Freedoms are those of the contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the publishers.

Canada, Uncategorized, World

Humanist International’s 2022 Freedom of Thought Report

December 10, 2022 humanistfreedoms

On December 8, 2022 Humanists International launched the 2022 Freedom of Thought Report. In the report, HI concludes that only 4% of the global population live in societies that are truly secular, where there is a clear separation of religious and political authorities, that do not discriminate against any religion or belief community.

“This year’s Report provides evidence of clear and systematic discrimination against humanists and non-religious people, and this discrimination is most prevalent in countries with less state secularism. State secularism appears to be a prerequisite for the full enjoyment of the right to freedom of religion or belief.”

Andrew Copson, President of Humanists International

According to the organization’s research, 70% of the world’s population live in countries where the expression of humanist values is severely repressed; where the full realization of one’s right to freedom of religion or belief is impossible. The result: harsh penalties for apostasy; a higher likelihood of the perpetuation of harmful traditional practices; religious nationalism entrenching conservative values within society.

Through 10 country chapters, this year’s Key Countries edition demonstrates the progressive erasure of the principle of secularism across the globe, and with it a decline in the protection of human rights. On the other hand, the report also exposes how extreme enforcement of so-called “neutrality” in the name of secularism can also impinge on the rights of others.

The Report exposes the harmful social and political consequences of both extremes of the spectrum of secularism, supporting the organization’s assertions that true secularism, which is inclusive of all, “is the best approach to politics and the ordering of states, and that it has proved itself to have greater potential for human freedom, happiness, and equality than all other political settlements in history.”

In HumanistFreedoms.com’s coverage of the 2020 edition, we indicated that the report contains an entry for every country in the world and uses a unique rating system ranging from “Fee and Equal” to “Grave Violations”. Canada’s rating overview states:

“Canada is a federal parliamentary democracy, extending north into the Arctic Ocean, and sharing the world’s longest land border with the United States. Despite what should be strong constitutional protections for freedom of thought and expression, significant religious privileges are in force, both nationally and in several of its ten provinces and three territories.“

Canada’s rating does not appear to have been altered since the 2022 edition, as there doesn’t appear to be any significantly new information presented. This lack of an update appears to be based on some strategic changes in the way the FOTR is published.

The last page of the report that bears any kind of text explains that the report is a worldwide survey of discrimination and persecution against humanists, atheists and the nonreligious published by Humanists. While the report is intended to be continuously updated, HI’s goal is to update 40 countries each year on average and to continue to publish a “Key Countries” edition.

While HI doesn’t appear to have much new to say about Canada at this time, you may be interested in the infographics showing overall ratings:

Watch List vs. Key Countries

HI’s most recent report contains a “watch-list” of countries the organization continues to monitor but for which no new entry is provided. Meanwhile, the “key countries” section of the report updates 40 countries.

One Big Indicator

In November of 2022, we published our own story where we suggested that a significant indicator of concern is any state which retains a religious police force.

At this time, seven nations have formalized and explicitly-designated religious police: Afghanistan, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and Sudan. These are a dirty seven which should be under international scrutiny and pressure to discontinue faith-based policing – a practice that is nothing other than state violation of fundamental human rights.

What Big Indicators would you add to HI’s list and our reporting?

Citations, References And Other Reading

The views, opinions and analyses expressed in the articles on Humanist Freedoms are those of the contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the publishers.