Most people are doing their best to make sense of life and live the best life they can. For some, this might involve believing in a religion. For others, religion makes little sense and they try to work things out for themselves.
To a large extent, we now live in a post-Christian society and people are trying to work things out for themselves. This might involve self-help, therapy, a variety of philosophies and techniques, or just common sense.
Humanism helps lots of people to think things through and get their ideas about life organised into a satisfying whole. Humanism isn't complicated. It's simply a minimal framework which includes freedom of thought, checking the evidence, avoiding mental traps and fallacies, following the argument wherever it leads, and doing all this in the company of like-minded people.
Humanism means believing in our human potential to live good and fulfilling lives. Life throws all sorts of challenges at us and there are no easy answers. But we can often find solutions in the company of others on a similar quest.
So in a nutshell, humanism does not involve belief in religion or anything supernatural. It's a minimal framework for helping us to live better lives. Humanism is an activity, something we do together, which involves looking at the evidence, being curious and open-minded, learning new things, and doing what we can to make the world a better place for everyone.
This is the ethos behind all of our events: good thinking and good dialogue as we deepen our understanding of the lifelong challenge of being human. It’s our hope that you will find stimulation and friendship by being part of our humanist group, whether as an occasional visitor or a lifelong member.
Humanist values and virtues we aspire to include:
- Tolerating differences of viewpoint and belief while not necessarily agreeing
- Being prepared to change our minds in light of new evidence and perspectives
- Avoiding stereotyping whole groups of people
- Rising above tribalism and culture wars in order to promote mutual understanding and the common good
- Acknowledging human flaws at the same time as believing in human potential for a better future
There's an international consensus statement on humanism called the Amsterdam Declaration.
To learn more about humanism, see the Humanists UK website or see our list of informative books
Photo credit: Bournemouth Beach by Aaron