I was delighted to join the reverend Richard Holloway and others as part of this conversation at St Andrew’s and St George’s church last month, and Liam Fraser who also spoke, pointed me towards this video of the event. It’s long, but if you want to know why I think people choose to have humanist … Continue Reading
Archives
10 years of legal Humanist marriage
It’s amazing what’s changed since June 18th 2005, when Karen Watts and Martin Reijns were married by Ivan Middleton at Edinburgh Zoo. Then there were only 12 celebrants authorised to conduct marriage. Now the HSS has ten times that number. Then the society could have counted its membership in the hundreds. Today there are more than 10,000 … Continue Reading
Chuffed…
Loch Lomond Waterfront – A Special Request
I ask my fellow HSS celebrants to boycott this venue until its owners apologise to Steven and John Devaney. Full story in the Daily Record here
It’s Time
As the Scottish Parliament prepares to legalise Same-Sex Marriage, Ross Wright says why the HSS is on the right side of history.
How To Explain Humanism To Your Wedding Guests
Simple, honest, direct.Thank you, Gemma & Scott, whose wedding was at The Balmoral in September
The Coalition government: friend or foe of secularism?
I was invited to take part in a debate at the Liberal Democrat conference in Glasgow yesterday evening, with Sophie Bridger, ex-president Liberal Youth Scotland and Gary McLelland (Chair, Edinburgh Secular Society), and we had what you might call a full and frank exchange of views. If you’re interested, here’s what I said…Secularism is the only reliable … Continue Reading
Our Members Survey is up and running!
Please spare a few minutes of your time to let us know how we’re doing, and how the Humanist Society of Scotland could work better for you! As a fun incentive, we will be holding a prize draw from amongst the respondents, and the lucky winner will receive a Kindle! To complete the survey, simply go … Continue Reading
What DO humanists believe?
Humanism isn’t a faith. There are no high priests, no sacred texts, and no revealed truths. Instead, it’s a philosophy or life stance: a recognition that although we are fallible and the universe in which we live is mysterious, we are able to take responsibility for our lives, and create meaning in them.
A World Without Religion?
As any journalist will tell you, the answer to any headline that ends with a question mark is ‘probably not’, but it’s the title of an event next Monday evening, (August 5th) at The Just Festival here in Edinburgh. I’ll be in conversation with Richard Holloway, the author, broadcaster and former Bishop of Edinburgh and … Continue Reading