August 15th, 2019
Humanist marriages are on the rise in Scotland, with new official figures showing 6,117 humanist marriages (22% of total marriages) took place in Scotland in 2018, up from 5,702 marriages (20%) in the previous year. Humanists UK has welcomed these latest statistics, which show that more couples are choosing to have a humanist marriage, reflecting […]
August 9th, 2019
Parents believe religious worship is the least appropriate activity for school assemblies, ranking it last among 13 possible topics or activities, according to a new poll released today. Humanists UK, which last week announced it is backing Lee and Lizanne Harris who are taking a legal challenge over their children’s school assemblies, says the poll […]
August 2nd, 2019
Humanists UK has won a proposed legal challenge against a London council that rejected a humanist representative’s application to join the council’s religious education (RE) body, in a decision likely to pave the way for more humanists to sit on such bodies across England. Humanist Rachel Taggart-Ryan applied for full membership to Greenwich Council’s Standing […]
August 1st, 2019
Humanists UK has been shortlisted in two categories in this year’s Third Sector Awards, it was announced today. Humanists UK President Professor Alice Roberts has been nominated to win the prestigious ‘Charity Champion of the Year’ award in recognition of her work to raise the profile of humanism and Humanists UK’s work for a fairer, […]
August 1st, 2019
An anti-slavery blogger, Cheikh Ould Mohamed M’kheitir, who was sentenced to death for apostasy in 2014, has been released from incarceration and has left Mauriatania where his life would continue to be at risk from religious figures who have called for his execution. Humanists UK called for M’kheitir’s release in an intervention at the United […]
July 31st, 2019
We spoke to Lisa O’Connor – member of the National Association of Teachers of Religious Education (NATRE) Executive and representative of Humanists UK on the RE Council. We discussed why rigorous RE is essential, how humanists can help make it more inclusive, and why humanism should be taught about as a positive, and rational non-religious approach to life. Hi Lisa, why is […]
July 31st, 2019
Sign up for our free online course at www.futurelearn.com/courses/humanist-lives. The next run will begin on 9 September. In June, Humanists UK launched its second massive open online course (MOOC) on humanism, entitled ‘Humanist Lives’. 3,500 people from over 120 different countries signed up for the course on the FutureLearn social learning platform. Nine out of ten […]
July 29th, 2019
Parents who withdrew their two children from school assemblies after they were made to pray and watch re-enactments of Bible stories, including the crucifixion, have launched a High Court case to challenge the school’s decision to hold a daily act of Christian worship. The parents will argue that the school must also provide a meaningful […]
July 26th, 2019
Humanists UK set up and developed the Non-Religious Pastoral Support Network in 2016, and now the network provides emotional support to vulnerable people in over 40% of hospitals and 20% of prisons across England and Wales. While most pastoral carers are volunteers, an increasing number are paid professionals. The best professional route into this work, […]
July 24th, 2019
For the first time, there are now as many non-religious people in Jersey as religious people, with the number of non-religious people increasing from 39% in 2015 to 47% in 2018. Young people are the fastest growing cohort to say they have no religion, according to new data from the latest Jersey Opinions and Lifestyle […]
July 24th, 2019
Humanists UK has expressed alarm about a state-funded Charedi Jewish school which is encouraging mass withdrawal of pupils from relationships and sex education (RSE) so it does not have to teach the subject when it becomes statutory in September 2020. The Head Teacher of Lubavitch Senior Girls School in Stamford Hill, London, sent parents a […]
July 22nd, 2019
Humanists UK has welcomed a new government scheme that from tomorrow will allow grieving families in England to access funds to help them pay for their child’s funeral. The UK Government has announced it will provide financial support to cover burial or cremation fees and the cost of a coffin for a child under 18 […]
