💡 Think you don’t need religion to figure out right from wrong? Same here. Join Humanist Society Scotland from just £10 a year and help us fight for equality, choice, and fairness: no divine intervention required. 👉 humanism.scot/get-involved/become-a-member

This week's #HumanistHero is Kurt Vonnegut. The humanist author gave some excellent advice in his famous 2006 letter to a high school class. “Practice any art…not to get money and fame, but to experience becoming" 🙌

📣 At Holyrood last week, as part of a debate on the proposed Religious Observance Bill, Elena Whitham MSP highlighted our new report Preaching is not Teaching, exposing how pupils are still being forced into Christian worship in Scottish schools. #religion #education

✝️ Trump loves to call himself a Christian, but in a recent speech he flat-out mocked one of Jesus’s core teachings, namely, "love thy enemies." Speaking at Charlie Kirk's memorial he proclaimed: "I hate my opponent(s), and I don’t want the best for them." Hard to imagine a bigger contradiction

📣 Last week at Holyrood, Emma Roddick MSP spoke out about the Religious Observance Bill, which gives pupils the independent right to opt into worship, but not to opt out without parental permission. You can read more about the Religious Observance Bill debate here: www.humanism.scot/2025/09/18/m...

🌍✝️ Today was meant to mark the #Rapture, at least according to a viral prophecy that spread worldwide. 👉 Watch this clip from hit NBC comedy Parks & Recreation for a lighter look at today’s postponed “end of the world.”

#NASA recently released new images from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). A young star forming on the outer edge of our galaxy just beamed a huge jet of gas across 8 light-years of interstellar space. For humanists, it’s a reminder that awe and wonder don’t require the supernatural. 🔭

We love this how to detect bulls**t – "the Carl Sagan way" guide made by our friends at @humanists.uk! Being able to detect "baloney" is increasingly important in this day and age! 🙌

Huge thanks to everyone who took the time to respond to the Scottish Government's public consultation about the proposed Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education) (Scotland) Bill. You can read all of the published responses here: yourviews.parliament.scot/ehrcj/childr...

What's humanism all about? Sign up to our free Humankind newsletter and find out. You'll get updates on our work on assisted dying, fighting climate change, curbing the role of religion in education, and more. (Pic credit: @humanists.uk) Head to portal.humanism.scot/crm/profile/...

"I didn't like Charlie Kirk because I felt like he dehumanised people... I felt so strongly about that because I believe in a world where everyone can be safe and no one has to live in fear, and in my mind that included him," says Fish Stark, CEO of americanhumanist.bsky.social/

This week’s #HumanistHero is philosopher Bertrand Russell. He rejected belief in God at 18 after weighing the arguments and deciding that reason was stronger than faith. His reminder that “fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves” feels especially timely, given the political climate.

#Trump landed in the UK yesterday for his second state visit. Scots have never been shy about saying what we think of him. And it’s not just about the man himself. In rejecting Trump, we’re rejecting the anti-humanist values he represents. Let’s keep standing loud and proud for a fairer society.

Humanism is a non-religious worldview that believes we can come up with ethical answers to life's big questions without recourse to deities and superstition. If you agree with us, why not become a member? Annual rates start from just £10. Find out more at humanism.scot/get-involved/become-a-member

The so-called "Unite the Kingdom" rally in London was a chilling sight for anyone who values tolerance. Extremists ripped up a flag that read “Secular Humanism”, a term long-demonised by the American far-right. To truly "Unite the Kingdom", we need to put an end to divisive, imported US rhetoric.

In Scotland today, school pupils can still be compelled to take part in religious worship, even when it goes against their own beliefs. Our new report, Preaching is Not Teaching, shows how compulsory religious observance is harming children’s rights. Read the full report here: bit.ly/4lYUpXz

Happy Monday! 🌞 We hope you had a fantastic weekend. We’re starting the week with a question: what gives your life meaning and purpose? Family, friendship, creativity, nature — or something else entirely? 💭✨ Share your thoughts with us, we'd love to hear from you!

📢 Scotland’s kids deserve the right to make their own choices about religious worship in school. Right now, they don’t.👉 Chip in today and stand up for the rights of Scotland's young people, you can donate here: bit.ly/41NCqMO Read the full report here: bit.ly/4lYUpXz

What's humanism all about? Sign up to our free Humankind newsletter and find out. You'll get updates on our work on assisted dying, reproductive rights, secularism, fighting climate change, curbing the role of religion in education, and more. Head to portal.humanism.scot/crm/profile/...

Thanks to Herald columnist Carlos Alba for his recent article about our new report, Preaching Is Not Teaching. He makes some great points about the ways schools in Scotland are failing to provide a secular environment for non-Christian pupils. You can read our full report here bit.ly/4lYUpXz

Astronomer, humanist, and science communicator Carl Sagan helped millions see the universe with fresh eyes. A lifelong advocate of reason and wonder, he reminded us that on this tiny planet, we share one fragile home and one human story. (Video credit: YouTube: Space Is The Place/Creative Commons)

Religious Education = learning about different religions and worldviews. Religious Observance = taking part in worship. One teaches, the other preaches. We oppose the proposed Scottish religious observance bill because it fails to give pupils an independent right to opt out of religious observance

Last year, Texas State Representative James Talarico gave this speech about how Christian nationalism is "perverting his faith" to the congregation at his home church. At a time when we're seeing this dangerous ideology increasingly creep into UK politics, his words are just as relevant as ever.

Despite calls from the UN, the Children’s Commissioner, and other groups, the Scottish Government still refuses to give pupils the right to opt themselves out of compulsory religious observance. Our new report shows why this has to change. You can read it here: bit.ly/4lYUpXz

Humanism is a non-religious worldview that believes we can come up with ethical answers to life's big questions. Why not join us? We use your membership fees to work on reproductive rights, assisted dying, reducing religious privilege in the state, & more. humanism.scot/get-involved/become-a-member

Compulsory religious observance has no place in modern Scotland. As MSPs begin their scrutiny of the Religious Observance Bill, our new report reveals how pupils are being pressured into worship against their will. Read more in Preaching is Not Teaching: bit.ly/4lYUpXz

Looking to meet other humanists and free thinkers in your neck of the woods? Our local groups and communities team arrange a regular roster of interesting events around the country and online. If you head to our events page you'll see the kind of fun things that are coming up humanism.scot/events

Scottish state schools are still legally required to provide acts of religious observance. Our new report, Preaching is Not Teaching, reveals how this is leading to bias, exclusion, and discrimination in classrooms across the country. Find out more here: www.humanism.scot/2025/08/31/w...

What's humanism all about? Sign up to our free Humankind newsletter and find out. You'll get updates on our work on assisted dying, reproductive rights, secularism, fighting climate change, curbing the role of religion in education, and more. Head to portal.humanism.scot/crm/profile/...

In Scotland today, school pupils can still be compelled to take part in religious worship, even when it goes against their own beliefs. Our new report, Preaching is Not Teaching, shows how compulsory religious observance is harming children’s rights. Read it here: www.humanism.scot/2025/08/31/w...

Thanks to @heraldscotland.bsky.social's Garret Baylor Stell for his thought-provoking opinion article about our recently-released report into religious observance in Scottish schools. You can read the full article here (bit.ly/45ZZgll) And you can read our full report here (bit.ly/4lYUpXz )

‘I don’t like to go to the church with my school because it feels like I’m being forced to paint my room a colour I don’t like,' said one pupil. Tragic. This is the reality of forced prayer in schools. New timely report by @humanistsociety.bsky.social 👇 humanists.uk/2025/09/02/n...

Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, wasn’t just a ridiculously talented and humorous writer: he was a humanist who celebrated reason and curiosity, and questioned religious dogma. Do you have a favourite Douglas Adams quote? If so, please share it in the comments!

“Sin, young man, is when you treat people like things. Including yourself. That’s what sin is.” Granny Weatherwax, in Carpe Jugulum

This quote from The Handmaid's Tale author Margaret Atwood really does sum up humanism very well: particularly humanism's focus on human rights and equality. 🙌

💥LAUNCHED TODAY💥 Our landmark report, Preaching is not Teaching, brings together pupil, parent and teacher experiences of religious observance in non-denominational schools.

A lot of people think humanism is 'just atheism,’ but it’s much more than that! It’s about ethics, compassion, and community and much more besides. What does humanism mean to you?

NBC's The Good Place aired from 2016-2020, and, in many ways, it's very much a humanist series. It features many common humanist themes, for example how to lead an ethical life, moral reasoning and personal growth. Do you know of any TV shows with similar themes? If so, please let us know!👇

We've got a brilliant cast of speakers and performers lined up for our Festival of Humanism on 8 November in Glasgow. Don't miss out, get yours now at humanism.scot/events

🌍 Humanism is, at its core, about reason, compassion, and equality. What’s a humanist value that guides your life? We'd love to hear from you. (Photo credit: americanhumanistcenterforeducation.org)

Raised in US evangelism, psychologist Darrel Ray formed Recovering from Religion in 2009. He spoke to our Communications Manager Greg about the group’s sister campaign, The Secular Therapy Project, which Darrel is bringing to the UK for a forthcoming tour. www.humanism.scot/2025/08/26/h...

Terry Pratchett never declared himself to be a humanist novelist outright, but Discworld is full of moments that express exactly that worldview. We've shared one of our favourite quotes with you (said by Granny Weatherwax, of course). What are your favourite Discworld books and quotes? Let us know!

Do you miss the news? Written by trained human journalists and properly fact-checked, picked for us based on whether it was important and relevant? Sign up to our free newsletter. You'll learn about our campaigns and get the latest info from our news blog.... portal.humanism.scot/crm/profile/...

Raised in US evangelism, psychologist Darrel Ray formed Recovering from Religion in 2009. He spoke to our Communications Manager Greg about the group’s sister campaign, The Secular Therapy Project, which Darrel is bringing to the UK for a forthcoming tour. www.humanism.scot/2025/08/26/h...

Listen up humanists! We're giving away three copies of Alice Roberts's brilliant new book Domination to subscribers to our newsletter. Just join our mailing list and follow the instructions in tomorrow's newsletter (26 August). We'll pick winners at random. portal.humanism.scot/crm/profile/...

We've got a brilliant cast of speakers and performers lined up for our Festival of Humanism on 8 November in Glasgow. Don't miss out, get yours now at humanism.scot/events

We are the same Humanist Society Scotland that authorises celebrants to wed thousands of people around the country each year. Find out more at humanism.scot/ceremonies, on Facebook (Humanist Society Scotland Ceremonies) or Insta (@humanist_society_ceremonies).

Listen up humanists! We're giving away three copies of Alice Roberts's brilliant new book Domination to subscribers to our newsletter. Just join our mailing list and follow the instructions in next week's newsletter (26 August). We'll pick winners at random. portal.humanism.scot/crm/profile/...

Do you miss the news? Written by trained human journalists and properly fact-checked, picked for us based on whether it was important and relevant? Sign up to our free newsletter. You'll learn about our campaigns and get the latest info from our news blog.... portal.humanism.scot/crm/profile/...

We've got a brilliant cast of speakers and performers lined up for our Festival of Humanism on 8 November in Glasgow. Don't miss out, get yours now at humanism.scot/events