This is an important step and I welcome the government’s support for my amendment. But it is only the first step in securing equitable rights for all children in Scotland to choose what religious activities they participated in. 1/4

Richard Lucas, leader of the reactionary Scottish Family Party, has written to The Herald complaining that our organisation continues to attempt to secularise education, even though we already dominate the "moral landscape" of Scotland on "gay rights, trans rights, climate change and feminism".

The Scottish government has just passed a bill into law that offers a state mandate for discrimination against non-religious children. Click on the link to find out more www.humanism.scot/2026/02/17/g... #PreachingIsNotTeaching #MyBeliefsMyChoice #ReligiousObservance #Education #Scotland #Humanism

Today is the day. MSPs will vote on the Scottish government's broken religious observance bill, which fails to give children the right to opt themselves out of compulsory religious observance.

📣 Today the The Scottish Parliament votes at Stage 3 on the Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment of UNCRC Compatibility Duty) (Scotland) Bill. #UNCRCScotland @humanistsociety.bsky.social @unicef.org ➡️ www.humanism.scot/2026/02/16/l...

Humanist book group! Here's our community manager and book group convenor Lara introducing the next book we'll be talking about, The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams, on 17 Feb. See you there! www.humanism.scot/events/the-r...

Tomorrow, MSPs will vote on the government's broken religious observance bill. The bill does not give pupils in Scottish schools the right to opt themselves out of religious observance. Use this link to write to your MSPs asking them to vote to prevent this humanist.eaction.org.uk/religious-ob...

This week we celebrated #DarwinDay, commemorating the birth of the man who did so much to help us understand the meaning of our lives on this planet. What's less widely known is that Darwin had a black tutor, John Edmonstone, who taught him taxidermy in Edinburgh. www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RNs...

If religious observance isn't religious worship, what is it? Church of Scotland rep Rev. Stephen Miller didn't know the answer to this question when he spoke in Holyrood last year. Write to your MSPs to help get pupils the right to opt themselves out of RO: humanist.eaction.org.uk/religious-ob...

We're urging everyone in Scotland to support @humanistsociety.bsky.social's campaign to end compulsory worship in schools. Live in Scotland? Write to your MSPs today. www.humanism.scot/2025/09/30/t...

Next Tuesday, MSPs will have a final opportunity to amend the Religious Observance Bill. New data from @humanistsociety.bsky.social has found widespread Christian evangelising during Religious Observance sessions in Scotland’s non-denominational schools. humanists.uk/2026/02/13/c...

Think "non-denominational" means no religious influence at your child's school? Actually, it just means it's not tied to a specific church. Here's our CEO Fraser explaining more. Tell your MSP to vote to let school pupils opt out of religious observance: humanist.eaction.org.uk/religious-ob...

Worrying findings from the Humanist Society Scotland about religion in Scottish schools. Difficult to see this as anything other than the non human rights compliant ‘indoctrination’ spoken about by the Supreme Court recently.

Our Herald exclusive, released today, includes FOI data from 280 schools across Scotland. It reveals that the vast majority of RO assemblies are led by Christian preachers and involve pupils participating in worship and prayers.

We've just conducted the largest ever FOI audit of religious observance in Scottish schools. 71% of RO is being delivered by Christian preachers, with over half prayer or worship-based, asking students to confirm their belief in God. Write to your MSP to fix this: www.humanism.scot/2026/02/12/n...

Supreme Court’s ruling in Scotland makes it crystal clear that collective worship in schools can breach children’s rights even where a parental opt-out exists. Well done @humanistsociety.bsky.social for leading the campaign for reform. Education should be inclusive by design, not exception.

It's #InternationalDayOfWomenAndGirlsInScience, #11February. What better time to learn about June Almeida (1930-2007), a Glasgow-born lab technician with no formal qualifications who discovered human coronavirus in 1964. Read more from @ntlmuseumsscot.bsky.social: www.nms.ac.uk/discover-cat...

If you live in Scotland and want to see an end to compulsory worship in schools, support @humanistsociety.bsky.social by writing to your MSPs today. Religious worship is not education. Speak up now and help end religious indoctrination as standard. humanist.eaction.org.uk/religious-ob...

Is this you? Ok, not, are you Mark Ruffalo calling out Donald Trump, but does this sum up your sense of terror and bewilderment at what's happening in the world right now? If you live in Scotland, you can join the Humanist Society and help us fight the good fight www.humanism.scot/get-involved/

Huge applause for @humanistsociety.bsky.social 👏 They're leading the campaign to remove compulsory religious observance from Scottish schools. Reverence to a deity is, by definition, an expression of belief, not an inclusive educational activity. humanists.uk/2026/02/09/m...

Here's our CEO Fraser Sutherland explaining why we've sounded the alarm in @heraldscotland.bsky.social over the weekend on the Scottish government's fundamentally flawed religious observance bill. It really is only a matter of time before this ends up in court www.humanism.scot/2026/02/09/w...

"I've never felt the slightest interest in the next world. Anything good you're going to to do, you should do for other people, here". The magnificent Katharine Hepburn talking about her atheism and humanist ethics on a talk show in the 1970s. #Humanism #Atheism #KatharineHepburn #GoodWithoutGod

Congratulations to our celebrant @susanmacl.bsky.social, who delivered a beautiful Time for Reflection address at Scottish parliament this week. tying together the themes of nursing, island life, and humanism that have defined her life #Humanism #TimeForReflection #Compassion #Rationality #Dignity

There's been lots of chatter about a recent Bible Society report which purported to show that Gen Z were more becoming more Christian. But @humanists.uk analysis of the British Social Attitudes Survey shows that Christianity amongst Gen Z is still in long-term decline. humanists.uk/2026/01/28/g...

"I won't apologise, this is a Christian country" Here's our CEO Fraser Sutherland recounting what one headteacher said to a parent who was unhappy with religious proselytising in a non-denominational school under the guise of "religious observance".

"You know edgy comedians, they'll just come right out the block and do ten minutes slagging off trans people." It's #LGBTHistoryMonth. Here's James Acaster on "edgy comedians" and how they always seem to punch downwards. Funny that isn't it? What with them being so anti-authoritarian and all?!

We spoke to Jill Wood from Engender about why it's so important that we properly decriminalise abortion in Scotland. The current system is stigmatising, unwieldy, and vulnerable to being rolled back or compromised, with reactionary religious discourses on the rise. www.humanism.scot/2026/01/28/h...

Happy #LGBTHistoryMonth. Here's LGBT+ icon and actor @alancumming.bsky.social talking about how queer and trans people continue to be used as a political football to distract from the real inequalities and injustices in our society. We still have much to learn from LGBT+ history!

Congratulations to The Great British Bake Off on their new, humanist judge! Yep, we're claiming Nigella. #BakeOff #NigellaLawson #GoodWithoutGod #Atheism #Humanism

Kudos once again to the anti-fascist sticker guerrillas of Dundee. Which one of these two is your favourite? 😎 #Dundee #Scotland #Humanism #Antifascism #RefugeesWelcome #ChristianNationalism

The Scottish Government published phase 2 (2026-2029) of its Women's Health Plan last week. The plan commits to establishing a service for abortion up to 24 weeks within Scotland, a national training pathway for surgical abortion, and choice between medical and surgical abortion ‘without delay’.

It's almost flattering how much ink is being spilled by reactionary journalists and politicians outside Scotland on a small suite of policies around bodily autonomy in our country. Here's former UK MP Miriam Cates announcing that Scotland is "sliding towards abortion extremism". SPOILER: it's not.

If you’re Scottish, or if you’ve been to Scotland, or if you just love listening to Scottish TV shows because of that beautiful accent, please help #Humanist Society #Scotland by reposting! #Humanism

What has 2026 got in store for the humanist movement in Scotland? Find out in a new piece over at our news blog, from #AssistedDying to #ReligiousObservance, #ReproductiveRights and more... www.humanism.scot/2026/01/27/h...

"What is needed is something in which [we] can all believe irrespective of religion, which in most cases, dare I say it, is a facade. We need something else, and that something is ethics. Goodness, kindness, love, honesty." Nicholas Winton It's #HolocaustMemorialDay.....

Another week, another example of how democracy, civil liberties and fundamental rights are being eroded by the Trump administration Alex Pretti was a registered ICU nurse working with veterans, a patriot concerned about his country's slide into authoritarianism and ecological catastrophe.

Happy Monday. Here's the revered American writer and civil rights activist James Baldwin, talking about the responsibilities we have to each other as human beings, the hope and love that hold the world together, and why we need to cherish life for its own sake. #JamesBaldwin #Humanism

Have a great Burns Night! Here's our chair, Jennifer with her extended version of Burns's Selkirk Grace. The original is about being thankful for what we have, remembering those with less. It's read before starting a Burns Night supper. Jennifer's acknowledges those who grew and prepared the food🎉

Humanist book group! Here's our community manager and book group convenor Lara introducing the next book we'll be talking about, The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams, on 17 Feb. See you there! www.humanism.scot/events/the-r...

A little story about learning from community. Last week we put up a jokey AI-generated image to advertise society membership. A few of you pointed out that it was not ethical to use AI like this (for readymade socials graphics) because it steals people's personal data & jobs and uses tons of energy

You've probably seen the news about a businessman taking a lot of heat for using AI to design a mural for a row of houses in Glasgow. Lots of artists are justifiably furious. We think this raises really important questions for humanists.

Last week, we co-signed an open letter from Humanists International explaining why the Trump government's withdrawal from 66 international organisations is so dangerous. If you agree, sign the petition here: humanists.international/2026/01/glob...

Let's Change The Act! Scotland supports abortion rights. We're part of @letschangetheact, an umbrella group working to fully decriminalise abortion in Scotland. If you'd like to get involved, come along to an LCTA members day on 31 January! (Link in replies) #Decriminalise Abortion

Thankyou @alancumming.bsky.social & Graham Norton for backing a ban on conversion practices in Scotland, one of our core campaigns. The pair were discussing the topic at Alan's new LGBT theatre season at Pitlochry Theatre, Out in the Hills

Happy #MartinLutherKingDay. With racial tensions being stoked by politicians in the USA and Britain, take a minute to breathe in the electric climax of King's "I have a dream" speech at the March on Washington in 1963. Savour its message of hope, respect, and tolerance.

We put up an insta post a few weeks ago that went viral of the lovely Jeff Goldblum remembering a quote by George Bernard Shaw about valuing life for its own sake. It's been lovely seeing the comments that the Shaw quote has inspired. This is one of our favourites. Go Jeanne!

Hard to argue....If you're concerned with the potential destruction of the only planet home to sentient life in a galaxy of 400 billion suns, why not get involved with the work of #SopClimateChaosScotland? We're proud members of this umbrella group fighting climate change: www.stopclimatechaos.scot

We are proud signatories of an open letter from Humanists International calling on the US government to reverse its decision to withdraw from 66 major international organisations. Read the letter here: www.humanism.scot/2026/01/16/w... Image: Ted Aytan/CC

Horrifying details are emerging of abuse at Nazareth House Care Homes across Scotland, staffed by nuns from the Sisters of Nazareth Religious Order. A painful reminder of what can happen when institutions are allowed to operate behind closed doors (1/2)

Hi there, a bit of a personal one this. I am one of the people who runs social media at Humanist Society Scotland, and I'm just back from paternity leave. I wanted to share a real picture which sums up the impact of humanist campaigning in Scotland, especially on reproductive rights. (1/6)