"Peace is more than just the absence of war. Peace requires respect for the worth and dignity of our fellow human beings, tolerance among individuals, and harmony within each person."  Humanist International's Oslo Declaration on Peace

This week, AJ and Mark tackle Humanist perspectives on global conflicts  such as the current Israel-Palestine crisis and the role of religion in exacerbating or potentially resolving this deep-seated conflict.

Our interview with journalist Scott Jacobson, whose boots on the ground in Ukraine bring a raw, provided an evidence-based angle to our discourse and demonstrates the critical role of informed journalism in shaping societal discourse.

Join us on this exploration, amplify the conversation, and help shape a more humane approach to the global stage.

Episode References:

• HUK: Statement on the Middle East
• Humanist International Statement on Russian Invasion of Ukraine

About Scott Douglas Jacobsen:
🔗In-Sight Publishing
Ⓜ️Follow Scott on Medium
📖Interview Series at Good Men Project
📧 [email protected]

Scott's references:

• Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl
• Model UN
• tiktok: Scott Jacobsen in Mykolaiv, Ukraine via @remuscerneaofficial
• United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)  Abdul Waheed & Mubarak Bala

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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live, making podcasting easy for charities and social causes.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected]

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

Join us as we review the 2023 year in Humanism and preview the events for 2024 with our regular panellists, Mark, Nicole & Katia.

Together with host James, they discuss; insights from 2023 meetups and conventions, inspiring personal experiences, a varied events calendar and the important role of humanist voices in 2024's major democratic elections.

Finally we pay a special thanks to our Producer Rob, who is moving on to bigger things in 2024!

This week's panel only discussion is themed around the values of hope, wonder and collaborative achievement - thank you for joining us the debut year of Humanism Now.

Episode References:

• Video playlist: talks from Humanists UK 2023 Convention
• Leicester Humanists Launch Event
• Humanistically Speaking: A memorable humanist trip to the Large Hadron Collider
• Understating Humanism Wonder: A Humanist Perspective
• HUK ‘Democracy is a humanist value’, affirms 2023 World Humanist Congress
• The Guardian 40 elections that will shape global politics in 2024
• HUK Bishops in the House of Lords Campaign
• HUK Assisted Dying Campaign

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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live, making podcasting easy for charities and social causes.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected]

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

"I know so many people whose lives got better when they learned how to use a crock pot and make a decent chili"

Welcome back to Humanism Now. This week we are delighted to share an extended interview with Bart Campolo, host of the inspirational podcast, Humanize Me!

After decades as a Christian evangelist, Bart embraced humanism and now uses his platform to advocate for a more compassionate, curious and connected society. Together, we dissect the intricacies of growing a humanist community in a digital era, the place of AI in our emotional lives, and the transformative power of authentic, in-person connections.

AJ also joins the panel to share his reflections on 2023 and some exciting news for 2024!

About Bart Campolo:
🏠 bartcampolo.org/about
🎙️ Humanize Me! Podcast
📷 @humanizemepodcast
🐦 @bartcampolo

Send us a text

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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live, making podcasting easy for charities and social causes.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected]

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

"When we're upholding secularism, we're making sure that that is freedom of religion or belief for all, and not just for the non-religious to be safe" - Emma Wadsworth-Jones

On this week's Humanism Now we are delighted to be joined by Emma Wadsworth-Jones, Casework & Campaigns Manager Of Humanists International and principle editor of the Freedom of Thought Report. The FOTR assesses every country in the world on the basis of human rights and the legal status with regard to humanists, atheists, and the non-religious. Emma shares the key findings for 2023, reasons why protecting freethought matters and positive examples of promoting secularism globally.

In addition, Lola & Nicole join the panel this week to discuss the further proposed changes to UK visa requirements and it's impact on families and whether the UK is a secular country.  Plus we share our favourite xmas songs for your playlist!

Episode references:

• BBC: Changes to UK visa requirements: Key points at-a-glance
• Humanists International: Freedom of Thought Report
• Humanists UK: Secularism in the UK

About Emma Wadsworth Jones
🔗 Humanists International - People
📧 Contact HI
🐦 @humanistsint
#️⃣ #FOTR2023

Emma's references:

• HI: Freedom of thought Report
• Blog: How the Freedom of Thought Report helps protect humanists at risk
• HI: How to get involved and support

Upcoming events:

• CLH AGM 2024 with Madeleine Goodall, Humanist Heritage, 17 Jan 2024
• Association of Black Humanists Events & Study Group

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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live, making podcasting easy for charities and social causes.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected]

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

"Conscious morality cannot exist in any being except so far as it can look behind, before, and around; and can remember, compare, and reason about right and wrong so as to choose for itself, and for those it can influence, a given course." - Zona Vallance

What does it mean to be a humanist in the modern world? Join James, Mark and new contributor Katia as we test the definition of humanism and assess how the term has evolved and what additions we'd like to see to reflect changing societal needs.

Plus our interview with the brilliant Maddy Goodall, co-ordinator of the Humanist Heritage project, which documents and preserves more than 125 years of rich humanist history.

Episode references:

• Life and Fate - Vasily Grossman
• The Social Instinct, What Nature Can Teach Us About Working Together - Nichola Raihani
• Humanism Now Episode 4 with Jamie Woodhouse on Sentientism
• René Descartes
• Peter Thatchell

About Maddy Goodall
🔗 Heritage humanists
📧 [email protected]
🐦 @maddyogoodall

Maddy's references:

• Zona Vallance (1860-1904)
• Lillie Boileau (1869-1930)
• Nellie Freeman (1863-1943)
• May Seaton-Tiedeman (1862-1948)
• The Humanist Movement in Modern Britain,  Callum Brown, David Nash, Charlie Lynch

Upcoming events:

• CLH Xmas Party: Comedy Night for MacMillan Cancer Support, 13 Dec 2023
• CLH Discussions:

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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live, making podcasting easy for charities and social causes.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected]

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

“If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they'll kill you.”
― George Bernard Shaw

This week on Humanism Now, Nicole and AJ join James to discuss the relationship between comedy, freethought and humanism. We discuss the role of comedy in challenging authority and changing social norms,  our personal comedy heroes and what should be off-limits to joke about?
 
Plus we're fortunate to present our interview with the incredibly talented London-based comedian, Lisa May. Lisa shares her personal transformation from entrepreneur to comedian and how curiosity, discomfort and connection, have shaped her outlook on life and laughter.

See Lisa May live alongside more top London standups at CLH's Xmas Party Comedy Night on 13 Dec 2023 - in aid of MacMillan Cancer Support.

Episode References:

• George Carlin - The Ten Commandments
• Eddie Izzard - Glorious
• Life Of Brian 1979 Debate
• Comedians in cars getting coffee

About Lisa May:
🔗 Lisa's Homepage
🎤 Standup Lols
📷 @standuplisamay
🐦 @standuplisamay

Lisa's references:

• Kintsugi - Japanese art of repair
• Jung and the value of humour
• The best of Mitch Hedberg

“Blessed are the cracked, for they shall let in the light.”  -  Groucho Marx

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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live, making podcasting easy for charities and social causes.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected]

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

Welcome to Humanism Now. This week James is joined by  Mark from Central London Humanists and Nicole of Leicester & Young Humanists to tackle more common misconceptions about humanism. The panel counter some of the frequent critiques of a humanist worldview; from misleading definitions of Humanism (by prominent thinkers!) to misperceptions of how humanists view religious people and whether we all politically aligned.

In an enlightening conversation, Lucy Potter, a PhD candidate at the University of Sheffield, shares insights from her research project aimed to improve the handling of non-religious asylum claims in the UK. Lucy's expertise in asylum claims provides a unique perspective on the trials faced by non-religious individuals seeking refuge. We discuss the challenges of credibility assessments that often hinder these asylum seekers and potential solutions.

Our mailbag question asked for the best jokes about Humanists and we passed this request back out to our audience! Send in your answers to  [email protected]
 
About Lucy Potter
🔗 Lucy's Research Homepage
🐦 @LucyPott_
📧 [email protected]

Episode References:

• Yuval Noah Harari and ‘humanism’, Humanists UK
• Humanists in Parliament, Humanists UK
• Pakistani humanist denied UK asylum after failing to identify Plato, The Guardian

Upcoming Events:

• CLH Online Talk: Social Challenges & Self Care Following Apostasy, 29 Nov 23
• CLH Xmas Party: Comedy Night for MacMillan Cancer Support, 13 Dec 2023

Send us a text

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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live, making podcasting easy for charities and social causes.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected]

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

This week on Humanism Now as we welcome Lola Tinubu, Co-Founder of the Association of Black Humanists and  Nicole Shasha, Founder of Leicester Humanists to discuss their experiences creating and cultivating secular communities and challenging misconceptions.

We also discuss the implications of Ayaan Hirsi Ali's recent article Why I am Now a Christian, the critiques of atheism contained within and Hirsi Ali's  impact, influence and legacy for global Humanists and freethinkers.

In our guest interview, Martin Di Maggio explains Humanistic Judaism, from its intellectual routes to current practices and differences with other denominations of both Judaism and Humanism. 

Finally, we answer this week's mailbag question; What are the taboos associated with being a humanist?
 
Episode References:

• Why I am Now a Christian, Ayaan Hirsi Ali
• Why I Am Not a Christian - A response to Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Michael Shermer

About Martin Di Maggio:
🔗 The Spinoza Havurah
📷 @spinoza_havurah

Martin's References:

• shj.org
• Judaism beyond God by Sherwin Wine 
• Humanistic Havdalah by Martin Hasan
• Kiddush: Humanist Liturgy by Machar

Upcoming Events:

• ABH Discussion Group, 21 Nov 2023
• ABH: Ayan Hirsi Ali: Muslim to Atheist to Christian, 25 Nov 2023
• CLH Online Talk: Social Challenges & Self Care Following Apostasy, 29 Nov 23
• CLH Xmas Party: Comedy Night

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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live, making podcasting easy for charities and social causes.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected]

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

This week on Humanism now, Audrey & Mark join the panel to discuss taking a humanistic approach to issues around Free Speech and free expression, drawing on recent international news items.

Our guest this week is Terri O'Sullivan from Faith to Faithless. Terri shares her deeply personal journey to humanism and her role as Apostate Services Development Officer, at FTF (part of Humanists UK).  She also provides detailed advice for those seeking support when leaving high-control groups or experiencing religious trauma.

Finally our mailbag question this week asks if Humanism aligns with and support other social change movements, such as Feminism and Black Lives Matter.

Episode references:

• BBC: Sweden's Quran burnings put freedom of expression law to test
• Amnesty International: The Importance of Freedom of Expression
• UN: Definition of Hate Speech

Contact Terri O'Sullivan:
🔗 Faith to Faithless
🐦 @Terri_OSullivan
📘 @FaithtoFaithless

Terri's references;

• Religious Trauma Syndrome by Marlene Winell 

Support Asylum Research:
University of Sheffield are conducting research on how UK asylum claims are handled on the grounds of non-religiosity. If you have faced fear of persecution and have gone through the asylum system, please contact Lucy Potter.  More info.

Upcoming CLH Events:

• Pub After HUK Voltaire Lecture 14 Nov 2023
• Trans Day of Remembrance, 20 Nov 2023
• ABH Discussion Group, 21 Nov 2023

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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live, making podcasting easy for charities and social causes.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected]

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

On this episode of Humanism Now, we're exploring the inspiring world of young humanists. Our co-host AJ and new panellist Nicole, fellow coordinators of Young Humanist UK share what campaigns and activities motivate Humanists in the 18-35 age range.

Nicole also shares her experience of starting a new humanist group in Leicester and the joys of bringing humanist values to life through meaningful Humanists Ceremonies.

AJ & Nicole share how they became engaged with Humanism and offer advice for anyone looking to set up a new group or attract more young members. In discussing events and campaign that encourage greater engagement, we explore the alignment of humanism with climate and social justice activism.

In this week's guest interview ,  Javan Lev Poblador, International Coordinator for the Young Humanists International Group, provides insights in to the Global Young Humanist movement, describes the state of humanism in the Philippines and highlights some of the lesser known human impacts of the growing climate crisis.

Finally, in our mailbag section we discuss what events and campaign topics appeal most you Young Humanists.

Episode references:

• Leicester Humanists Launch Event, with Andrew Copson,  8 Nov 2023
• Young Humanists UK
• Young Humanists International
• HUK: Setting up a local group

About Javan Lev Poblador:

• Young Humanists International 
• YHI on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Send us a text

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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live, making podcasting easy for charities and social causes.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected]

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.