What are your views on humanism?

[Lou]

I stumbled across the website for the British Humanist Association today and what I read I found really interesting, like a breath of fresh air to be honest.

What are you views on it?

 

[Vicki83]

I agree with you Lou about it being a breeze of fresh air - we had a humanist funeral for my mum and it was great (in the sense that the way it was covered not that it was my mums funeral) but it wasn't all hymns and god blessings etc, they spoke about my mum from being a child to having me & my brother, all the things she liked, our happy memories of her etc, plus her fav songs played, and i know she would have thought it was suited to her perfectly.

 

[Lou]

I never even knew it existed until today to be honest. I think I'd like a humanist funeral. All that god stuff I find a bit creepy. I saw on the website that the association talks about faith schools, I'm going to read about it later when Isaac is in bed. I am not religious but don't like to call myself atheist because it seem's anti-god in a way but who can feel bad about being a humanist? It makes sense to me. But like I say, I need to read more

 

[Tadpole]

I agree with you Lou about it being a breeze of fresh air - we had a humanist funeral for my mum and it was great (in the sense that the way it was covered not that it was my mums funeral) but it wasn't all hymns and god blessings etc, they spoke about my mum from being a child to having me & my brother, all the things she liked, our happy memories of her etc, plus her fav songs played, and i know she would have thought it was suited to her perfectly.

My Grandad requested a humanist funeral and it was beautiful, moving & even a touch funny - the perfect way to say goodbye to him. I don't know much about Humanism but what I do know I agree with and it seems instrinsically right - if you know what I mean?

 

[mrs_tommo22]

Have you got a link at all so I can educate myself?

 

[lea m]

Oh great! I have never heard of a humanist funeral ? That seems perfect for me lol
Hmm after reading on wiki Im not so sure really?
I dont really know where I belong?
I dont believe in a god, but I believe in spirits etc so?? I havent a clue where I fit haha

 

[Lou]

Here's the link....

http://www.humanism.org.uk/site/cms/

 

[mrs_tommo22]

I like it and agree with their beliefs id rather be a humanist then a atheist.

 

[Lou]

I like it and agree with their beliefs id rather be a humanist then a atheist.

Me too. I'm pretty impressed with it to be honest. I haven't had time to read much tonight because I ended up watching Bear bloody Grylls (grrrr) but I really want to read about their school campaigns. It is true that religion seems to have this air of respect and authority about it which is just so fake and out of date nowadays there really should be no place for it in our society anymore. I get really sick of hearing about the mums at playgroup almost competeing with eachother about the Reverend giving a good reference for the "good" schools and who is going to get in and who isn't. Makes me so cross that me and Isaac are considered "not in their league" because we have no "faith" as such. I am a bloody good person with good morals, Isaac has a good background, he is from a stable home, me and my OH are decent, honest, hard working, trustworthy people. There are families who pretend to be into the church and go to sunday school just to get into the good schools, how dishonest is that?

Now I'm cross

 

[glitzyglamgirl]

I like it and agree with their beliefs id rather be a humanist then a atheist.

Me too. I'm pretty impressed with it to be honest. I haven't had time to read much tonight because I ended up watching Bear bloody Grylls (grrrr) but I really want to read about their school campaigns. It is true that religion seems to have this air of respect and authority about it which is just so fake and out of date nowadays there really should be no place for it in our society anymore. I get really sick of hearing about the mums at playgroup almost competeing with eachother about the Reverend giving a good reference for the "good" schools and who is going to get in and who isn't. Makes me so cross that me and Isaac are considered "not in their league" because we have no "faith" as such. I am a bloody good person with good morals, Isaac has a good background, he is from a stable home, me and my OH are decent, honest, hard working, trustworthy people. There are families who pretend to be into the church and go to sunday school just to get into the good schools, how dishonest is that?

Now I'm cross

I agree completely, makes my blood boil too!

I attended a humanist funeral of a friend a few years ago and it was fab....they played death metal as it was his fave, talked about how he loved a good pint and a spliff, and really portrayed him how he was as the lady doing the service actually knew him and wasnt a stranger.

Its a fantastic thing humanism, but it doesnt leave room for anything spiritual so for that reason alone I dont follow it myself, though I would rather have a humanist wedding/funeral/naming ceremony than anything religious.

 

[Lou]

What I get from it is that its not so much about not being spiritual its just that if you are a spiritual person it doesn't mean you have a higher moral standing than somebody who doesn't feel spiritual. Whatever our religious connotations I'm sure everyone in this world must have experienced some sort of spiritual feelings or some sort of 'sixth sense', its just how we interpret it. If I felt something 'unusual' I would tend to lean towards there being a scientific explaination whereas someone else would lean towards a spiritual explaination. The idea I took from humanism is that nobody has all the answers to the universe and we all find diferent meanings in things that we experience in nature and life but its how we use that meaning to conduct ourselves, whether thats something as everyday as getting my child into a good school or whether its 2 countries starting a war and fighting for what they believe.

I don't really explain myself well. sorry.

 

[mandspice]

It's really interesting, I definitely agree with the principles. But as I have a real aversion to organised religion I wouldn't feel comfortable giving these principles a name or becoming part of an organisation - to me it just happens to describe many aspects of the way I live my life but I don't need an association to tell me this.

Still, if it creates a focus and companionship for people then it's all good, as with traditional religions - it's about freedom of choice after all - but I do believe calling yourself something / becoming a member of something still creates the need to follow some kind of code x

 

[Lou]

It's really interesting, I definitely agree with the principles. But as I have a real aversion to organised religion I wouldn't feel comfortable giving these principles a name or becoming part of an organisation - to me it just happens to describe many aspects of the way I live my life but I don't need an association to tell me this.

Still, if it creates a focus and companionship for people then it's all good, as with traditional religions - it's about freedom of choice after all - but I do believe calling yourself something / becoming a member of something still creates the need to follow some kind of code x

But you've hit the nail on the head because thats exactly the way of life that this association seems to be fighting to put an end to. You are right, you shouldn't need to follow a code but when there is alot of injustice and suffering because of people feeling that it is ethically correct to follow a religion. For example people go to church to be a good christian in order to go to heaven but then a humanist would say we are all equal and this should be reflected by the way we chose to live our lives and conduct ourselves and nothing else. I think it is worth paying mind to even if its just for the schools aspect, thats what interests me the most to be honest.

 

[Lou]

Wish there was a thrown to the crows option ..I think I would like to be put in to nature in pieces and shat out all over the land preferably hitting a few heads in the process

When I was in India you can see huge birds flying around with bits of people whose corpse's have been placed ontop of buildings or in the mountains. I once, I promise this is true, was sat outside my tent on a campsite in Delhi eating a dominos pizza that we ordered and I swear a big bird flew over a dropped what looked like part of a babies arm onto my pizza

So yeah midna....go to India

 

[leckershell]

http://www.humanism.org.uk/site/cms/con ... ticle=1208

apparently im a humanist..

 

[Lou]

I am too all my answers were D.

 

[Kimbo]

I like it and agree with their beliefs id rather be a humanist then a atheist.

i agree

 

[mrs_tommo22]

Im a humanist as well according to the questionaire well, and I have ha a read through some other sites too and I like what im reading - theres nothing hypocritiacal about it or nothing that makes me go oh oh.

 

[Lou]

Im a humanist as well according to the questionaire well, and I have ha a read through some other sites too and I like what im reading - theres nothing hypocritiacal about it or nothing that makes me go oh oh.

Yeah you kind of think 'whats the catch'? it is alot of money for membership though to actively support them but I wouldn't subscribe to any association I don't think

I like what its all about though