Good Without God

Good Without God poster

Prompted by the forthcoming visit of Pope Benedict XVI, The Humanist Society of Scotland asks the Scottish people: "What do you believe?"

Scotland was once a god-fearing country, but the situation is changing. The 2001 census showed that 27% of the population did not believe in God. In 2008, the Scottish Household survey gave that figure as 40%. If the trend continues – and from the rapid increase in the number of Humanist weddings and funerals  it seems that it will – the next census in 2011 will show that the non-believers are now in the majority.

"Although the Pope is welcome to visit Scotland as an individual, the HSS opposes the state visit because he actively opposes democracy and human rights," says HSS Convenor Juliet Wilson. "But we're not taking to the streets to protest because Scotland has a sectarian, anti-Catholic tradition, which we equally oppose. Instead, we're asking Scots to tell the Pope what they really believe, by answering a simple question, 'How Many Scots Are Good Without God?'"

A teaser campaign was launched in front of the Science Centre in Glasgow on Monday 30th August, when members of the society posed in front of a Postavan that asks the question, "How Many Scots..?" The Postavan will travel through Glasgow for two weeks until the Pope's visit on September 16th, when a 48 sheet poster will be unveiled, on the route of the Pope's journey to Bellahouston Park, that gives the answer.

In the meantime, curious observers who follow the link from the poster to the Good Without God website will have the chance to guess the number of non-believers in Scotland today, and win a free car sticker if they choose the correct answer.
 
Humanist Society of Scotland (HSS) backs Margo MacDonald’s Bill with Let Me Choose Campaign

 Let Me Choose Campaign Launch

MSP Margo Macdonald and HSS Convenor Juliet Wilson launched the society’s “Let Me Choose” campaign in a Press Conference at the Scottish Parliament this morning.

The HSS campaign is based on a web site, http://www.letmechoose.org.uk/ where members of the public can

  • Sign a Petition to the Scottish Parliament in support of the Bill
  • Write to their MSPs
  • Share their own stories
  • Follow the campaign as it develops.

HSS Secretary John Bishop said, "Most British people support physician-assisted suicide, as reports compiled since the mid 90s have shown. Also, there are similar majorities in support in other European countries. Therefore, we are disappointed that some of the objections to the Bill voiced in the Care Not Killing campaign are ill-informed, deliberately misleading and quite irrational."

Margo MacDonald and Juliet Wilson both said that they believe that there is wide support for the Bill amongst the general public. Julie & Andrew Johnston of Edinburgh, attended the press conference and gave interviews to BBC, STV and journalists from across the Scottish media. They are not members of the HSS, but they support the campaign because they believe there has to be a better way for Parkinson’s Disease sufferers like Julie to end their lives than by jumping off a bridge or going to a clinic in Switzerland. Julie said “We support the bill, because Margo’s trying to give people like me control of our lives. I want to be able do what is necessary with help and guidance.”
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Weddings & Partnership Ceremonies

"Weddings up 64%" is probably the most unlikely headline of the year, but add one word and it's completely true.
That word is "humanist," writes Julian Baggini in The Herald
 
Scotland is one of only six countries in the world where Humanist marriage ceremonies are legally conducted. The others are Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway and certain states of the USA. They are of course recognised as legal in all countries in the world in the same way as other weddings are. Humanist weddings have the same legal status as civil and religious weddings as long as they are conducted by an HSS Celebrant, who has been authorised by the Registrar General of Scotland, and can take place anywhere 'safe and dignified'.
 
Couples are effectively free to marry wherever they choose and HSS wedding ceremonies have taken place on beaches and mountains, in keeps and castles, grand hotels and the gardens of people's own homes.
 
Each Humanist wedding ceremony is unique, dignified and deeply personal. Humanists look on marriage as an equal partnership and a serious commitment that involves mutual love, support and respect and a humanist ceremony is a time when couples can declare all that they feel for each other in a way that feels right for them.
 
The couple are free to make all the important choices about location, readings, music and the wording of their promises to each other.
 
Same sex couples often choose to celebrate their commitment by having a Humanist Partnership ceremony, though these are not yet legally recognised.
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Review of the End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill

HSS member Innes McOwan brings us up to date on the bill and shows how we can lend our support.

Now that the End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill has been published (January 2010) we can consider the proposed legislation in detail.

Fundamental Principles
By and large the Bill stays with the fundamental principles that underpinned the Consultation Paper (December 2008) wherein M/S MacDonald set out her intentions, viz –

  1. The Bill is based on total respect for the dignity and autonomy of the individual. The ultimate decision will remain with the individual, and the individual alone.
  2. The option of exercising the right to obtain assistance at the end of life will be strictly limited to specific categories of debility.
  3. The final act would be carried out in controlled circumstances.
  4. (It is not clear to me that the administration of the fatal dose would have to be administered by a Registered Medical Practitioner, although such a person would have to be present.)
  5. Provision is made to ensure that vulnerable people are fully protected.


Motivation
The overarching motivation behind the Bill is one of compassion. How can we allow people to die in a condition that they find intolerable through extreme pain or extreme debility, when we posses the means to ease that final passage? The reality is that many people recognize when their own end is approaching and they ready themselves for that eventuality.

 There is now an online petition in support of the bill: please click here to register your support!

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Conference 2009

Conference organiser, Leslie Mitchell reflects on this year's annual conference.

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  • “What do you believe in?”
    News

    Prompted by the forthcoming visit of Pope Benedict XVI, The Humanist Society of Scotland asks the Scottish people:
    “What do you believe in?”

    For many years Scotland was predominantly religious, but the situation is changing. The 2001 census showed that 27% of the population did not believe in God. By the time of the Scottish Household survey in 2008, this had risen to 40%. If the trend continues – and from the rapid increase in the number of Humanist…

    Read more...
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    In it you will find ideas about the nature and location of the ceremony to celebrate your…

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