Sandi Toksvaig on humanism

I am reserving judgment until I have heard/read/seen all the contributors to the course. So far (just the first page, I don't want to get in too deep until I have finished the Antiques Trafficking and Art Crime course), I haven't met any of the trappings of organised religion which have so annoyed Granny23. I don't think you actually have to join and promise to stay, like the promises at confirmation services. It is more a different perspective on how to examine ethics and morality.

Quiz says I am 100% humanist, although I call myself a realist.

Surely you can only be labelled a humanist if you do the quiz?

Hmm ..... Quiz says I'm 90% Humanist.

For many years I've felt the Humanist ethos without really knowing what it was. First put a name to it about a year ago when reading about a Humanist Funeral, I'd already told my family (just in general conversation - as you do) that I didn't want a religious minister spouting a lot of insincere words. Get me the cheapest coffin, the quality is of no consequence.

We pay into the church every month by DDebit but we don't attend. And churches nowadays don't seem to have a yearly visitor whereby they would have got to know their members who don't actually attend, as was the case with my parents. However, my parents were visited every year by the Rector - My father always gave the C of I Rector a wee whisky.

I grew up with regular church attendance, my first marriage was in church, my ds was baptised in church, but I no longer feel the need. I definitely do not believe that 'eating the altar rails' makes you the better person.

Humanist appeals to me.

How dare they label me as a Humanist. I eschew all labels. I do not see myself as an atheist, agnostic or whatever and certainly not as a Humanist which has all the trappings of an organised religion - 'high heid yins' a prescribed moral code that adherants are expected to conform to, rules and regulations e.g. not being able to have a favorite old hymn during ceremonies, intolerance of those with a different belief. and so on.

Humanists, in common with most religions, make the assumption that we are all thick and unable to work things out for ourselves without training and guidance.

Thank you.

A good start - a quiz "How humanist are you?"

Sorry, Sandi, I spelt your surname wrongly.