Humanists UK

The British Humanist Association is an organisation of the United Kingdom which promotes Humanism. The BHA is committed to secularism, human rights, democracy, egalitarianism and mutual respect. It works for an open and inclusive society with freedom of belief and speech, and for an end to the privileged position of religion in law, education, broadcasting and wherever else it occurs.

The BHA is the foremost provider of humanist and non-religious ceremonies in England & Wales, maintaining a national network of accredited officiants. This network offer humanist wedding/civil partnership celebration, humanist baby naming and humanist funeral ceremonies, linked to the rites of passage.

The BHA is a member organisation of the International Humanist and Ethical Union and of the European Humanist Federation. The official symbol of the BHA is the Happy Human.

The British Humanist Association was founded in 1896 by American Stanton Coit as the Union of Ethical Societies, which brought together existing ethical societies in Britain.

IHEU's minimum statement on Humanism

All member organisations of the IHEU are required by IHEU bylaw 5.1 to accept the IHEU minimum statement on Humanism:

"Humanism is a democratic and ethical life stance, which affirms that human beings have the right and responsibility to give meaning and shape to their own lives. It stands for the building of a more humane society through an ethic based on human and other natural values in the spirit of reason and free inquiry through human capabilities. It is not theistic, and it does not accept supernatural views of reality."

Campaigns

The British Humanist Association campaigns for a number of causes. It supports the international campaign to make Charles Darwin's day of birth a public holiday, Darwin Day. It also campaigns for legal provision against discrimination on grounds of religious belief or sexual orientation. It has called for unification of existing anti-discrimination legislation and has contributed to the Discrimination Law Review which developed the proposed Single Equality Bill.

Ariane Sherine and BHA Vice President Richard Dawkins at the bus campaign launch

On 21 October 2008, the British Humanist Association lent its official support to Guardian journalist Ariane Sherine as she launched a fundraising drive to raise money for the UK's first atheist advertising campaign, the Atheist bus campaign. The campaign aimed to raise funds to place the slogan "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life" on the sides of 30 London buses for four weeks in January 2009. Expecting to raise £5,500 over six months, the prominent atheist Professor Richard Dawkins agreed to match donations up to £5,500 to make £11,000 total. Within 18 hours the campaign had reached in excess of £30,000 of donations from individuals and companies worldwide and has since raised over £140,000, enabling a nationwide advertising campaign to be launched on 6 January 2009.

On 8 January 2009 it was announced that Christian Voice, had made an official complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority asserting that the slogan broke rules on 'substantiation and truthfulness' . The BHA publicly laughed off the complaint and wondered how the ASA would be able to make a decision as the "probability of God's existence".

Criticism

Bryan Appleyard has criticised both the British Humanist Association and the National Secular Society for their campaign against the Scout's oath of allegiance as have Deborah Orr and Rod Liddle.

Famous British Humanists

BHA Presidents

• Polly Toynbee 10 July 2007–present
• Linda Smith (2004 – 27 February 2006)
• Claire Rayner (1999-2004)
• Hermann Bondi (1982-1999)
• James Hemming (1977-1980)
• H. J. Blackham (1974-1977)
• George Melly (1972-1974)
• Edmund Leach (1970-1972)
• A.J. Ayer (1965-1970)
• Julian Huxley (1963-1965)

Current Vice-Presidents

• Professor Simon Blackburn
• Baroness Blackstone
• Professor Richard Dawkins FRS
• Lord Hughes of Woodside
• Professor Richard Norman
• Claire Rayner OBE
• Dr Harry Stopes-Roe
• Baroness Turner of Camden
• Baroness Whitaker
• Jane Wynne Willson
• Professor Lewis Wolpert CBE FRS

Distinguished Supporters

Numerous 'Distinguished Supporters' are aligned with the British Humanist Association from all walks of life:

• Academics including Professor Sir Michael Atiyah OM FRS, Dr Susan Blackmore, Professor Colin Blakemore FRS, Dr Helena Cronin, Professor Sir Anthony Epstein CBE FRS, Professor Antony Flew, Professor Frank Furedi, Professor A. C. Grayling FRSA, Professor Robert A Hinde CBE FRS, Professor Sir Harry Kroto FRS, Professor Sir Roger Penrose FRS, Professor Steven Rose, Professor Laurie Taylor

• Actors and entertainers including Jane Asher, Faith Brook, Miriam Karlin OBE, Stewart Lee, Warren Mitchell

• Artists, novelists and creative professionals including Alan Brownjohn, Maureen Duffy, Anish Kapoor, Ian McEwan, Sir Terry Pratchett, Phillip Pullman CBE, Sir Salman Rushdie

• Broadcasters and jounalists including Sir Ludovic Kennedy, Dr Kenan Malik FRSA, Jonathan Meades, Polly Toynbee

• Politicians and peers from across the party spectrum, many of whom are also members of the BHA's All Party Parliamentary Humanist Group.

• Scientists and medical professionals including Sir Roy Calne FRS, Professor Steve Jones, Randal Keynes OBE, Sir John Maddox, Sir John Sulston

Prominent deceased Distinguished Supporters include philosopher A J Ayer, founder of the BHA Harold Blackham, visionary science fiction writer Sir Arthur C Clarke, social and political theorist Bernard Crick, child psychologist and activist Dr James Hemming, jazz and blues singer George Melly, comedian Linda Smith.

For a full list and more information regarding the 'Distinguished Supporter' honorific, see the BHA's complete list.

See also

• National Secular Society
• National Federation of Atheist, Humanist and Secular Student Societies
• Rationalist Association
• International Humanist and Ethical Union
• South Place Ethical Society
• Humanist Society of Scotland

External links

• BHA Website