List of secularist organizations

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
Conway Hall, home of the Conway Hall Ethical Society, the oldest freethought community in the world. (Established 1793)

Secularist organizations promote the view that moral standards should be based solely on concern for the good of humanity in the present, without reference to supernatural concepts, such as God or an afterlife, any desire to do good for a reward after death, or any fear of punishment for not believing in life after death. The term secularism, as coined and promulgated by George Jacob Holyoake, originally referred to such a view.[1] Secularism may also refer to the belief that government should be neutral on matters of religion, and that church and state should be separate. The term here is used in the first sense, though most organizations listed here also support secularism in the second sense.

Background[edit]

Secularists, and their organizations, identify themselves by a variety of terms, including, bright, freethinker, naturalist, rationalist, or skeptic.[2][3] Despite the use of these various terms, the organizations listed here have secularist goals in common. Note that, while most of these organizations and their members consider themselves irreligious while others look at them in general as an argumentative and antagonistic hate-group who mirrors the Westboro Baptist Church, there are certain exceptions (Ethical Culture, for example), they have been criticized as being frauds for bigoted and controversial tendencies such as being manipulative. Taking sacred scriptures of holy books out of context. Slandering and stereotyping religious groups as being greedy for money and cultic for bloodlust. Believing the theories of evolution while discrediting the famous scientists who were theologists and creationists (mostly Christian-Catholic). Making narcissistic assertions against religious people on being morally, rationally and academically inept. Having messages and undertones that are very Anti-Semitic and Anti-Islamic. Being advocates, defenders and champions of Satanists as attempts to go on crusades against Christians and Catholics. And even boasting that humanity would have been more advanced, peaceful and intelligent if the idea of God and religion were to never exist.

In some jurisdictions, a provincial or national humanist society may confer upon Humanist officiants the ability to conduct memorial services, child naming ceremonies or officiate marriages — tasks which would be carried out by clergy in most organized religions.[4][5][6]

List[edit]

Australia[edit]

Bangladesh[edit]

Belgium[edit]

Brazil[edit]

Canada[edit]

Finland[edit]

France[edit]

Germany[edit]

Iceland[edit]

  • Sidmennt – Icelandic Ethical Humanist Association

India[edit]

Indonesia[edit]

Ireland[edit]

Italy[edit]

Luxembourg[edit]

Netherlands[edit]

New Zealand[edit]

Northern Ireland[edit]

Norway[edit]

Philippines[edit]

Romania[edit]

Scotland[edit]

Singapore[edit]

Sweden[edit]

Switzerland[edit]

Turkey[edit]

United Kingdom[edit]

National organisations[edit]

Local groups[edit]

There are many local humanist groups around the United Kingdom, most being affiliates of Humanists UK and the National Secular Society. Of these, Leicester Secular Society has particular claim to fame in being the world's oldest secular society, founded in 1851.[17] Others include North East Humanists.

United States[edit]

Freedom From Religion Foundation billboard
American Atheist bench and "Ten Commandments" display (Bradford County, Florida).

See also[edit]

Notes and references[edit]

  1. ^ "Secularism". Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition. Oxford University Press, 1989.
  2. ^ The Secular Coalition for America, which has been identified by Brights.net as representing the interests of "secularist organizations", describes its constituency as "nontheistic Americans", including those who go by the labels "atheist, humanist, freethinker, agnostic, skeptic, bright, ignostic, materialist, and naturalist, among others." Who does the Secular Coalition for America represent? Archived 2008-04-16 at the Wayback Machine at the Secular Coalition for America website (Accessed 5 April 2008)
  3. ^ Some less common secularist labels include: apatheist, godless (in the non-pejorative, literal sense), ignostic, infidel (or unbeliever), heathen, materialist, or realist.
  4. ^ "Humanist Canada: Humanist Weddings". Archived from the original on 2012-12-28. Retrieved 2014-11-23.
  5. ^ American Humanist Association: Humanists Stand Ready to Perform Same-Sex Marriage Ceremonies
  6. ^ The Humanist Society Listing of Humanist Celebrants
  7. ^ The Movement, The Brights' Network, 2008 (Accessed 9 April 2008)
  8. ^ Presentation, European Humanist Federation website, 2006 (Accessed 10 April 2008)
  9. ^ Laïque (French): "secular"
  10. ^ About IHEU Archived 2008-07-05 at the Wayback Machine, IHEU website (Accessed 5 April 2008)
  11. ^ "The Constitution of the Bangladesh Awami League". Bangladesh Awami League. Archived from the original on 15 March 2009.
  12. ^ Eroakirkosta.fi – Internet Deconstructing State Church in Finland
  13. ^ "Les non-religieux veulent aussi être consultés". L'essentiel (in French). Edita SA. 18 January 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  14. ^ The Norwegian Humanist Association Archived 2008-04-12 at the Wayback Machine, Human-Etisk Forbund website (English version), 2011 (Accessed 5 February 2011)
  15. ^ Membership Archived 2007-10-30 at the Wayback Machine, Human-Etisk Forbund website (English version), 2004 (Accessed 9 April 2008)
  16. ^ South Place Ethical Society website (Accessed 5 April 2008)
  17. ^ Leicester Secular Society website (Accessed 5 April 2008)

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_secularist_organizations&oldid=985864767"