All posts tagged: Humanist

Rewriting the Ceremony: A Conversation with Humanist Celebrant Katherine Hunter

Rewriting the Ceremony: A Conversation with Humanist Celebrant Katherine Hunter

Published by Sam Flores

Katherine Hunter does not just officiate weddings; she builds them. Working as a humanist celebrant, she creates ceremonies that reflect the values, identities, and relationships of the couples she works with, often outside the bounds of religious tradition. In a space historically shaped by faith, Hunter’s work offers something different: ceremonies grounded not in doctrine, but in human connection. In conversation with the American Humanist Association, Hunter spoke about how she found her way into this work, what it means to create meaningful secular ceremonies, and why humanism often resonates with couples, even when they don’t name it. How did you become a celebrant? I happened to be coming out of a period of not being employed, and celebrant work just neatly fit a skill set of mine. I’m comfortable with public speaking, I’m comfortable with writing, and I’m very curious about how people see the world and make sense of it. I’m also very drawn to emotional intelligence. Those things ended up being really strong assets. That’s kind of how I got my start. …

Communities in Action: Alex Zygmunt, President of Humanist Society of Greater Phoenix

Communities in Action: Alex Zygmunt, President of Humanist Society of Greater Phoenix

Published by Sam Flores

The Humanist Society of Greater Phoenix has adopted the tagline “Humans. Helping. Humans” – and they live up to it. Whether gathering in their brick-and-mortar humanist community center or venturing into the broader Phoenix community, their team shares a belief that humanism is something you do, not just something you believe. For our April edition of Community in Action, president Alex Zygmunt shares more about HSGP’s local programs and future goals.  When did you first become involved with your chapter, and what motivated you to join?  My name is Alex Zygmunt – I’m the president of the Humanist Society of Greater Phoenix. I started here in 2015, just volunteering, and then went from there. Before my now-wife and I moved out here, I’d served on boards in South Carolina. We moved here for her to finish school at ASU. One of the things that was important to me was a sense of community. Before we moved, I decided to look up what humanist chapters were available – I stalked their Facebook page and Meetup page …

Riane Eisler on Partnership Systems, Caring Economics, and Humanist Values in the 21st Century

Riane Eisler on Partnership Systems, Caring Economics, and Humanist Values in the 21st Century

Published by Sam Flores

Riane Eisler, an Austrian-born American systems scientist, futurist and human rights advocate, is renowned for her influential work on cultural transformation and gender equity. Best known for “The Chalice and the Blade,” she introduced the partnership vs. dominator models of social organization. She received the Humanist Pioneer Award in 1996, and in conversation with Scott Douglas Jacobsen, Eisler emphasized the urgent need for humanists to focus on values-based systems and the transformative power of caring economics. Drawing from neuroscience and history, she argues that peace begins at home and calls for a shift in worldview to build more equitable, sustainable, and compassionate societies rooted in connection, not control. The three books of hers of note that could be highlighted are “The Chalice and the Blade”—now in its 57th U.S. printing with 30 foreign editions, “The Real Wealth of Nations,” and “Nurturing Our Humanity: How Domination and Partnership Shape Our Brains, Lives, and Future” (Oxford University Press, 2019). Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Today, we are here with Riane Eisler. She is an Austrian-born American systems scientist, cultural …

HUMANISM 101 | Being a Humanist When You Lose Faith in Humanity

HUMANISM 101 | Being a Humanist When You Lose Faith in Humanity

Published by Sam Flores

It is a hard time to be a humanist. How do you trust in the ultimate goodness and unlimited potential of human beings when humanity seems to be doing everything in its power to prove you wrong? Our politics are toxic. Our economics are oppressive. Our environment is on the verge of collapse. Rather than recognizing and addressing these challenges, those in power—or striving to gain power—use them to turn us against one another instead of uniting us in common cause. Whether the threat is environmental collapse, economic or political catastrophe, or an AI-fueled apocalypse, it can be difficult to believe that humanity has a future at all—much less the inclusive, healthy future Humanism strives to bring about. Society seems to be actively rejecting the goals and values of Humanism. So how do you remain a humanist when you lose faith in humanity? When discouraged or despairing over the state of society, it is easy to forget that Humanism is personal as well as societal. Each of us is a member of that species and …

Cross-party peers call for legal recognition of humanist marriages – Humanists UK

Cross-party peers call for legal recognition of humanist marriages – Humanists UK

Published by Sam Flores

Peers across the chamber in the House of Lords called for legal recognition of humanist marriages in an oral question on the subject called by Baroness Thornton. Humanists UK welcomed the further calls for reform, and urges the Government to use its existing powers to legally recognise humanist marriages without delay, even in the interim while it considers wholesale marriage reform. Cross-party peers call for legal recognition of humanist marriages Labour peer Baroness Thornton, member of the All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group (APPHG) asked the Government for the progress and timetable towards legal recognition of humanist marriages. Responding, Marriage Minister Baroness Levitt outlined that the Government will legally recognise humanist marriages in England and Wales as part of its wider reforms to weddings law which will take place when parliamentary time allows and stated the Government will consult on the details early this year. Replying, Baroness Thornton pushed for further clarity on the timeframe, given that it is already early 2026, and given how long humanist couples have already waited since the Government acquired the power …

Humanist marriage to be enshrined into law in Northern Ireland – Humanists UK

Humanist marriage to be enshrined into law in Northern Ireland – Humanists UK

Published by Sam Flores

Pictured: Gabrielle and Dearbhaile, humanist wedding, Northern Ireland Today, the Marriage and Civil Partnership Bill had its first reading in the Northern Ireland Assembly, which will enshrine humanist marriage into law. Humanist marriages are already legal in Northern Ireland due to a court case, but this is technically a ‘temporary arrangement’ based on a court ruling, rather than a change in the law. This new Bill will finally change the law.  In 2024 15% of all marriages in Northern Ireland were humanist, more than religious marriages conducted by the three big Protestant churches, and in 2025 Northern Ireland Humanists celebrated the 5000th legally recognised humanist marriage. About the Marriage and Civil Partnership Bill  The Marriage and Civil Partnership Bill will place in statute, and so make permanent, the temporary arrangements that have applied to belief marriage since Northern Ireland Humanists patrons Laura Lacole and Eunan O’Kane won their legal challenge. Other aspects of the Bill include raising the minimum age for marriage and civil partnership to 18.  The Bill could become law by the end …

MPs call for legal recognition of humanist marriages in Westminster Hall debate – Humanists UK

MPs call for legal recognition of humanist marriages in Westminster Hall debate – Humanists UK

Published by Sam Flores

MPs from across the political spectrum raised the need to legally recognise humanist marriages in England and Wales in a Westminster Hall debate on marriage regulations led by David Mundell MP for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweedale, whose constituency includes Gretna Green. Humanists UK welcomes these calls and urges the Government to use its existing powers to grant legal recognition without delay. Rachel Hopkins MP (Labour), and former Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group (APPHG), highlighted the inequity between humanist marriages being legal in Scotland and not being permitted in England and Wales as an ongoing anachronism that needs to be addressed. Responding, David Mundell agreed, stating ‘I agree…many humanists come to Scotland, and indeed to Gretna Green, to get married for that very reason. That issue needs to be addressed.’ It is notable that sitting MPs themselves raised how they travelled to Scotland to have a legally recognised humanist wedding in a Westminster Hall debate on the subject last year. Other MPs indicated their support for legal recognition of humanist marriages. Liberal Democrat MP …

Leading voices in journalism, science, and culture join New Humanist Editorial Board – Humanists UK

Leading voices in journalism, science, and culture join New Humanist Editorial Board – Humanists UK

Published by Sam Flores

Ian Dunt is a prominent voice in British political journalism, known for his incisive commentary and bestselling books including Brexit: What the Hell Happens Now?, How To Be A Liberal, and How Westminster Works … and Why It Doesn’t. His experience as a columnist for the i and former Editor of politics.co.uk – alongside his regular appearances as a political commentator on TV, radio, and podcasts – have made him a popular national commentator for many liberals and humanists. Samira Ahmed is an award-winning journalist, writer, and broadcaster (also a columnist) who presents Front Row on Radio 4, Newswatch on BBC1, and co-presents the vintage TV podcast Through The Square Window. Her BFI Film Classics book on the first Beatles’ film A Hard Day’s Night will be published by Bloomsbury in April 2026. Jim Al-Khalili is a quantum physicist and vice president of Humanists UK. He is currently Distinguished Emeritus Professor of physics at the University of Surrey as well as a science communicator known for his many popular science books, TV documentaries, and radio …

When Wanting Never Stops: A Humanist View of Schopenhauer and Billionaires

When Wanting Never Stops: A Humanist View of Schopenhauer and Billionaires

Published by Sam Flores

Arthur Schopenhauer argued that desire never rests, that satisfaction only fuels the next want. This essay takes that insight seriously in a modern setting, using billionaires as a living thought experiment to ask what happens when endless wanting is amplified by extreme power. From a Humanist perspective, the problem is not wealth itself, but what occurs when private desire reshapes shared institutions, markets and lives, forcing societies to confront the necessity of limits in a finite world. Money is supposed to be the finish line. That is the promise. Work hard, succeed, accumulate enough zeros, and eventually the engine shuts off. The wanting ends. The mind rests. The credits roll. And yet, oddly, the people who reach the far end of the scoreboard never seem to leave the game. Somewhere around the first hundred-million dollars, a quiet, polite voice clears its throat. It does not shout. It does not threaten. It simply asks, “What’s next?” This voice does not belong to the market, or ambition, or even greed in the ordinary sense. It belongs to …

NI Humanists celebrates 5,000th legally recognised humanist marriage – Humanists UK

NI Humanists celebrates 5,000th legally recognised humanist marriage – Humanists UK

Published by Sam Flores

Northern Ireland Humanists is today celebrating the milestone of 5,000 legally recognised humanist marriages since their introduction in Northern Ireland in 2018. Official figures provided by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) have just revealed that the 5,000th marriage took place on 4 October 2025. The ceremony in question saw Belfast-based Aimee Brown and Stewart Clawson marry and was led by celebrant Jean Barrett Quinn. Aimee and Stewart said: ‘Our wedding day was something amazing, and now we are delighted all over again to find out it happened to be a historic milestone. ‘Although we were taught that love, respect, and social justice are rooted in religious teachings growing up, we’ve come to realise that these values are fundamentally human, stemming from our shared capacity to care for and respect others. A humanist wedding felt like the best fit for us from the beginning, as it aligns with our beliefs and values. We wanted the day to be a celebration of our love story, not focused on any religious aspects, or legally required …