Shows
Humanism Now | Secular Ethics, Curiosity and Compassionate Change59. 2025 in Humanism - Deconstruction, Collaboration, Resistance & TikTokAs Humanism Now wraps up 2025, host James Hodgson is joined by familiar voices from across the UK humanist movement to reflect on the year just gone and look ahead to 2026. Together, they explore community-building, youth engagement, activism, collaboration, and why humanism continues to resonate in uncertain times.Guests & LinksLola Tinubu – Association of Black Humanists (ABH)Association of Black Humanists – https://www.meetup.com/association-of-black-humanists/Festival of Freethinking 2025 – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/festival-of-freethinking-2025-tickets-1755211267149/Secular Sankofa podcast – https://secularsankofa.buzzsprout.com/2532796/followABH on TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com...
2025-12-3138 min
Humanism Now | Secular Ethics, Curiosity and Compassionate Change24. Lori Marriott on Humanist Climate Action"A key tenet of humanism is empathy. Whether that's empathy for those around us or to all humans, but also we should extend that to all life of exists, and then forward in time, to future generations." - Lori MarriottThis week, Katia & Mark join the panel to discuss the merits of identifying with the humanist label. Plus we hear from Lori Marriott, Coordinator of Humanist Climate Action.References:Humanists UK: Defining HumanismHumanists International: What is Humanism?Humanists UK: How Humanist are you Quiz?UnderstandingHumanism.org.uk: Five Core FeaturesFollow...
2024-06-021h 13
Humanism Now | Secular Ethics, Curiosity and Compassionate Change22. Ojas Singh Bhanot on Cultivating Student Groups plus Fostering Scientific Literacy in Society"Humanism is about human goodness, appreciating reason & potential" - Ojas Singh BhanotThis week on Humanism Now, Mark & Nicole join the panel to discuss how illegal faith schools deny children the right to science, the importance of promoting scientific literacy across society and the impact of scientific fraud. This week's interview is with Ojas Singh Bhanot, Politics and Data Science student at the London School of Economics, where he Founded the Humanist Open Minds Students' Union group. His role involves leading a platform and promoting hum...
2024-04-281h 04
Humanism Now | Secular Ethics, Curiosity and Compassionate Change21. Valerie Jack on Finding Peace in Grief without God“The irony of man's condition is that the deepest need is to be free of the anxiety of death and annihilation; but it is life itself which awakens it, and so we must shrink from being fully alive.” ― Ernest Becker, The Denial of DeathEpisode References:BBC News: New extremism definition unveiled by governmentHumanists UK: Extremists ‘negate the fundamental rights and freedoms of others’ – humanists analyse new definition‘Resisting extremism means defending a tolerant society’, Andrew CopsonAtheist Bus CampaignRadio 5: Elis James and John Robins ShowAbout Valerie Jack;Living with Lif...
2024-04-0259 min
Humanism Now | Secular Ethics, Curiosity and Compassionate Change20. Monica Belițoiu, ASUR on Championing Secularism & Science Across EuropeWelcome back to Humanism Now! This week AJ & Mark from the Central London Humanists join the panel to discuss the latest news, plus our interview with Monica Belițoiu, Chair of The Romanian Secular Humanist Association (ASUR) .Episode References Humanist UK; Dr Rebecca Wragg Sykes awarded Darwin Day MedalRebecca Wragg Sykes InterviewHumanists UK; Assisted Dying CampaignAssisted Dying Inquiry Report | Everything you need to knowBBC News; Greece legalises same-sex marriageMatthew Walker; Why We SleepMonica BelițoiuFacebookInstagramHumanists International; Why I contribute my experience and time...
2024-03-171h 04
Humanism Now | Secular Ethics, Curiosity and Compassionate Change15. Scott Jacobsen on the Importance of Journalism plus Navigating Global Conflicts with Humanistic Values"Peace is more than just the absence of war. Peace requires respect for the worth and dignity of our fellow human beings, tolerance among individuals, and harmony within each person." Humanist International's Oslo Declaration on PeaceThis week, AJ and Mark tackle Humanist perspectives on global conflicts such as the current Israel-Palestine crisis and the role of religion in exacerbating or potentially resolving this deep-seated conflict. Our interview with journalist Scott Jacobson, whose boots on the ground in Ukraine bring a raw, provided an evidence-based angle to ou...
2024-01-211h 24
Humanism Now | Secular Ethics, Curiosity and Compassionate Change14. 2023 Review & 2024 Preview; Hope, Awe & Collective Human AchievementJoin us as we review the 2023 year in Humanism and preview the events for 2024 with our regular panellists, Mark, Nicole & Katia.Together with host James, they discuss; insights from 2023 meetups and conventions, inspiring personal experiences, a varied events calendar and the important role of humanist voices in 2024's major democratic elections. Finally we pay a special thanks to our Producer Rob, who is moving on to bigger things in 2024!This week's panel only discussion is themed around the values of hope, wonder and...
2024-01-071h 02
Humanism Now | Secular Ethics, Curiosity and Compassionate Change11. Madeleine Goodall on Britain's Humanist Heritage"Conscious morality cannot exist in any being except so far as it can look behind, before, and around; and can remember, compare, and reason about right and wrong so as to choose for itself, and for those it can influence, a given course." - Zona VallanceWhat does it mean to be a humanist in the modern world? Join James, Mark and new contributor Katia as we test the definition of humanism and assess how the term has evolved and what additions we'd like to see to reflect changing...
2023-12-101h 23Humanism Now | Secular Ethics, Curiosity and Compassionate Change9. Lucy Potter on Non-Religious Asylum Claims plus Tackling Misconceptions about HumanistsWelcome to Humanism Now. This week James is joined by Mark from Central London Humanists and Nicole of Leicester & Young Humanists to tackle more common misconceptions about humanism. The panel counter some of the frequent critiques of a humanist worldview; from misleading definitions of Humanism (by prominent thinkers!) to misperceptions of how humanists view religious people and whether we all politically aligned. In an enlightening conversation, Lucy Potter, a PhD candidate at the University of Sheffield, shares insights from her research project aimed to improve the handling of...
2023-11-261h 04Humanism Now | Secular Ethics, Curiosity and Compassionate Change7. Terri O'Sullivan, Faith to Faithless on Support for Leaving Religion plus Humanistic Approaches to Free SpeechThis week on Humanism now, Audrey & Mark join the panel to discuss taking a humanistic approach to issues around Free Speech and free expression, drawing on recent international news items. Our guest this week is Terri O'Sullivan from Faith to Faithless. Terri shares her deeply personal journey to humanism and her role as Apostate Services Development Officer, at FTF (part of Humanists UK). She also provides detailed advice for those seeking support when leaving high-control groups or experiencing religious trauma.Finally our mailbag question this week asks i...
2023-11-121h 24Humanism Now | Secular Ethics, Curiosity and Compassionate Change5. Emma Park, Editor of The Freethinker plus Humanism in Education & Science CommunicationThis week on Humanism now, Mark & AJ join the panel to discuss the role of science communication & humanism in education, with insights gathered from the New Scientist Conference. Dr. Emma Park, Editor of The Freethinker, provides a deep dive into the essence of freethought & the consequences of placing any views on an untouchable pedestal. Emma shares insights into the relationship between freethought & free speech, challenges to these freedoms & reviews the current status of non-religious movements. We end with our listener question: 'Is humanism a religion?'
2023-10-221h 17
Humanism Now | Secular Ethics, Curiosity and Compassionate Change3. Alex Williams on the Poetry of Discovery & What Humanism MeansMark Agathangelou, CLH Committee Member and active Event Organiser joins this week's panel to discuss finding Humanism through the One Life Course, hosing discussion groups and our recent 'What Humanism Means to Me' live open mic night.Plus our interview with the multi-talented Alex Williams; a poet, teacher, playwright, and author, who will shed light on the power of community within humanism. With his unique perspective, we'll explore the unique role of arts in creating compelling communities, how Alex defines humanism and what inspires his Secular Verses.Finally, we tackle our mailbag question this week: W...
2023-10-0655 min