Humanism Now

Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community! "Evidence is most powerful when it's paired with empathy." What is it like to come of age when politics has never felt calm? Tess Sumner has spent her entire adolescence inside a permanent sense of political crisis, and she has turned that into advocacy. In this episode, James speaks with Tess Sumner, a Harvard student and humanist writer, about her article "When Christian Nationalism Becomes Public Policy" and what the fight over church and state looks like to the next generation. We discuss how student accountability gets reframed as "religious discrimination", why so many young people feel exhausted and cynical about democracy, how the threat of doxxing and backlash quietly polices free expression, and why Tess believes humanism has a genuinely hopeful offer for Gen Z. About the guest Tess Sumner is a student at Harvard University studying government and English, and a youth advocate from New Hampshire focused on child welfare policy and church-state separation. A former intern with the American Humanist Association, she wrote the widely shared article "When Christian Nationalism Becomes Public Policy" for The Humanist. In this episode What a University of Oklahoma essay controversy reveals about how accountability gets reframed as religious discrimination Coming of age in permanent political crisis: why many in Gen Z feel exhausted, cynical and unsure what a functioning democracy looks like How the threat of doxxing and backlash quietly polices free expression, and what humanism offers as a response Chapters 00:00 Introduction: meet Tess Sumner 01:32 The article, and the Oklahoma essay controversy 05:31 Coming of age in constant political crisis 07:21 Where a disillusioned generation turns 08:51 Christian nationalism and the threat to democracy 10:59 Young Christian influencers and who they represent 13:08 What humanism offers Gen Z 14:34 Making the humanist case better 15:34 Where humanism meets everyday life 17:09 Self-policing and the chilling of free expression 19:23 Doxxing, threats and real-world consequences 23:59 How to resist: dialogue and rebuilding institutions 26:30 What's next for Tess 27:55 A vision for the future 28:46 Closing question: changing her mind Links and references Tess Sumner, "When Christian Nationalism Becomes Public Policy" (The Humanist): https://thehumanist.com/news/national/when-christian-nationalism-becomes-public-policy Tess Sumner, contributor page at The Humanist: https://thehumanist.com/contributor/tess-sumner/ American Humanist Association: https://americanhumanist.org Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community! www.humanism.now Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live, a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get started in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.live. Music: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Something a little different this week. James Hodgson took Humanism Now on the road to the World Humanist Congress 2026 in Ottawa, hosted by Humanists International and Humanists Canada, where more than 500 attendees from over 60 countries gathered around a single theme: resistance. Between sessions, James grabbed five minutes each with fellow attendees, some returning guests and many new faces, to hear what brought them there and what they are building back home. The result is a whistle-stop tour of the global humanist movement: civic participation and chaplaincy, coalition-building between atheists and humanists, humanist confirmations and ceremonies, and a first look at where the next Congress will be held. "One of the ways we build power to ensure society better reflects our values is by coming together." — James Croft Featured in this episode Bob Reuter, president of the Alliance of Humanists, Atheists and Agnostics (AHA) Luxembourg and co-host of the radio show Iwwer Gott an d'Welt James Croft, humanist chaplain and lead faith advisor at the University of Sussex Nick Fish, president of American Atheists Urtė Žukauskaitė-Zabukė, founder of HERE (formerly Happy Human Lithuania) Christian Lomsdalen, president of the Norwegian Humanist Association Maggie Ardiente, president of Humanists International Highlights Why "humanism as resistance" is the theme for this moment, and Maggie Ardiente on a movement responding to authoritarianism worldwide (plus a first look at the next Congress) James Croft and Nick Fish on civic participation, building coalitions, and why atheists and humanists share the same fight How Norway's 75 years of humanist confirmations built a movement approaching 198,000 members, and Lithuania's drive to scale humanist ceremonies around the world Chapters 00:00 Introduction: live from the World Humanist Congress 2026 00:52 Bob Reuter, AHA Luxembourg 02:44 James Croft, humanist chaplaincy at the University of Sussex 10:16 Nick Fish, American Atheists 17:06 Urtė Žukauskaitė-Zabukė, HERE (Lithuania) 20:53 Christian Lomsdalen, Norwegian Humanist Association 26:34 Maggie Ardiente, President of Humanists International Links and references Bob Reuter, AHA Luxembourg: https://www.aha.lu James Croft: https://www.croftspeaks.org Nick Fish, American Atheists: https://www.atheists.org Urtė Žukauskaitė-Zabukė, HIA: /https://www.hia.lt/en/ Christian Lomsdalen, Norwegian Humanist Association: https://www.human.no Maggie Ardiente, Humanists International: https://humanists.international Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community! www.humanism.now Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live, a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get started in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.live. Music: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community!⁠ "It's harder for the mass market to hit a moving target." — Rory Booth Punks had the mohawk. Ravers had the warehouse. What does humanism have? Historian and filmmaker Rory Booth studies how subcultures form, thrive and die, from 19th century Parisian bohemians to the British rave scene of the 1990s. He is also a founding member of Leicester Humanists. In this episode, we ask whether humanism qualifies as a subculture, and what organisers can steal from scenes that got it right. Rory argues that the visual definition of subculture, all style and shock, has been overplayed. What actually holds a scene together is language, humour, and above all space: the shared understanding that in this room, with these people, you are allowed to be a slightly different version of yourself. That, he suggests, is exactly what a humanist group offers, and it is why the venue you pick matters far more than most organisers realise. We also get into the life cycle problem. A subculture dies the moment the mainstream understands it, or worse, misunderstands it. So is being small and slightly illegible an advantage? And has the internet, with its infinite choice and its everyone-is-a-creator economy, made real subcultures impossible? Rory Booth is a historian and filmmaker specialising in cultural and urban history, with a focus on 19th century bohemianism and the 1990s rave scene. He is a founding member of Leicester Humanists, where he leads on events and works on school speaking and interfaith engagement. He also plays in punk and noise rock bands. In this episode Definitions of subculture as style, and why Rory thinks the visual emphasis has been overdone Why a scene often dies the moment the mainstream can name it, and what that means for a movement trying to grow Frame analysis, and the practical reason your venue changes what people feel able to say Did the internet killed the subculture? Too much choice, no physical presence, and a scene where everyone is a creator and nobody is the audience Hard-won advice for anyone starting or running a local group Links and references Leicester Humanists: https://humanists.uk/local-group/leicester/ Find your local humanist group (Humanists UK): https://humanists.uk/community/local-humanism/ Dick Hebdige, Subculture: The Meaning of Style (1979): https://www.routledge.com/Subculture-The-Meaning-of-Style/Hebdige/p/book/9780415039499 Erving Goffman, Frame Analysis (1974) and The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life E. M. Forster, Howards End, chapter 9, source of the "conversational hare": https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/howardsend/full-text/chapter-9/ Leicester Secular Hall, the world's first purpose-built secular hall: https://heritage.humanists.uk/leicester-secular-hall/ Related Humanism Now episodes Nicole Shasha, Rory's co-founder at Leicester Humanists, has appeared on the show several times, including Ep. 014, Ep. 019 and Ep. 059. Chapters: 00:00 Rory Booth on Exploring Subcultures: Definitions and Context 08:00 The Role of Subcultures in Society 13:38 Humanism as a Subculture 18:43 The Impact of the Internet on Subcultures 25:43 Creating and Sustaining Subcultures 31:40 Reflections on Change and Growth Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.live Music: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"I've never heard of humanism, but is this what I've been all along?" What happens when you discover the word for what you've believed your whole life? Shay Leonia came to humanism only recently, and rather than hide the learning curve, she has made it the heart of her work. In this episode, James Hodgson talks with Shay about her journey into humanism, the art of admitting what you don't know, and how to bring humanist values to people who have never heard the term. We discuss growing up with everyday kindness as a lived value, letting go of the supernatural without losing what matters, the AHA Creator Program and building coalitions beyond the secular space, and why humanism needs to become more accessible and more representative if it is going to grow. About the guest Shay Leonia is the communications manager at the American Humanist Association (AHA), where she hosts the How to Humanist podcast and runs AHA's Creator Program, partnering with content creators to bring humanism to new audiences. A lifelong musician based in Philadelphia, she founded the media company 44th Minute Media and came to humanism recently, arriving, as she puts it, curious, a little confused, and glad she stayed. In this episode How Shay discovered humanism through a job posting and realised it named the values she'd held all along Learning out loud: the "fourth wall break" behind How to Humanist, and why admitting what you don't know builds trust The AHA Creator Program, giving people a "soft landing" into humanism, and why the movement must become more accessible and representative Chapters 00:00 Introduction: meet Shay Leonia 01:18 Growing up, and early humanist values 03:11 A reformed Jewish upbringing 04:01 Discovering humanism through a job posting 05:17 Learning humanism in public 06:00 Talking across belief systems, and reforming your own views 08:53 Letting go of the supernatural 10:05 Breaking the fourth wall on How to Humanist 14:39 The AHA Creator Program 17:12 Building coalitions beyond the secular space 19:59 Giving people a "soft landing" into humanism 22:57 Humanism's blind spots: accessibility and representation 25:51 What role should the AHA play? 28:24 Advice for talking with allies 31:04 Leading with curiosity and compassion 31:32 Changing minds and letting go Links and references How to Humanist podcast: https://americanhumanist.org/how-to-humanist-podcast/ American Humanist Association: https://americanhumanist.org Greg Epstein, Good Without God (mentioned in the episode): https://www.gregmepstein.com Check out our new website and subscribe for updates: www.humanism.now Support Humanism Now and join our community Follow @HumanismNowPod on YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X | Bluesky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live, a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies and individuals across the globe. To start your own podcast, visit humanise.live or email hello@humanise.live. Music: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible and should not be treated as a fully accurate record of the conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"If there's a theme that unites all of Spinoza's philosophical writings, it's freedom: both personal freedom, how we become liberated from irrational passions, and political and social freedom, freedom of expression, freedom of belief and freedom of association." — Steven Nadler Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community!⁠ Baruch Spinoza was excommunicated by his own community, condemned across Europe, and called the most dangerous philosopher of his age. Centuries later, scholars still argue over what he actually believed. In this episode, James Hodgson speaks with Steven Nadler, one of the world's foremost authorities on Spinoza, about the man, his radical ideas, and the case that Spinoza was, in the modern sense, a genuine atheist. We explore what "atheist" even meant in the 17th century, why "God or nature" is not the same as pantheism, how Spinoza's defence of democracy and free expression anticipated modern liberal values, and why Einstein said his God was Spinoza's God. About the guest Steven Nadler is a Vilas Research Professor and the William H. Hay II Professor of Philosophy at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and one of the world's leading authorities on Spinoza. A Pulitzer Prize finalist, his books include Spinoza: A Life and A Book Forged in Hell. His latest is Spinoza, Atheist. In this episode Who Spinoza was, his 1656 excommunication, and why his works were branded "soul-destroying" and "forged by the devil" What "atheist" meant in the 17th century, and how it differs from Spinoza's atheism in the modern sense Why "God or nature" (Deus sive natura) marks the line between the pantheist and the atheist Spinoza's timeless case for democracy, freedom of belief, and separating church from state Chapters 00:00 Introduction: who was Spinoza? 01:27 Excommunication and the major works 03:51 The Dutch Republic, Amsterdam and religious tolerance 06:23 What "atheist" meant in the 17th century 09:59 Adriaan Koerbagh and the Theological-Political Treatise 13:35 What Spinoza was really advocating for 16:32 How radical the ideas were, and how they spread 20:23 "God or nature": the pantheism question 24:19 Einstein's God and Spinoza's God 26:03 The many Spinozas: interpretation vs claiming him 29:06 Why Spinoza was an atheist in the modern sense 30:13 Was Spinoza a humanist? 32:08 Spinoza's legacy: freedom and human flourishing 34:45 Closing question: changing his mind Links and references Steven Nadler Spinoza, Atheist (Princeton University Press): https://press.princeton.edu/our-authors/nadler-steven A Book Forged in Hell: https://www.amazon.com/Book-Forged-Hell-Spinozas-Scandalous/dp/069116018X Spinoza's works and resources The Ethics (full text, Project Gutenberg): https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3800 Theological-Political Treatise (full text, Project Gutenberg): https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/989 Museum Het Spinozahuis, the Spinoza House: https://spinozahuis.nl/en/home-en/ Baruch Spinoza, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/spinoza/ Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a rating and review, and share it with a friend. Join our community on Ko-fi for exclusive content and to support the show. Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow us on all socials @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.live Music: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Education shouldn't be about telling young people what to think. It should be telling them how they can think." — Sharon Booth How do you hold an honest conversation about one of the world's most divisive conflicts, in a school classroom, without it descending into a shouting match? This episode looks at peace education: the skills, the psychology and the facilitation that let people disagree deeply while still recognising each other's humanity. Our guest is Sharon Booth, founder and executive director of Solutions Not Sides (SNS), an educational charity that brings young Palestinian and Israeli peacebuilders into UK schools to share their stories and equip students to think for themselves. Sharon moderated the acclaimed "No Hope But Peace" dialogue at the Festival of Humanism in Bournemouth. In this conversation we cover: The SNS "PEACE" model and the three E's (exploration, empathy, empowerment), and why dialogue alone can do harm if it doesn't lead to change How social media and the "age of outrage" made people less willing to participate, and what Haidt's elephant and rider teaches us about why Creating "safe and brave" spaces, defusing in-group / out-group thinking, and the role Sharon believes humanists should play in peacebuilding Links: Solutions Not Sides: https://www.solutionsnotsides.co.uk No Hope But Peace (our earlier episode with Yaniv Aknin and Jasr Kawkby): https://humanismnow.buzzsprout.com Jonathan Haidt, The Righteous Mind: https://righteousmind.com Chapters: 00:00 Introduction: Sharon Booth and Solutions Not Sides 02:02 Founding SNS and what peace education means 04:15 The three E's: exploration, empathy, empowerment 06:09 A more divided society: social media, COVID and outrage 08:53 The PEACE model, step by step 15:24 What young people teach us, and Haidt's elephant and rider 19:20 Creating safe and brave spaces 23:15 The Bournemouth dialogue and facilitating hard questions 28:31 Two stories from the classroom 34:53 Religion, nationalism and internal transformation 39:13 What role should humanists play in peacebuilding? 44:25 How to book or support SNS 45:29 Closing question: leaving evangelical Christianity Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.live Music: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support Humanism Now and Join Our Community! — https://ko-fi.com/humanismnowpod"We are creatures of matter who long to matter — and one of the strongest manifestations of this is people who deny that we are matter."Professor Rebecca Newberger Goldstein is a philosopher, novelist, and MacArthur Fellow whose books include The Mind-Body Problem, Incompleteness, Betraying Spinoza, and 36 Arguments for the Existence of God (a work of fiction). In 2015 she was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Obama and has been named Humanist of the Year by the American Humanist Association. She joins us to discuss her latest book, The Mattering Instinct: How Our Deepest Longing Drives Us and Divides Us, and will be the keynote speaker at the World Humanist Congress in Ottawa this August.Topics we cover✔︎ What the mattering instinct is, where it comes from, and why it may be the defining feature of our species ✔︎ The four locations on the mattering map — transcenders, communal materers, heroic strivers, and competitors — and what they reveal about human motivation ✔︎ Why public debates about religion so often fail — and what understanding mattering tells us about how to talk across belief dividesConnect with Rebecca and find out moreThe Mattering Instinct: https://www.rebeccagoldstein.com/books/the-mattering-instinctRebecca's website: https://www.rebeccagoldstein.comWorld Humanist Congress, Ottawa, August 2026: https://humanists.international/world-humanist-congressSend us Fan MailSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community!Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSkyHumanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light PrismPodcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community! | https://ko-fi.com/humanismnowpod"I found atheism is not an inoculation against irrationality or awfulness." — Seth AndrewsSeth Andrews spent 14 years as a Christian radio host before becoming one of the most recognisable voices in atheist and humanist media as host of The Thinking Atheist Podcast. In this conversation, he traces his slow-burn deconstruction from devout evangelical broadcaster to skeptic, why he now leads with "humanist" rather than "atheist," and why leaving religion is no inoculation against tribalism, dogma, or bad ideas, on either side of the God question.Our guest is Seth Andrews, host of The Thinking Atheist podcast, YouTube channel and online community, and of the podcast True Stories with Seth Andrews. A former Christian radio broadcaster, he is the author of six books, including Deconverted: A Journey from Religion to Reason and his latest, Christianity Made Me Talk Like an Idiot.In this conversation we cover:His decades-long, slow-burn deconstruction from devout evangelical broadcaster to "The Thinking Atheist," and the fear that kept him anonymous for the show's first two yearsWhy he leads with "humanist" rather than "atheist" today, and why disbelief in God guarantees nothing about a person's rationality or characterHow online tribalism and algorithm-driven echo chambers have reshaped debate on both sides of the God question, and why he's leaned harder into humanism and politics as a resultLINKS & REFERENCESSeth AndrewsPersonal site: https://www.sethandrews.comThe Thinking Atheist: https://www.thethinkingatheist.comTrue Stories with Seth Andrews: https://www.truestoriespodcast.comBooks: https://www.sethandrews.com/booksInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sethandrewstta/X: https://x.com/SethAndrewsTTAYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheThinkingAtheistMentioned in this episodeSeth Andrews, Christianity Made Me Talk Like an Idiot: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1977250785Seth Andrews, Deconverted: A Journey from Religion to Reason: https://www.sethandrews.com/booksSend us Fan MailSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community!Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSkyHumanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light PrismPodcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community!"I don't think that we have any solid evidence of a religious revival underway in England, or for that matter, anywhere else." — David VoasIn April 2025, the Bible Society published a report claiming church attendance in England had surged by more than 50% since 2018, with young men's churchgoing up fivefold. It made national headlines. A year later, both YouGov and the Bible Society retracted it. This episode unpacks what actually went wrong: bots and bogus respondents in online survey panels, why the data never supported the story, and what decades of solid evidence tell us instead about religious decline in Britain.Our guest is Dr. David Voas, Emeritus Professor of Social Science at UCL, where he led the Social Research Institute from 2016 to 2020. A quantitative social scientist, he has spent his career studying religious change in modern societies, and his TEDx talk, "Why There Is No Way Back for Religion in the West," has been viewed nearly two million times.In this conversation we cover:How AI chatbots, survey farming and bogus respondents undermined the survey data, and why this is an industry-wide problem, not a one-offThe three ways sociologists actually measure religiosity — identity, practice and belief — and why they don't always move togetherWhy secularisation is a generational process that plays out over centuries, and what fills the space religion leaves behindLINKS & REFERENCESDavid VoasUCL profile: https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/56605-david-voasTEDx talk, "Why There Is No Way Back for Religion in the West": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtAR_OGzlcg"Why Humanism Is the Future" — Humanists UK Convention 2023: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfI7VgkDFMg"Is there really a religious revival in England? Why I'm sceptical of a new report" (UCL News/The Conversation, 16 June 2025): https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2025/jun/comment-there-really-religious-revival-england-why-im-sceptical-new-reportBritish Religion in Numbers: https://www.brin.ac.ukMentioned in this episodeBible Society, "The Quiet Revival" report (retracted): https://www.biblesociety.org.uk/research/quiet-revivalBBC News coverage of the report's retraction: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpwjxx5eyn1oChristian Smith, Why Religion Went Obsolete (Oxford University Press): https://global.oup.com/academic/product/why-religion-went-obsolete-9780197800737If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review — it helps more people find the show. Support Humanism Now from just £5/month for exclusive content, a say in future episodes, and we'll plant a tree each month in your name. Follow us @HumanismNowPod.Send us Fan MailSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community!Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSkyHumanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light PrismPodcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

"I used to think eugenics had died out after the Second World War. I no longer believe that, unfortunately." — Rebecca SearMost of us think of eugenics as a horror confined to the past. It isn't. This episode examines the worrying re-emergence of eugenics and scientific racism, from discredited claims about race and intelligence to the far-right money funding them, and asks how we defend good science against bad-faith actors. Along the way, Rebecca overturns another myth, that the isolated nuclear family is "traditional", and explains why demographers are far calmer about falling birth rates than the headlines suggest.Our guest is Professor Rebecca Sear, an evolutionary behavioural scientist and demographer at Brunel University London, where she directs the Centre for Culture and Evolution. She is co-founder of the European Human Behaviour and Evolution Association and a Fellow of the British Academy.In this conversation we cover:The re-emergence of eugenics and biological essentialism, and how old ideas are being repackaged for a modern audienceRichard Lynn's discredited national IQ database, the far-right money behind scientific racism, and how to spot bad-faith scienceWhy cooperative childrearing is the human norm, and how "population panic" over falling fertility has been used to justify real human rights abusesIn this conversation we cover:Why cooperative childrearing is the human norm, and what the "male breadwinner" nuclear family gets wrongWhy demographers are not panicking about falling fertility, and how "population panic" has been used to justify real human rights abusesThe modern resurgence of eugenics and scientific racism, from Richard Lynn's discredited national IQ database to how to spot bad-faith scienceLINKS & REFERENCESRebecca SearBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/rebeccasear.bsky.socialLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-sear-8183551Sear, R. (2021) The male breadwinner nuclear family is not the 'traditional' human family. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 376: 20200020. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2020.0020Sear, R. (2021) Demography and the rise, apparent fall and resurgence in eugenics. Population Studies 75(Suppl 1): 201-220. https://doi.org/10.1080/00324728.2021.2009013Samorodnitsky, Bird, Carlson, Lingford, Phillips, Sear & Townsend (2024) Journals should retract Richard Lynn's racist 'research' articles. STAT. https://www.statnews.com/2024/06/20/richard-lynn-racist-research-articles-journals-retractions/Mentioned in this episodeSarah Hrdy (2009) Mothers and Others: The Evolutionary Origins of Mutual Understanding. https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674060326Quinn Slobodian (2025) Hayek's Bastards: Race, Gold, IQ, and the Capitalism of the Far Right. https://press.princeton.edu/books/ebook/9781890951931/hayeks-bastardsThe Guardian / Hope not Hate investigation into a US-funded 'race science' network (October 2024). https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/16/revealed-international-race-science-network-secretly-funded-by-us-tech-bossSend us Fan MailSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community!Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSkyHumanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light PrismPodcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

 "One of the things I heard again and again was: I thought I was the only one." — Muhammad Syed Leaving religion can be one of the most liberating decisions of a person's life. For those leaving Islam, it can also be one of the most dangerous. This episode looks at why so many ex-Muslims stay hidden, how community breaks that isolation, and what the data really tells us about people leaving the faith worldwide.Our guest is Muhammad Syed, human rights activist, writer, and co-founder and president of Ex-Muslims of North America (EXMNA), the first ex-Muslim advocacy and community organisation in North America.In this conversation we cover:Why so many ex-Muslims believe they are "the only one", and how visibility and community change thatWhat scripture, interpretation and culture each contribute to the risks ex-Muslims face, from loss of family to threats of violenceThe numbers behind a global trend, and how both the political left and right get the conversation wrongLinks for support:Ex-Muslims of North America: https://exmuslims.orgFaith to Faithless (UK support): https://www.humanists.uk/our-work/faith-to-faithless/r/exmuslim global reddit community: https://www.reddit.com/r/exmuslim/References:Pakistan college student lynched after discussing Adam and Eve/incestNigeria college girl lynched over a WhatsApp class chatAyan Hirsi Ali threatened, lost security/neighborhood in Netherlands, moved to U.S.Somali gay atheist kidnapped/taken to Kenya for “re-education”Canadian mother whose children were taken to Africa; hasn't seen them in over a decadeEx-Muslim husband/wife/siblings chain deconversion storyIIraq lowering age of consent/marriage age to nine-Pew: one in four U.S. Muslims raised Muslim have left Islam-Pew: among U.S. ex-Muslims, ~55% became nonbelievers and ~23% became Christian-Arab Barometer: younger people in parts of North Africa around 18% nonreligious/nonbelieving-Turkey survey showing rising nonbelief-Iran survey showing roughly 40% nonbelief -Saudi Arabia survey showing ~4–5% confirmed atheists, higher broader nonbelief-Pakistan poll: ~60–70% support killing apostates-EXMNA data/reporting: ~60% lost friends/social circle; similar share verbal abuse; high 40s/around 50% lost family; one in three experienced threats of violenceSend us Fan MailSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community!Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSkyHumanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light PrismPodcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

"It's really about what happens when kindness is the first response to strangeness." — Kestral GaianWhat does it take to stay human in a world that often forgets what that means? This episode explores storytelling as an act of resistance: why humans need fiction, why representation matters, and how meeting difference with curiosity rather than judgement can ease the loneliness of modern life.Our guest is Kestral Gaian, an award-winning writer of fiction, theatre and poetry, whose debut young adult novel "The Boy From Elsewhere" is out now.In this conversation we cover:The origins of "The Boy From Elsewhere", born from a 26-hour charity writing livestream, and what tiredness taught Kestral about creativity and craftWhy storytelling is fundamental to being human, and how representation shapes what young readers believe is possibleWhether all art is political, the recent publishing pushback against LGBTQ+ fiction, and meeting strangeness with kindnessLinks:The Boy From Elsewhere: https://reconnectingrainbows.co.uk/book/tbfe/Kestral Gaian's website: https://kestr.alSupport Humanism Now: https://ko-fi.com/humanismnowpodSend us Fan MailSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community!Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSkyHumanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light PrismPodcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

"Many in society saw the news and understood there's no hope for peace. But I understood there's no hope but peace." — Yaniv AkninWhat does humanism actually ask of us when we confront the Israel-Palestine conflict? In this episode we preview a special Festival of Humanism session, exploring how secular, rational and compassionate values can cut through motivated reasoning and moral blind spots to rebuild shared ground between Palestinians and Israelis.Our guests are Dr Jasr Kawkby, a British-Palestinian paediatrician raised in Gaza, and Yaniv Aknin, a British-Israeli software engineer and former soldier, who work together on peacebuilding, dialogue and nonviolent advocacy.In this conversation we cover:Their personal journeys from a Gaza refugee camp and a secular Zionist household in Tel Aviv to a shared humanist platformHow humanist values (curiosity, rationality, secularism and the dignity of every life) can reframe history, accountability and the path forwardWhy both believe nonviolence and sustained dialogue, not force, are the only routes to peace, justice and equalityJasr and Yaniv host "No Hope But Peace: A Dialogue Between an Israeli and a Palestinian" at the Festival of Humanism in Bournemouth on 13–14 June.Links:Festival of Humanism 2026: https://humanists.uk/events/festival2026/Send us Fan MailSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community!Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSkyHumanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light PrismPodcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

 "It's amazing how enduring humans can be with their willingness to look for good." Kimberly Haley-Coleman is the founder and executive director of GlobeAware, a nonprofit building ethical, community-led volunteer service programmes across more than 25 countries. With a background spanning international business, nonprofit leadership, and global partnership building, Kimberly has spent years thinking deeply about how service, cultural exchange, and shared work can bring people together with dignity, curiosity, and compassion.Topics we cover✔︎ What ethical volunteering actually looks like — and why locally led, community-designed programmes are so different from voluntourism ✔︎ How shared work breaks down assumptions faster than almost anything else — and what that means for building genuine cross-cultural empathy ✔︎ How GlobeAware's programmes are responding to sweeping foreign aid cuts and what resilience looks like on the ground in 2026Connect with Kimberly and Globe AwareWebsite www.globeaware.orgFacebook https://www.facebook.com/globeawareLinkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlyglobeaware/Podcasts https://open.spotify.com/show/6n9cfb4QIVb2aqUD6XSttEInstagram https://www.instagram.com/globeaware/Youtube: https://youtube.com/@globeawareX Twitter: https://twitter.com/GlobeAwareLinkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/globe-aware/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@globe_awareWikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globe_AwareBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/globeaware.bksy.socialPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/globeaware/Send us Fan MailSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community!Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSkyHumanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light PrismPodcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

Support Humanism Now and Join Our Community! "Dogmatism is the enemy of reason, after all."Dr Anjan Chakravartty is the Apignani Foundation Chair for the Study of Atheism, Humanism, and Secular Ethics at the University of Miami and a philosopher of science whose work explores the nature of knowledge and what science tells us about the world. His latest edited volume, Science and Humanism: Knowledge, Values, and the Common Good, brings together leading philosophers to examine the relationship between science and humanist values — historically deep and increasingly urgent.Topics we cover✔︎ Why science is not a value-neutral tool — and why humanists need to think more carefully about what science is actually for ✔︎ How disinformation campaigns exploit the language of science to manufacture doubt on climate, health, and more ✔︎ What a genuinely humanistic science looks like in practice — from diversifying research communities to confronting scientismConnect with Dr Chakravartty and find out moreUniversity of Miami profile: https://people.miami.edu/profile/axc1256@miami.eduScience and Humanism: Knowledge, Values, and the Common Good: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/science-and-humanism/Personal Website: https://anjanchakravartty.com/Send us Fan MailMessy Midlife: Honest conversations about hormones, identity, and change.Three naturopathic doctors. One therapist. Unfiltered talks about the midlife transition.Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community!Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSkyHumanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light PrismPodcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

Support Humanism Now and Join Our Community!"Culture is a representation of what our habits are on a daily basis. If we drop the habit, we are not building the culture we're wanting to see."Dr AJ Lauer is a leadership and diversity educator, executive coach, and founder of Thriving IBIS Leadership Solutions. With two decades of experience across higher education, non-profit research, and STEM, she specialises in imposter syndrome, psychological safety, and helping organisations make more human-centred decisions. She is also the author of My Monster Mungo, an illustrated book for adults about the imposter phenomenon.Topics we cover✔︎ What the imposter phenomenon actually is — and why 82% of people experience it ✔︎ How to build psychologically safe, inclusive teams where dissent and creativity are welcomed ✔︎ Why burnout and perfectionism are connected — and how leaders can interrupt the cycleConnect with Dr AJ LauerThriving IBIS Leadership Solutions: https://www.thrivingibis.comMy Monster Mungo — illustrated book: https://www.thrivingibis.com/my-monster-mungoSend us Fan MailSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community!Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSkyHumanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light PrismPodcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

"You are unlocked to a whole new world... you're not alone, and it's that community that makes you reaffirming yourself"Timothy David, known as Tim Talks, is a UK-based content creator whose TikTok videos on humanism, faith deconstruction, and Black freethinking have racked up millions of views. Drawing on his own journey away from Pentecostal Christianity, Tim uses social media to spark honest conversations about belief, identity, inclusivity, and what it means to question everything.Topics we cover✔︎ What deconstruction really means and why it is a lifelong process rather than a single moment ✔︎ Why social media is a powerful tool for humanists — and why more of us should be using it ✔︎ How to start questioning your own beliefs and build community on the other side of faithConnect with TimothyTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@_timtalksInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/_t1m24YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TimTalksUKSend us Fan MailSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community!Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSkyHumanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light PrismPodcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

Support Humanism Now and Join Our Community!https://ko-fi.com/humanismnowpod"That's what humanism is about, isn't it? That we have the freedom to do whatever we feel is right for us."Tale Pleym is Chair of the European Humanist Professionals and Senior Ceremonial Advisor of the Norwegian Humanist Association, where she has been conducting humanist ceremonies for more than 15 years. She joins us to explore how humanist ceremonies and secular services are shared and strengthened across Europe, and what organised humanism can achieve when it grows deep roots in society.Topics we cover✔︎ How the European Humanist Professionals network connects practitioners across borders through webinars, workshops, and conferences ✔︎ How Norway's humanist confirmation became a genuine secular rite of passage that now outgrows the church in major cities ✔︎ What other humanist organisations can learn from Norway — and what large organisations can learn from small onesConnect with Tale and find out moreNorwegian Humanist Association: https://www.human.no/om-oss/norwegian-humanist-associationEmail: tale.pleym@human.noEuropean Humanist Professionals: https://www.humanistprofessionals.euFestival of Humanism, Bournemouth — Humanists UK: https://humanists.uk/events/festival2026/Send us Fan MailSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community!Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSkyHumanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light PrismPodcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

Subscribe to Unholy Histories wherever you get your podcasts:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unholy-histories-the-humanist-heritage-podcast-from/id1893320823Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3HrZ03nnR0IL6PewJUc9mrAmazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/a72f5775-dd9b-4b6f-bd67-4df519ca5556/unholy-histories-the-humanist-heritage-podcast-from-humanists-ukYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuiqL_-wjBYa1Owup4iQlUD6TZ-IGjEHjPodcast Addict: https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/unholy-histories-the-humanist-heritage-podcast-from-humanists-uk/6544180All other Podcast Directories: https://unholyhistories.humanists.uk/2489236/follow********Unholy Histories is the new Humanist Heritage Podcast from Humanists UK and inspired by the research of the Humanist Heritage Project.Join Andrew Copson and Madeleine Goodall as they uncover the rebels, reformers, and freethinkers who shaped a more open and compassionate Britain.The first episodes go live very soon. Subscribe now via your preferred podcast app to be notified the moment new episodes are released.Join Humanists UK: humanists.uk/joinDiscover more Humanist Heritage: heritage.humanists.ukSend us your questions or feedback to unholy@Humanise.LiveUnholy Histories is produced by Humanise Live a production agency creating values-led podcast content. Start podcasting today at humanise.liveMusic: Small Things by Simon FolwarSend us Fan MailSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community!Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSkyHumanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light PrismPodcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

Support Humanism Now and Join Our Community! Micki McAllen, known online as Apostate Barbie, spent 30 years as a Jehovah's Witness before leaving in 2021. Now based in the UK, she uses social media to raise awareness of high control religious groups, support others navigating life beyond faith, and advocate for an end to mandated shunning.Topics we cover✔︎ What life inside a high control group really looks like — and how coercive control works without physical force ✔︎ The Norway Supreme Court case challenging government funding of the JWs over shunning practices ✔︎ How to rebuild community, identity, and agency after leaving a high control religionConnect with MickiInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/apostatebarbie/References and further readingJWFacts.com — ex-Witness resource recommended by Micki: https://www.jwfacts.comFaith to Faithless — UK support for those leaving high control religion: https://faithtofaithless.comStop Mandated Shunning — organisation Micki volunteers with: https://www.stopmandatedshunning.org/BITE Model of authoritarian control — Steven Hassan: https://www.bitemodel.comDecult Conference, New Zealand: https://www.decult.nzSend us Fan MailSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community!Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSkyHumanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light PrismPodcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

Support Humanism Now and Join Our Community!  “Curiosity leads to fully understanding someone's situation and being empathetic to that person.” Steve Ghikadis is a Humanist Officiant, author, and speaker who leads secular weddings, memorials, and other life-affirming ceremonies in Ontario. In this conversation, he explores street epistemology, interfaith family life, raising curious and compassionate children, and why humanism needs to lead with empathy as well as reason.Connect with Steve steveghikadis.com Humanist Canada Officiant Profilefacebook.com/steve.ghikadis instagram.com/steve.ghikadis/ tiktok.com/@humanismfromtheheart Goodreads – Steve_GhikadisTopics we coverStreet epistemology in practiceDisagreeing with kindness & curiosityInterfaith relationships Raising curious, empathetic kidsHumanist weddings in CanadaMorality without religionResources & further readingHumanism from the Heart: Building Bridges Beyond Belief – Steve Ghikadis (2024) Recovering from ReligionSunday AssemblyEvidence and Understanding –The Humanist (2025)What the Heck Is That!?!” The Humanist (2024)Interfaith Family – Marriage and Parenting with Mutual Respect – Humanist Canada (2024) Send us Fan MailSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community!Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSkyHumanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light PrismPodcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

Support Humanism Now and Join Our Community! - ko-fi.com/humanismnowpod "Science is not objective. It is subjective. And I think having conversations about it is very important." Dr Jenny Lange is a neuroscientist specialising in uncovering the mechanisms of rare neurological disorders. She is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London. Outside the lab, Dr Lange is a public speaker and writer on medical history, the intersection of science and literature, and scientific ethics.Things we discussThe history of quackery and why charlatans follow the same playbookResearch abuses that have legitimately fueled mistrust in scienceHow to practice healthy, proportional skepticism and spot the difference between real and pseudoscienceReferences:William J. A. Bailey and Radithor: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_J._A._BaileyThe Tuskegee Syphilis Study: https://www.history.com/articles/the-infamous-40-year-tuskegee-studyThe Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6493208-the-immortal-life-of-henrietta-lacksAndrew Wakefield and the discredited MMR-autism study: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_WakefieldPaolo Macchiarini trachea implant scandal: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paolo_MacchiariniGreenwich Skeptics in the Pub: https://www.meetup.com/greenwich-skeptics-in-the-pub/Send us Fan MailSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community!Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSkyHumanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light PrismPodcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

"Home Office officials do not understand what apostasy is — and this affects how non-religious asylum seekers are recognised, questioned, and believed."Dr Lucy Potter returns to Humanism Now to share the findings of her landmark new report on non-religious asylum claims in the UK, produced in collaboration with Humanists UK. Drawing on three years of in-depth qualitative research, the report is the first study to analyse Home Office decision-making policies for those seeking asylum on the basis of leaving religion or non-religious identity.Things we discuss✔︎ Why the Home Office misunderstands apostasy✔︎ Cultural bias in credibility assessments ✔︎ How interpretation errors can undermine asylum claims✔︎ Policy recommendations for fairer decision-makingRead the reportAvailable from Humanists UK (https://humanists.uk) from 24 March 2026.Attend the report launch

"An estimated one person in three seeking asylum in the UK has experienced torture in their home country."This is a bonus episode of Humanism Now, recorded as part of Podcasthon 2026: the global initiative uniting podcasters to raise awareness for charitable causes. This year, we are supporting Freedom from Torture, a UK charity that has spent more than 40 years providing specialist therapeutic care, rehabilitation, and advocacy to survivors of torture. Their work centres on restoring dignity, safety, and hope to people who have endured unimaginable harm and campaigning to hold perpetrators accountable worldwide.We are delighted to be joined by Ann Salter, Head of Clinical Services Northwest at Freedom from Torture, who has worked clinically with survivors of torture for over 20 years.How to support Freedom from TortureDonateGet involved in their campaignsRefer yourself or someone else for supportThings we discussHow Freedom from Torture has supported survivors for 40 years The shocking scale of torture globally — and why it still demands our attention The psychological impact of torture and what recovery really looks like Why community belonging is central to rehabilitation Freedom from Torture's role in the Pinochet case and blocking the Rwanda deportation schemeAbout PodcasthonPodcasthon is a global initiative uniting podcasters around the world to shine a light on the charities and causes that matter. If you host a podcast and want to get involved, find out more and register at podcasthon.org.Send us Fan MailSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community!Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSkyHumanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light PrismPodcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

 "We're at a time when we need critical thinking more than ever, and sadly, I'm not really seeing it happening." Professor Chris French is one of the world's leading researchers in anomalistic psychology and critical thinking. As former head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit at Goldsmiths, University of London, author of The Science of Weird Sh*t, patron of Humanists UK, and former editor of The Skeptic magazine, Chris has spent decades investigating paranormal claims, debunking fraudsters, and exploring the psychology of belief. In this conversation, he unpacks why the paranormal is worth taking seriously as a scientific and psychological subject, what his own near-miss with precognition research taught him, why deliberate con artists deserve far more condemnation than sincere believers, and why we urgently need better critical thinking in schools, in public life, and in our politics.Connect with Professor FrenchChris's websiteChris's Guardian columnChris's Skeptic columnChris's profile page at GoldmithsChris on BlueskyChris being interviewed on the Plutopia podcastThe Science of Weird Shit on Bookshop.orgSend us Fan MailSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community!Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSkyHumanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light PrismPodcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

“Chaplaincy is defined by function, it's not defined by belief.”Padre Dr Neil Weddell, the first ever non-religious pastoral carer (humanist chaplain) appointed in the British Army, joins Humanism Now alongside Clare Elcombe Webber, Director of Humanist Care at Humanists UK. We explore what chaplaincy really is, why this appointment is a historic shift for belief-diverse Armed Forces, and what humanist pastoral care looks like in practice for serving personnel and their families. Topics we coverThe evolving purpose of ChaplaincyWhy the Army's first non-religious chaplain is such a landmark moment “Presence”, confidentiality, and sitting outside the chain of commandStoicism, existentialism, and humanistic psychology as practical frameworks for moral and pastoral supportHow humanist chaplaincy strengthens, not replaces, religious chaplaincyWhere chaplaincy fits alongside welfare and medical support in a whole-person wellbeing systemCeremonies in military life: inclusive funerals, namings, and personal milestonesWhat it takes to become a non-religious pastoral carer, and the pathway into the professionResources & further readingRoyal Army Chaplains' Department: https://www.army.mod.uk/learn-and-explore/about-the-army/corps-regiments-and-units/royal-army-chaplains-department/Army Jobs -Chaplain role overview: https://jobs.army.mod.uk/roles/royal-army-chaplains-department/chaplain/Non-Religious Pastoral Support Network (NRPSN): https://nrpsn.org.uk/Humanists UK - First-ever humanist pastoral carer in the UK Armed Forces:  https://humanists.uk/2025/10/07/first-ever-humanist-pastoral-carer-in-the-uk-armed-forces-2/Soldier Magazine - “New kinda padre in town”:  https://soldier.army.mod.uk/issues/november-2025/update/new-padreSend a textSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

SUBSCRIBE TO FREEDOM OF THOUGHT:Apple PodcastsSpotifyAmazon MusicPodcast AddictYouTubeAll other podcast platforms********Sign up for the Humanists International NewsletterWelcome to Freedom of Thought a new podcast series by Humanists International!In this first episode hosts Gary McLellend and Leon Langdon introduce Humanists International, the global representative body at the heart of the humanist movement, how a global humanist network works inside the UN system, and why universal rights need a louder defence right now. We share the member‑led model, lessons from the IRF Summit, and what really happens inside the UN Human Rights Council.In this first episode we cover:The formation and ethos of Humanists InternationalOur member‑led structure and global reachLived experience informing advocacyReflections on the 2026 IRF SummitFractures in human rights spaces and how to address themWhat happens inside the Human Rights Council Why start this podcast now and what comes nextWhy attend the World Humanist Congress 2026How to shape the conversation, support us and followFollow Humanist InternationalSupport Humanists InternationalAbout - Humanists InternationalJoin us at the World Humanists Congress 2026Freedom of Thought is produced by Humanise Live

"If science tells you what's real and compassion tells you what's right, you're a humanist" - Fish StarkFish Stark, Executive Director of the American Humanist Association (AHA), joins Humanism Now to unpack what a modern humanist revival could look like in the United States. From creator-led storytelling to legal strategy and mutual aid, Fish shares how the AHA is building power, community, and a clearer public-facing vision of humanism rooted in empathy, agency, and responsibility.Connect with Fish StarkPersonal Website – fishstark.comAHA Speakers BureauLinkedInTopics we coverWhy Fish believes the moment is right for a “humanist revival” in AmericaHumanism as identity, not just ideas: agency, responsibility, and moral confidenceWhat the AHA actually does: community-building, lobbying, legal action, and public narrativeWhy the real arena is online, and how the AHA is backing creators to meet people where they areChurch-state separation under pressure, and how coercion shows up in schools and public lifeHumanist chaplaincy and “parallel place” legal recognition as a strategic advantageThe American Empathy Project and why mutual aid is humanism in practiceWhat comedy teaches about organising: pacing, attention, clarity, and joyResources & further readingHumanist Manifesto I – American Humanist Association (1933) – https://americanhumanist.org/what-is-humanism/manifesto1/Peace First – https://peacefirst.org/Born This Way Foundation  – https://bornthisway.foundation/The Good Place – https://www.nbc.com/the-good-placePerson-centered therapy (Carl Rogers) overview – NCBI Bookshelf / StatPearls (2023) – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK589708/Send a textSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

“It was a very safe space to be able to say, I got that wrong.”CampQuest UK Programme Director Alistair Lichten (Humanist Dad) and camper-turned-volunteer Katy Pugh join Humanism Now to unpack why a secular camp matters, and how a weekend of outdoor adventure, hands-on science, and Philosophy for Children helps young people practise curiosity, confidence, and respectful disagreement.Discover CampQuest UK2026 Family Camp – dates, location, pricing, booking– https://campquest.uk/2026-family-camp-pilot/More info on Humanists UK WebsiteFollow Alistair on the HumanistDad BlogTopics we cover ✔︎ Why CampQuest began, and what a secular camp offers that most camps do not ✔︎ How outdoor challenge makes speaking up feel less scary ✔︎ The 2026 family camp, and what the weekend format looks like ✔︎ Philosophy for Children: stimulus, question-voting, and “speaking object” rules ✔︎ Encouraging values without dogma: standards of behaviour that protect freedom of thought ✔︎ What kids actually take home: reasoning, confidence, and not taking disagreement personally ✔︎ Alumni impact, volunteer growth, and rebuilding community year to year ✔︎ Practical booking and arrival expectations for the May bank holiday campResources & further readingPhilosophy for Children (P4C): SAPERE / Thoughtful – training and overview of the method – https://www.sapere.org.uk/ and “What is P4C?” The Ship of Theseus (identity over time): Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophySend a textSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

“Humanism is increasing well-being and decreasing suffering for as many people as possible.”  - Wil Jeudy In this episode, Wil Jeudy, a secular humanist and political organiser based in Texas, shares how empathy shaped his journey from disengaged voter to coalition-builder, why secular government protects believers and non-believers alike, and how coordinated local action can push back against Christian nationalism.Topics we cover Humanism as empathy in action and a guide for political engagement Why secular government safeguards freedom for everyone Texas as a frontline in the rise of Christian nationalism Building coalitions across secular and religious communities Turning community into political influence without burnoutResources & further readingFollow Wil on Instagram: @wil_jay3Secular Houston – Coordinating local secular groups to amplify political impact:  secularhouston.orgHouston Oasis – A welcoming, community-focused secular gathering with talks and music: houstonoasis.orgSecular Coalition for America – Coalition advocating for secular public policy at the federal level:  secular.orgSecular Texas PAC Announcement  – State-level PAC supporting candidates who defend church–state separationDonate & Support the Secular Houston PACSend us a textSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

“I changed my mind because I cared about alleviating energy poverty.”Order now: Energy is Life: Why Environmentalism Went Nuclear, by Zion LightsAmazonGuardian BookshopNatural History Book ServiceZion Lights is an award-winning science communicator and environmental advocate whose work sits at the intersection of energy, climate, and public understanding of science. In this conversation, Zion shares her journey from prominent renewable-only activism to evidence-led support for a broader clean energy mix, and why energy abundance matters for health, dignity, and human progress.Connect with Zion Website – zionlights.co.ukNewsletter –substack.com/@zionlights1Topics we coverHow Zion's views shifted after revisiting the evidence on nuclear risk, safety, and climate mitigation Why “clean energy” beats “renewables-only,” and what grid reality means for net zero pathways Energy poverty, global fairness, and what reliable power enables for health systems and developmentSMRs, fusion, and what is realistic now versus what is still “next decade” techResources & further reading“Could we even ‘just stop oil'?” – The Holyoake Lecture 2023, with Zion Lights (video)Global Warming of 1.5°C (SR15) – Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2018)Death rates per unit of electricity production – Our World in DataWhat are the safest and cleanest sources of energy? – Our World in DataSend us a textSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

In this short update epsiode, we are pleased to welcome back Nathan Stilwell, Humanists UK's Assisted dying Campaign Coordinator, Campaigns and Communications Manager at My Death My Decision and a member of The Assisted Dying Coalition Secretariat.Nathan explains what has happened since the Assisted Dying Bill passed the House of Commons, why it now risks falling in the House of Lords, and what supporters can do to help ensure it becomes law.This episode follows Nathan's first appearance on Humanism Now in November 2024 and offers a timely update on one of the most significant ethical debates in UK politics.References & further readingTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill – Publications  – UK Parliament, bill text, amendments, and parliamentary documentsAsk the House of Lords to support assisted dying – Humanists UK campaign tool for contacting peers26. Nathan Stilwell on the Need for Compassionate Assisted Dying Legislation & End of Life Care – Humanism Now, November 2024.MPs back proposals to legalise assisted dying – BBC News, 29 November 2024.What has happened to the assisted dying bill? – BBC News, 12 December 2025.Assisted dying bill ‘near impossible' to pass House of Lords, say supporters – The Guardian, 22 January 2026.Send us a textSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

 “Most people want community, and yet these communities keep disappearing.” Dr. Darrel Ray is a psychologist, author, and organizational leader who has spent decades helping individuals leave religious belief systems and supporting secular communities around the world. He founded Recovering from Religion and the Secular Therapy Project, wrote influential books such as The God Virus, and recently launched the Institute for Secular Leadership to strengthen secular and humanist organisations through better leadership practicesRegister interest in the Secular Leadership Course here.Dr. Ray's Organisations & ProjectsRecovering from Religion – international nonprofit supporting people leaving religionSecular Therapy Project – connects secular clients with vetted secular therapistsInstitute for Secular Leadership – newly launched leadership training for secular organisations Books by Dr. RayThe God Virus: How Religion Infects Our Lives and Culture – Darrel Ray (2009) Sex and God: How Religion Distorts Sexuality – Darrel Ray (2012)Teaming Up: Making the Transition to a Self-Directed, Team-Based Organization – Darrel W. Ray & Howard BronsteinThe Performance Culture: Maximizing the Power of Teams – Darrel W. Ray & Howard BronsteinSend us a textSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

"I blame dinosaurs, and I blame London." Astrophysicist and science communicator Dr Alfredo Carpineti (IFLScience, The Big Questions; creator of The Astroholic Explains; founder and chair of Pride in STEM) joins Humanism Now  to explore why the cosmos still sparks childlike wonder, how great science communication balances accuracy with storytelling, and why his upcoming book Invisible Rainbows pairs “unseen light” with the human stories too often left out. Connect with Alfredo CarpinetiWebsite – https://www.theastroholic.co.uk/X (Twitter) – @DrCarpineti LinkedIn – Alfredo-CarpinetiResources & Further ReadingBook (Invisible Rainbows) – https://www.rarewaves.com/products/9781806770441-Invisible-RainbowsFacebookPride in STEM – https://prideinstem.org/The Astroholic Explains Podcast – https://open.spotify.com/show/6dbgVUYZDYQ95Uci2RlCFNIFLScience: The Big Questions Podcast – https://iflsciencethebigquestions.podbean.com/Meet Alfredo in London!Space and Humanism in Fiction and Reality, with Dr Alfredo CarpinetiLondon Humanists | Wednesday, 28 Jan 2026 | 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM GMT | Old Diorama Arts Centre, NW1, LondonSend us a textSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

As 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/@assoc_of_black_humanistsMark Agathangelou – Central London Humanists (CLH)Central London Humanists – https://www.centrallondonhumanists.org.uk/CLH on Meetup – https://www.meetup.com/central-london-humanists/What Humanism Means To Me Event - https://www.meetup.com/central-london-humanists/events/310597525/Nicole Shashar – Leicester Humanists & Young HumanistsLeicester Humanists – https://humanists.uk/local-group/leicester/Young Humanists – https://humanists.uk/community/young-humanistsLooking Ahead: Major 2026 EventsHumanists UK Convention & Festival 2026 – https://humanists.uk/events/festival2026/ World Humanist Congress 2026 – https://humanists.international/event/world-humanist-congress-2026/Send us a textSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

“[Magical beliefs in childhood] serve an important function.”  - Dr Lois LeeFor our festive special, Dr. Lois Lee, Senior Lecturer in Religious Studies at the University of Kent and one of the world's leading scholars of non-belief, joins Humanism Now to explore why atheism spreads culturally and what Christmas reveals about humanist meaning in everyday life.Connect with Dr. LeeUniversity of Kent profileExplaining Atheism ProfileExplaining Atheism ProjectTopics we cover ✔︎ Why atheism still needs explaining in the 21st century ✔︎ Why socialisation and cultural visibility matter more than intelligence or education ✔︎ What children's belief in Santa reveals about evidence, reason, and doubt ✔︎ Magical belief as a bridge between childhood and adult worldviews ✔︎ Christmas as a modern, child-centred ritual with humanist ethics ✔︎ Ritual, meaning, and non-religious culture ✔︎ Humanist privilege, school Christmas, and questions of inclusionResources & further readingBecoming Non-Believers (childhood research) – Dr. Lee & Dr. Anna StrhanTowards a Sociology of Irreligion – Colin Campbell (1971)A Christmas Carol – Charles DickensA Visit from St. Nicholas (“'Twas the Night Before Christmas”) The Snowman –  Raymond Briggs“Father Christmas Executed” – Claude Lévi-StraussSend us a textHard Hats & JusticeHard Hats & Justice is the podcast dedicated to New York's construction workers and...Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live, making podcasting easy for charities and social causes. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

“Humans didn't evolve to believe in gods — we evolved to learn from culture, and sometimes culture points away from gods.”Dr Will M. Gervais, psychologist and author of Disbelief, joins Humanism Now to examine one of the most persistent puzzles in the study of religion: why a species capable of deep religiosity also produces millions of convinced non-believers. Drawing on cultural evolution, cognitive science, and cross-cultural data, Will shows why belief and disbelief are shaped less by raw rationality than by social signals, security, and learning environments.Contact & resources;Website – http://willgervais.com/University profile – https://www.brunel.ac.uk/people/will-gervaisResearchGate – https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Will-M-Gervais-16312567Disbelief – Gervais (2023) – https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Disbelief-by-Will-M-Gervais/9781633889248Topics we cover• Why humans evolved a capacity for religion, not a destiny to believe • The twin puzzles of belief and disbelief explained scientifically • Why comfort-based and “God-spot” theories fall short • Cultural signals, credible displays, and how communities transmit belief • Why atheism often emerges where signals are mixed or muted • Weak and fragile links between analytic thinking and non-belief • Moral distrust of atheists — and what behavioural data actually show • Differences in moral style rather than moral behaviour • Agnosticism as a distinct epistemic position, not a midpoint • Existential security and why stable societies secularise • Cultural evolution and the “big gods” hypothesis • Why scientific self-correction matters more than tribal loyaltySend us a textSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live, making podcasting easy for charities and social causes. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

 “Activism is the rent we pay to live on this world.”  Alavari JeevatholAJ  board member of Humanists International, founding trustee of the National Multifaith Youth Centre, and National Coordinator of Young Humanists UK — returns to Humanism Now to explore a humanism shaped by South Indian pluralism, UK youth organising, and a lifelong commitment to duty, solidarity, and awe. This conversation traces India's rationalist heritage, the case for humanistic spirituality, and why resistance must be global, hopeful, and rooted in material realities.Connect with AJWebsite – alavari.infoInstagram – @alavarijFacebook – @alavariX (Twitter) – @alavarijLinkedIn – in/alavari/TikTok – @alavarijYoung Humanists UKNational Multifaith Youth Centre Resources & further readingDisenchanting India: Rationalist Criticism and Cultural Politics – Quack (2012) Humanist Society Scotland  Statement on Palestine & Israel (2023) AJ's events & talksHumanists UK Event: “India's Rationalist Heritage” CLH Discussions | Gaza: genocide, ceasefire, and future prospectsCLH Talk:  Send us a textPsst! The Folium Diary has something it wants to tell you - please come a little closer...YOU can change the world - you do it every day. Let's change it for the better, together.Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live, making podcasting easy for charities and social causes. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

 “We will lose a lot before we win — that's just the reality of starting the race 50 years behind.” — Sarah M. LevinSarah M. Levin - strategist, lobbyist, founder of Secular Strategies and co-founder of The Secular Vote, joins us to explore how secular voters are reshaping U.S. politics. She breaks down the real demographics behind the “nones,” why neutrality protects both believers and non-believers, and how church–state separation is at the heart of today's fights over rights, democracy, and pluralism.Connect with Sarah:Website: sarahmlevin.comSecular Strategies: secularstrategies.comThe Secular Vote: hesecularvote.comX (Twitter): @SarahMLevinLinkedIn: sarahmlevinTopics we cover ✔︎ Why Secular Strategies exists ✔︎ “Unaffiliated” vs “atheist”: what the data really shows ✔︎ Secularism in law and public life ✔︎ Media myths about religious “revivals” ✔︎ Connecting secular voters with messages that resonate (one life, one world) ✔︎ How Christian nationalism drives today's policy rollbacks ✔︎ Relationship-led coalition building across deep differences ✔︎ Inside The Secular Vote: correcting media blind spots ✔︎ Debunking the “anti-Christian bias” narrative ✔︎ State-level wins: transparency for healthcare sharing ministries ✔︎ Practical ways to get involved for the long termResources & further reading“Religious ‘Nones' in America: Who They Are and What They Believe,” Pew Research Center (2024) – https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2024/01/24/religious-nones-in-america-who-they-are-and-what-they-belSend us a textPsst! The Folium Diary has something it wants to tell you - please come a little closer...YOU can change the world - you do it every day. Let's change it for the better, together.Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live, making podcasting easy for charities and social causes. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

“Nursing is the most humanistic of professions — it operationalises the philosophical groundings of humanism.” — Jamie Bourgeois “Nurses have 24/7 eyes on the human experience — we see how policy shows up in real people's lives.” — Melissa Anne DuBoisJamie Bourgeois and Melissa Anne DuBois are the co-hosts of Nursing the Nation — a podcast giving nurses a national voice in debates that shape health, policy, and our daily lives. Together they explore how an ethic of evidence and empathy can challenge wellness hype, inform better policy, and centre human dignity in every decision that touches a patient's life.In this episode Melissa & Jamie discuss the historical erasure of women healers to today's media blind spots — and what happens when they're finally heard. They reveal how nursing science quietly powers trauma-informed practice, safer hospitals, and better education. Join us to hear how nurses bridge the gap between policy and people and why the world's most trusted profession must lead public conversations.Connect with Jamie Bourgeois & Melissa Anne DuboisBlog – nursingthenation.substack.comPodcast Links – Nursing the NationInstagram – @nursing.the.nationLinkedIn – Melissa Anne DuboisResearch – ORCID | ResearchGateWriting – Writers CampResources & further readingWitches, Midwives & Nurses: A History of Women Healers – Barbara Ehrenreich (1973)Ann Burgess – pioneer of forensic nursing, WikipediaClara Barton & the Geneva Convention – Library of Congress BlogFlorence Nightingale and Data Visualisation – Scientific AmericanSend us a textSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live, making podcasting easy for charities and social causes. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

This week we bring we are delighted to share the a guest episode from Sentientist Conversations, a podcast hosted by Jamie Woodhouse (Humanism Now Episode 4). In this episode, Jamie speaks with legendary primatologist Frans de Waal.Follow SentientismSentientism.infoAppleSpotifyYouTube“You cannot go wrong with compassion” – primatologist Frans de Waal – Sentientist ConversationsFrans (fransdewaal.com) is a primatologist & ethologist. He is Professor of Primate Behavior at Emory University, director of the Living Links Center at Emory & the author of many books including “Chimpanzee Politics”, “Our Inner Ape” & “The Bonobo & the Atheist”. He has featured in TV/radio productions & TED talks viewed by tens of millions of people. His research centers on primate social behavior, including conflict resolution, cooperation, inequity aversion, & food-sharing. He is a member of the United States National Academy of Sciences & the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts & Sciences.In Sentientist Conversations we talk about the two most important questions: “what's real?” & “what matters?” Sentientism is “evidence, reason & compassion for all sentient beings.” The audio is on our Podcast here on Apple and here on the other platforms. ​​​​ You can watch the video here.Send us a textSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live, making podcasting easy for charities and social causes. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

This week we bring we are delighted to share the first episode of The Secular Sankofa Podcast, from the Association of Black Humanists. Subscribe to The Secular Sankofa wherever you get your podcasts!Apple PodcastsSpotifyYouTubePodcast IndexOvercastPodcast AddictGoodpodsAll other directories & RSS FeedIf you enjoy the show, please follow, rate, and review. *****"We believe in people, not prophets, we believe in freedom, not fear, and we believe in integrity, not doctrine" - Audrey Simmons, Podcast HostThe Secular Sankofa podcast is a platform for Black humanists to reconnect with African identity and heritage through a secular lens. The hosts introduce the Association of Black Humanists, its mission, and vision for creating a space where Black people can explore humanism without religious dogma.Stay connected with the Association of Black Humanists:Meetup: association-of-black-humanistFacebook: @AssociationBlackHumanistsInstagram: @abhumanistsX / Twitter: @abhumanistsYouTube: Association of Black HumanistsTikTok: @assoc_of_black_humanistsLearn more about our work and community at abhumanists.orgMusic: Icy by Jeff KaaleSend us a textSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live, making podcasting easy for charities and social causes. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

“Human dignity is really the foundation for reasoned morality — there's nothing we can do to increase it or decrease it. Even the worst people still deserve it simply because they're human.”  - David B. McLaughlinDavid B. McLaughlin, leadership coach and author of Humanism: Five Values for Living Well, joins us to map a practical, hopeful framework for meaning without dogma. From life in the U.S. Bible Belt to boardrooms wrestling with equity, we explore how meaning, dignity, reason, compassion, and justice work together to guide everyday choices and systemic change.Connect with David B. McLaughlinWebsite – pendulumcoaching.comNewsletter – exploringhumanism.substack.comLinkedIn – www.linkedin.com/in/davidbmcTopics we coverDignity as a moral floor you can't earn or revokeSpotting dehumanisation and resisting itThe Pillar Model of meaningRituals beyond religion: building habits that anchor valuesReason + compassion: escaping autopilot and widening concernJustice at work: equity, fair policies, and psychological safetySeeing hidden power: systemic awareness for better decisionsThe “reverse wager of humanism”: urgency to do tangible good nowResources & further readingHumanism: Five Values for Living Well – David B. McLaughlin  – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Humanism-Five-Values-Living-Well/dp/B0FNRP5GKRPendulum Coaching Podcast – Conversations on modern leadership – https://www.pendulumcoaching.com/podcast“Pale Blue Dot,” Voyager 1 image & essay – background on Sagan's perspective – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pale_Blue_DotSend us a textSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live, making podcasting easy for charities and social causes. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

“Being a skeptic doesn't make me smarter or infallible—it just means I'm trying to fail slightly less often.”Michael Marshall has spent more than 15 years investigating pseudoscience, conspiracy theories and the psychology that sustains them. As Project Director of the Good Thinking Society, President of the Merseyside Skeptics Society and Editor of The Skeptic, Marsh has gone undercover at flat-earth conventions, exposed fake psychics, and campaigned successfully to end NHS funding for homeopathy. In this conversation, he explores how “compassionate skepticism”, leading with empathy and curiosity rather than confrontation can help us counter misinformation and connect more deeply with one another.Connect with MichaelX – @MrMMarshSkeptics with a K PodcastThe Know Rogan podcastQED ConferenceTopics we cover ✔︎ Skepticism as practice, not a badge of superiority ✔︎ The ethics of “compassionate skepticism” ✔︎ How pseudoscience harms—and why empathy works better than ridicule ✔︎ What Flat Earth believers reveal about human psychology ✔︎ The legacy of QED and building communities grounded in reasonResources & further readingThe Skeptic – Marshall's author archive: skeptic.org.uk/author/michaelWikipedia – Michael Marshall (skeptic)Skeptical Inquirer interview: “Marsh Interview”BBC News – “NHS homeopathy funding to end”: bbc.co.uk/news/health-43373817The Guardian – “The Universe is an Egg and the Moon Isn't Real”: Read articlePBS Independent Lens – ExposingSend us a textSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live, making podcasting easy for charities and social causes. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

"Another form of resistance is joy.”Maggie Ardiente, newly elected President of Humanists International, joins Humanism Now to share how humanism grounded in curiosity, compassion, and community can meet today's rising threats to democracy and science. From a Catholic upbringing to global leadership, Maggie lays out a practical, joyful vision: build resilient humanist networks and live our values in the one life we know we have.Connect with Maggie:Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/maggieardiente/LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggieardiente/Topics we coverBuilding humanist community: from campus groups to a global movementWhy labels and groups matter for the non-religiousHumanism in public life: defending democracy, science, and human rightsJoy as resistance: living well as a humanist practicePractical ways to start or grow a local humanist groupMisconceptions about “humanism” in the United StatesLeadership skills for secular nonprofits (fundraising, empathy, voice)Supporting humanists at risk—especially across the Global SouthResources & further readingHumanists International – Global federation advancing humanist values – https://humanists.internationalAmerican Humanist Association – US national org for humanists – https://americanhumanist.orgSecular Coalition for America – Policy advocacy for secular Americans – https://secular.orgPhysicians for Social Responsibility – Health professionals for climate solutions & a nuclear-free world – https://www.psr.orgSend us a textSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live, making podcasting easy for charities and social causes. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

“No one ever said it was going to be easy. Humanists don't think a better world is inevitable—we think a better world is possible, but we have to work for it.”Andrew Copson OBE, Chief Executive of Humanists UK and former President of Humanists International, joins us for our 50th episode to reflect on two decades of humanist leadership. From growing up in a secular working-class community to championing global human rights, Andrew explains why humanism remains vital in a time of rising extremism, technological disruption, and political uncertainty.Connect with AndrewWebsite – Humanists UKX (Twitter) – @andrewcopsonLinkedIn – Andrew CopsonFacebook - @mrandrewcopsonTopics we cover ✔︎ Growing up secular in working-class Britain ✔︎ Why humanist organizations matter: advocacy, representarion and care ✔︎ Misconceptions about humanism today – “too anti-religious” vs. “too pro-human” ✔︎ The challenge of technology and the meaning of mortality ✔︎ Strategic engagement: when to dialogue, and when not to ✔︎ Transforming Humanists International into a diverse, global movement ✔︎ The campaign to free Mubarak Bala ✔︎ UK priorities ahead: assisted dying, curriculum reform, defending equality ✔︎ Why embracing the identity of “humanist” still mattersResources & further readingSecularism: Politics, Religion and Freedom – Copson (2017)The Wiley Blackwell Handbook of Humanism – Copson & Grayling (2015)The Little Book of Humanism Series – Copson & RobertsWhat I Believe – Copson (2025)What I Believe PodcastAndrew Copson's Farewell Speech to the General Assembly, Humanists International 2025Mubarak Bala case – HumaniSend us a textSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod YouTube Instagram TikTok X BlueSky Threads This Podcast is produced by Humanise Live. Humanise Live makes podcasting easy for charities and social causes. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at www.humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

“You don't change the world. You change the way one person views the world—and then you've changed the world for that person.”What if true strength lies not in certainty, but in listening with respect? In this episode, Morgan DeNicola, Executive Director of the DeNicola Family Foundation, shares how dialogue across divides, cultural diplomacy and everyday acts of humanity redefine what philanthropy can mean. From working with to fostering cross-cultural understanding worldwide, Morgan shows how compassion, curiosity and calm self-control can build bridges in even the most polarized spaces.Connect with MorganFacebook – Morgan DeNicolaInstagram – @morgan.slikerdenicolaLinkedIn – Morgan DeNicolaTikTok – @morganslikerdenicolaTopics we cover ✔︎ The 360-degree value of diverse viewpoints ✔︎ Philanthropy as “love of humanity” beyond financial giving ✔︎ Finding common ground across ideological divides ✔︎ Diplomacy as an everyday superpower of relationship-building ✔︎ Practical mental health strategies for service-driven work ✔︎ Why self-control and calm are ultimate strengths in dialogue ✔︎ The four pillars of the DeNicola Family Foundation: conservation, world health, humanitarian recognition, cultural diplomacyResources & further readingHumpty Dumpty Institute – Fostering dialogue with Congress, UN and global partnersDeNicola Family Foundation – Supporting world health, conservation, diplomacy and recognition initiativesAmitofo Care Centre – Orphan and education programmes in AfricaAmerican Thoracic Society – Global conference supporting medical research in lung healthElmwood Park Zoo - Inspiring appreciation for wildlife, the environment & active participation in conservationMorgan's "Six or Nine" Cartoon T-ShirtSend us a textSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Advertising Opportunities Follow @HumanismNowPod YouTube Instagram TikTok X BlueSky Threads This Podcast is produced by Humanise Live. Humanise Live makes podcasting easy for charities and social causes. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at www.humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light Prism

Ubuntu: I am because we are.

“The arc of history bends towards justice only if you keep pushing it in that direction.”David Livingstone-Smith, Ph.D.,  award-winning author, Professor of Philosophy at the University of New England and a leading authority on dehumanization joins us to unpack how ordinary people come to see others as “less than human,” why that shift makes atrocities feel morally necessary, and what practical tools can help us resist it. His books include Less Than Human (Anisfield-Wolf Award), On Inhumanity (OUP), and Making Monsters (HUP; Joseph B. Gittler Award; Nayef Al-Rodhan Prize shortlist).Connect with David Livingstone-SmithWebsite – https://www.davidlivingstonesmith.comNewsletter – https://davidlivingstonesmith.substack.com/University profile – https://www.une.edu/people/david-livingstone-smithMedia – https://www.davidlivingstonesmith.com/mediaTopics we coverWhat dehumanization is: conceiving others as subhuman creatures or monstersHow we hold contradictory beliefs (human and subhuman) at the same timeThe role of epistemic authority, leaders, “experts” and propaganda, in spreading dehumanizationWhy racialization often precedes full dehumanizationMoral framing of mass violence as “self-defence” against monstersEconomic insecurity and social fear as fertile ground for dehumanizing narrativesPsychological self-defense: recognizing our manipulabilityWhat actually helps: honest historical education, dismantling racial thinking, and a robust pressResources & further readingLess Than Human: Why We Demean, Enslave, and Exterminate Others (2011) – https://www.davidlivingstonesmith.com/project-09On Inhumanity: Dehumanization and How to Resist It (2020) – https://www.davidlivingstonesmith.com/on-inhumanityMaking Monsters: The Uncanny Power of Dehumanization (2021) – https://www.davidlivingstonesmith.com/making-monstersSend us a textSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Advertising Opportunities Follow @HumanismNowPod YouTube Instagram TikTok X BlueSky Threads This Podcast is produced by Humanise Live. Humanise Live makes podcasting easy for charities and social causes. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at www.humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light Prism

“Inclusion is the behaviors that result in others feeling valued, respected, seen and heard.”Dr. Victoria Mattingly (Dr. V)—industrial-organizational psychologist, CEO & founder of Mattingly Solutions, and co-author of Inclusalytics—joins us to show how rigorous data and deeply human connection can coexist. We unpack practical, measurable ways to build cultures of belonging—at work and in communities—where people can thrive as their authentic selves.Connect with Dr. Victoria MattinglyWebsite – mattinglysolutions.comInstagram – @drvictoriamattinglyLinkedIn – /in/vpmattingly/Dr V.s Udemy Course: Ally Up: How to Build and Activate Ally PartnershipsDr V. on Google Scholar – https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=L9cutXEAAAATopics we cover ✔︎ Defining inclusion with outcomes: behaviours that make others feel valued, respected, seen, and heard ✔︎ “Inclusalytics”: merging workplace inclusion with analytics to measure belonging ✔︎ Why the platinum rule (treat others as they want to be treated) surpasses the golden rule ✔︎ The difference between mentorship and sponsorship—and why sponsors accelerate equity ✔︎ How executive sponsors can empower ERGs without overstepping ✔︎ Allyship as active behavior, not identity ✔︎ Three characteristics of effective partners in allyship: self-awareness, trust, and action orientation ✔︎ Capturing positive behaviors—why we should measure allyship, not just discrimination ✔︎ Using AI and language data ethically to advance inclusionResources & further readingPre order: Act Like an Ally, Work With an Ally – Victoria Mattingly – Mattingly Solutions | KindleInclusalytics: How DEI Leaders Use Data to Drive Their Work – Victoria Mattingly & Sertrice Grice – Amazon | GoodreadsSend us a textSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Advertising Opportunities Follow @HumanismNowPod YouTube Instagram TikTok X BlueSky Threads This Podcast is produced by Humanise Live. Humanise Live makes podcasting easy for charities and social causes. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at www.humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light Prism

“If humanism is anything, it's self-education. It's progressing, becoming more educated, more enlightened.” - Dr Bill AngusDr Bill Angus takes us on a provocative journey through his transition from devout evangelical Christian to secular humanist in this candid, thought-provoking conversation. After 30 years of committed faith, Angus found himself re-examining the foundations of Christianity, leading to what he calls a “divorce” from Jesus. With humour and clarity, he challenges us to rethink what religion offers – and what humanism makes possible instead.Connect with Bill & Resources:• Divorcing Jesus: Atheism for Absolute Beginners – Bill Angus (2024) – Amazon• Website – billangus.com • Bluesky – @billangus.bsky.social• Humanists New Zealand – humanist.nzTopics we cover ✔︎ Why Bill felt “divorcing Jesus” was the right metaphor for leaving faith ✔︎ Jesus as historical figure vs. fictionalised character of modern Christianity ✔︎ How religion can stunt personal growth through “instant salvation” ✔︎ Humanism as a practice of continuous learning and self-education ✔︎ Rethinking forgiveness, love, and moral values outside divine command ✔︎ Finding authentic community beyond the church ✔︎ Building strength and integrity through secular humanism ✔︎ The wide horizons of life after religionSend us a textSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Advertising Opportunities Follow @HumanismNowPod YouTube Instagram TikTok X BlueSky Threads This Podcast is produced by Humanise Live. Humanise Live makes podcasting easy for charities and social causes. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at www.humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light Prism