A humanist celebrant marries a man and woman outdoors in the Scottish countryside

Monday: Humanist Thought for the day on Aithris na Maidne, Rèidio nan Gàidheal @BBCRnG

July 11, 2016

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This morning Humanist Society Scotland celebrant John Howieson delivered a ‘Smuain na Maidne’ (Thought for the Day) on the BBC Gaelic Radio station, Rèidio nan Gàidheal.

You can read the English translation, and the original Gaelic below. We will upload copies of the audio as soon as they are available.

This is part of a week-long series featuring John Howieson, you can access all of them here.

Monday 11 July, 8.27am:

Good Morning to you all!

I’m a Humanist. Maybe you’re familiar with this term – maybe not. This week I’ll try to explain what it means, who we are, what we believe and what we do.

I’m a member of the Humanist Society Scotland, together with about 14,000 other people throughout the country. But I believe that thousands of others would say they were Humanists if they knew what it meant. So what is it?

Well humanists believe two things fundamentally: firstly that we should trust reason, taking decisions based on evidence and sound judgement; secondly that humanity is best when we are kind.

And that’s it. Simple enough. But like many simple concepts, very powerful. Another thing: there’s nothing entirely new about it at all. it’s common sense, and as they say common sense never hurt anybody. Do unto others as you would be done to. That’s Humanism.

I’m a Humanist. If you’ve been agreeing with what I am saying maybe you’re a Humanist too.

Diluain 11 An t-Iuchar, 8.27am:

Madainn mhath dhuibh uile.

‘S e daonnaire a th’ annam – sa Bheurla, I’m a Humanist. ‘S dòcha gu bheil thu eòlach air an abairt seo, ‘s dòcha nach eil. An t-seachdain-sa, bidh mise a’ feuchainn ri mìneachadh dè a tha e a’ ciallachadh, cò a th’ annainn, dè a tha sinn a’ creidsinn, agus dè a bhios sinn a’ dèanamh.

‘S e ball Comann Daonnairean na h-Alba a th’ annamsa – the Humanist Society Scotland, còmhla ri mu cheithir mìle deug de dhaoine eile air feadh na dùthcha. Ach tha mise den bheachd gun canadh mìltean eile gur e daonnairean a bh’ annta, nan robh fios aca dè th’ ann an daonnaire. Mar sin, dè th’ ann?

Uill, tha daonnairean a’ creidsinn dà rud gu bunaiteach: a’ chiad rud ‘s e gum bu choir dhuinn ar n-earbsa a chur ann an reusanachadh, agus sinn a’ dèanamh co-dhùnaidhean a tha stèidhichte air fianais agus breithneachadh earbsach; agus an dàrna rud ‘s e gu bheil mac an duine as fheàrr nuair a tha sinn coibhneil.

Agus sin e. Sìmplidh gu leòr. Ach mar a tha iomadh bun-smuain shìmplidh, gu math cumhachdail. Rud eile: chan eil dad gu tur ùr ann idir idir. ‘S e colann ciall a th’ ann, agus mar a tha iad ag ràdh cha truimeid a’ cholann ciall. Mar a b’ àill leibh daoine a dhèanamh dhuibh, dèanaibh-se mar an ceudna dhaibh-san. Sin daonnaireachd.

‘S e daonnaire a th’ annamsa. Ma tha thusa air a bhith a’ dol le na bha mi ag ràdh, ‘s dòcha gur e daonnaire a th’ annadsa cuideachd.

Madainn mhath dhuibh.