Humanist thought for the day on Aithris na Maidne

July 13, 2016

Our Charity

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.

Wednesday 13 July, 8.27am:

Good Morning to you all!

Yesterday and the day before, I was speaking about Humanism and what Humanists believe – that we should trust reason and the kindness which is naturally at the heart of each person.

The number of people who believe this is constantly growing. There are about a hundred and twenty humanist celebrants in Scotland and permission was granted for legal Humanist weddings in 2005. From that time more and more people have chosen weddings of this sort. In 2013 – the last year the Registrar General published the figures – our celebrants did 12% of the weddings that happened throughout the country.

Why has this happened? Well, one reason is that from the beginning we were allowed to do weddings anywhere – and as a celebrant myself I’ve done weddings in halls and hotels, in gardens, on beaches and on mountains. Another reason is because the couple to be married work with the celebrant over the months to choose words, poetry and music that they like, and so each wedding is personal. And the third thing – the most important to me – is that the couple are in agreement with Humanism – Humanism speaks to them in a meaningful, reasonable way.

Have a good day!

Diciadain 13 An t-Iuchar, 8.27am:

Madainn mhath dhuibh uile.

An-dè agus a bhòn-dè, bha mi a’ bruidhinn mu dheidhinn daonnaireachd, humanism, agus na tha daonnairean a’ creidsinn – gum bu chòir dhuinn ar n-earbsa a chur ann an reusanachadh agus anns a’ choibhneas a tha gu nàdarra aig cridhe gach duine.

‘S ann a’ sìor-fhàs a tha àireamh nan daoine a tha a’ creidsinn an aon rud. Tha mu chiad ‘s fichead luchd-fèille – Humanist Celebrants – ann an Alba, agus chaidh cead a bhuileachadh pòsaidhean daonnaireach laghail a dhèanamh ann an dà mhìle sa còig. On àm sin, thagh barrachd is barrachd dhaoine pòsaidhean den t-seòrsa seo. Ann an dà mhìle ‘s a trì deug – a’ bhliadhna mu dheireadh a dh’fhoillsich an t-Àrd-Neach-Clàraidh na figearan gu ruige seo – rinn ar luchd-fèille dà-dheug sa cheud de na pòsaidhean a thachair air feadh na dùthcha.

Carson a tha seo air tachairt? Uill, aon adhbhar ‘s e gu bheil cead air a bhith againn o thùs pòsaidhean a dhèanamh ann an àite sam bith – agus mar neach-fèille mi-fhìn tha mise air pòsaidhean a dhèanamh ann an tallaichean agus taighean-òsta, ann an gàraidhean, air cladaich agus air beanntan. Adhbhar eile ‘s e gum bi an dithis a bhios a’ pòsadh ag obair còmhla ris an neach-fèille thairis air na mìosan gus faclan, bàrdachd, ceòl a thaghadh a bhios freagarrach dhaibhsan, agus mar sin ‘s ann pearsanta a tha gach pòsadh. Agus an treas rud – an rud as cudromaiche dhomhsa – ‘s e gu bheil na daoine a tha a’ pòsadh ag aontachadh ri daonnaireachd – tha daonnaireachd a’ bruidhinn riutha ann an dòigh a tha ciallach, reusanta.

Là math dhuibh.