Religion Archives - Humanist Society Scotland

Humza Yousaf and Michael Matheson sit in a circle of people on chairs having a discussion. Humza wears a suit and Michael wears a shirt and tie.

Large majority of religious people in Scotland support assisted dying, new poll shows

September 19, 2023

A new poll from Yougov shows that most religious people in Scotland support legalising assisted dying. The evidence, commissioned by Dignity in Dying and gathered during July 2023, reveals that 64% of people who identify with a particular religion support…

No higher power has the right to dictate the terms of our death

September 15, 2023

Humanist Society Scotland has today refuted religious arguments put against the right to an assisted death by the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland. On the 13th September a representative on behalf of the leadership of the Catholic Church in Scotland wrote…

The Danish Parliament building at Christiansborg, with multi-storey stone wings and a central spire.

Our CEO talks Danish blasphemy laws on BBC Scotland

September 11, 2023

Our CEO Fraser Sutherland talked about the danger of “back-door blasphemy laws” when he joined Cathy MacDonald on BBC Scotland’s Sunday Morning show last week (9 September). Discussing the issue alongside him were Aman De Sondy, Head of Religious Studies…

A view of Edinburgh City Chambers, a set of neoclassical stone buildings forming a courtyard with archways in front.

Edinburgh Council removes voting rights from religious reps on education committee

August 31, 2023

Humanist Society Scotland is delighted that Edinburgh Council has voted to remove voting rights from unelected religious representatives on its education committee. Since the start of May, five councils (Edinburgh, Stirling,* Fife, Highlands, and Orkney) have voted to remove these undemocratic…

James Calder smiles at the camera. He has short strawberry blond hair and wears a matt pink shirt with no tie and a grey suit jacket. He is standing in front of a hedge.

Humanist Society interview series: James Calder, Fife councillor for fair school votes

August 22, 2023

One of our most important campaigns is about removing undemocratic voting rights from religious representatives on local education committees. Due to a historic piece of legislation all local councils have to include three religious representatives on their local education committees….

A black and white photograph of a wedding ceremony, taken from the back of the ceremony hall/room looking down between two aisles of guests to the couple and celebrant. To the left, Kendal wears a black dress with white pattern and smiles at the couple. To the right is a bride wearing a white dress and groom in suit with kilt. They both smile and laugh.

Humanist Society interview series: Kendal Delaney

July 24, 2023

Our Humanist Society interview series is about meeting inspiring people. This includes members of our community bringing humanist values into their daily lives. We can’t think of a better example of this than Humanist Society-trained celebrant Kendal Delaney. Kendal is…

A humanist celebrant conducting a wedding ceremony for a couple, Andrew and Callum. The photo is taken mid-vows in front of flower wreaths and a large window looking out to fields. The celebrant wears a blue dress and raises a hand. The couple stand either side of her in magenta velvet suits.

Far more humanist weddings than Christian ceremonies in 2022: National Records of Scotland

July 20, 2023

The Humanist Society has welcomed new figures showing that far more humanist weddings were conducted than Christian ceremonies in 2022. The National Records of Scotland (NRS) released the figures as part of a larger set of data, showing a huge rise…

A view of Stirling Castle on a sunny day, sat on its wooded hillside with a green expanse of grass in the foreground. The sky is blue and wisped with cloud.

Stirling Council will remove education votes from religious reps after next election

July 17, 2023

We are delighted that Stirling Council has voted to remove voting rights from religious representatives on its education committee. The change will take effect after the next local council elections in 2027. Conservative and Unionist councillor Bryan Flannagan proposed the…

Alt text: an image of the famous concrete hippos, a public artwork on a patch of grass in Glenrothes, location of Fife Council.

Fife Council removes voting rights from unelected religious advocates on education committee

June 22, 2023

We are delighted that Fife Council has voted by 36 to 32 to remove voting rights from unelected religious representatives on its education committee. This follows on from the identical votes passed in the Highlands and Orkney last month and…

Ali Kerr stands in a back garden with shrubs and a decking area behind her. She has short blonde hair, a denim jacket and white shirt, and glasses. She smiles with delight at the camera.

Humanist Society interview series: Ali Kerr (Pride Month special)

June 13, 2023

In a special Pride Month instalment in our Humanist Society Scotland interview series, we speak to a member of the humanist community whose work combines two causes very close to our hearts. Firstly, Ali Kerr is a humanist celebrant, who…

Fraser Sutherland address a crowd (not visible) from a podium wearing a blue suit and green tweed tie against a purple wall. He has short brown hair and his hands opened as if to clarify a point.

Our CEO interviewed in The National on religious rep education votes

May 29, 2023

Our CEO Fraser Sutherland spoke to The National‘s Steph Brawn in an interview published on Sunday 28 May. He outlined our opposition to the “historical hangover” of religious representatives having voting rights on local education committees. Fraser and Steph also…