The HSS at the EISF – report of our event Humanist Society Scotland • April 2013 It was standing room only at our event “2038; the end of religion?” last Saturday night at the Edinburgh International Science Festival. This is their 25th year and and the organisers had asked us to look forward to the next 25 years in choosing a topic for discussion. Paul Braterman, retired professor of Chemistry and Keith Gilmour, RMPS teacher in Boclair Secondary school and member of the Glasgow Brights were proposing that religion, if it survived, would be in a very different form. The Rev Andrew Frater of Cairns Church, Milngavie had kindly agreed to join the discussion in support of religion but he turned out to take a very liberal view. He surprised us somewhat by singing the praises of Thomas Aikenhead, the last man to be hanged for blasphemy in Scotland and suggested that it was high time that the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland made a public apology to him – a sentiment with which we heartily concurred. The presentations were followed by a very lively Q&A session, very ably chaired by Alex Wood who managed to include Paul and Keith in answering the questions most of which were directed to the Rev Frater. The proceedings were recorded and we are asking the EISF how to access this. Paul has submitted a report of the proceedings in an article for Humanitie. Clare Marsh Share on: FacebookTwitterLinkedInPinterestEmail ×
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