Writeback

Belfast Telegraph 20 February 2008

Dear Sir/Madam,

The Belfast Humanist Group welcomes the appointment of a Humanist Chaplain at Queen’s University (Features, 18 February). Queen’s has many chaplains, catering for a wide range of religious beliefs, and it is only fair that students who are agnostic, atheist or Humanist, should have someone to act as their chaplain too. Non-religious students have the same rights and needs as their religious counterparts and it is very much to the credit of Queen’s University that it is now making some provision for them.

Humanism has an important role to play in our society and it will be encountered more often as the non-religious minority continues to grow. An increasing number of people find the basic tenets of religion beyond belief. They do not believe that there is life after death, nor that a kind and caring spirit is in charge of the universe. They find the scientific account of the origins of life on Earth more believable than the tales of Moses, recorded in Genesis. A recent Ipsos Mori poll found that more than a third of the UK general public hold broadly Humanist beliefs rather than religious ones. The percentage is higher among young people of university age. Census returns, not only here, but across the UK and throughout Europe, show that the non-religious minority is growing steadily.

Our culture is changing. Young people today, particularly university students, are much less likely to share the religious convictions of previous generations. Indeed, in some universities, surveys have found that a majority of the students described themselves as non-religious. This should come as no surprise. The signs are all about us: thousands of people buy Richard Dawkins’s books; millions watch tv programmes on fossils, evolution, human origins, etc; Humanist ceremonies – funerals, namings and weddings – are becoming commonplace; church attendance is in decline.

Our institutions and our social policies must be adapted to accommodate that cultural change. The assumption is often made that the people of N Ireland are divided into two camps: Protestant and Catholic. That facile assumption ignores the many thousands of people here who profess no religion. Our divided education system, for a start, is based on sectarian segregation and ignores the non-religious minority. The recently revised curriculum for Religious Education focused almost entirely on Christianity. Proposals from Humanist groups asking for “Faiths and Beliefs” education which would teach about a range of religious faiths and Humanism, were simply ignored.

So, full marks to Queen’s University! The university has recognised that society is changing and so it is making provision for those students who have renounced religious belief and are, in effect, Humanists. Humanism is a coherent, practical outlook on life. It can be summed up in the phrase: One Life, One Earth, One Humanity. Young people who find religious beliefs untenable should not be left to drift, but should be encouraged to explore the principles of Humanism, in order to find a positive alternative. The new Humanist Chaplain will be a useful guide for those young people.

Les Reid

Chair

Belfast Humanist Group

www.belfast.humanists.net