Opinion
LESLIE MITCHELL, HSS CONVENOR
Getting A
s you’ll read elsewhere, our recent Conference and Special General Meeting certainly
brought in the results. There was a stimulating and challenging set of debates in the former, and a satisfyingly unanimous decision on the latter. Now, you’d expect me to point out that this only marks a beginning and that the great task - that of living up to our aspiration to be ‘the voice of Secular Scotland’ - still lies ahead. Of course, that’s quite true (which is why I won’t hesitate to say it!) and there are very encouraging signs that as a Society we’re starting to work more professionally, more efficiently and more effectively. That’s as it should be - and it’s an excellent starting point, but it is only a
the right
result
first step, albeit a very important one. We’ve spent huge amounts of time and energy over the past couple of years working on structures and schemes. This was work which really needed to be done. But, what now? Well, for a start how about making sure we keep the ‘human’ in ‘Humanist’? We claim that we are distinctive because we have a ‘life stance’, that we can be ‘good without God’ and that ‘ethics are fundamental’ to the way we lead our lives. But how does that work in
practice? Can anyone see the difference? Does our Humanism work itself out through how we run the HSS? Does it make itself obvious through how we live our lives as individuals? Does it make a difference in the
“ 5 How
about making sure we keep the human in Humanist?
way we speak to each other, the way we write our emails or our letters? More subtle is the question of how we spend our time; that precious and limited resource. Just for ourselves, just to win the argument, just for the politics and policies? Or is there some space for people and their needs on an individual and collective level? Nothing is more important at a time of national and international crisis when long accepted values and attitudes are being challenged. Important, fundamental and life changing questions are being asked. Humanism doesn’t only need to come up with answers; it needs to come up with the action too. Criticise the churches all you
like but until we are as engaged as many of them are in looking out for the poor, the addicted and the derelict we need to exercise a degree of humility. So there’s a challenge we could well set ourselves - can we incorporate our ethical life stance into the way we lead our lives? If the answer is no then we’re wasting our time and producing too much hot air; we would rightly stand accused of double standards and hypocrisy. If, on the other hand, the difference really shows then that really would be a result.
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www.humanism-scotland.org.uk
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