Lara Celini

13/08/2024

Love books, not commitments, then join our book group! Humanist Society Scotland Book Group welcomes new members, online from the comfort of your own home. Choose when you want to join the conversation! No need to make every meeting.

The next opportunity to connect is on Thursday 19th September, at 7:30pm online to discuss ‘Start’, and we are delighted to be joined by the author Graham Morgan MBE.

5 reasons to join our book group:

1) It encourages you to read, and you might read books that you wouldn't otherwise have picked-up or that are outside your comfort zone.

2) It’s social!

3) Keep your brain sharp!

4) Learn new things, from the book itself, and from our conversations.

5) You might even live longer! (*According to at least one study in the British Medical Journal)

11/08/2024

When this is the view outside your cottage! Congratulations to Emily and Aaron, married this weekend in a beautiful outdoor ceremony, with a view across the field to their horses. The ceremony included a summary of their story as a couple and a family, a beautiful reading by their niece, personal vows, a handfasting ceremony using two family tartans, an exchange of rings, and finished with a well wishing and a toast to the happy couple in the sunshine! A pleasure to be part of.

Humanist Society Scotland Ceremonies

07/08/2024

We stand with other faith and belief groups across the UK in condemning the violent scenes that have unfolded across the United Kingdom since Monday 29 July. That day, three children lost their lives and five other children and two adults sustained injuries when they were attacked at a dance class in Southport, England. This shocking incident has rocked the Southport community. The families of the three girls who were killed and the families of those who were injured deserve our total compassion and empathy.

This incident has prompted a backlash out of all proportion and reason. We have seen racist and anti-Muslim rioters wreaking destruction across many cities and towns. This has been been whipped up by far-right agitators spreading misinformation online. Those taking part have targeted asylum seekers and the buildings thought to be housing them. We have seen racially motivated attacks in the street. Mosques have been damaged, and the rioting has escalated into a more general disorder. Civic buildings such as libraries have been attacked and shops have been looted.

While our response to these events expresses a non-religious worldview, we wish to stand in solidarity with faith groups in condemning these attacks. In particular, we express solidarity with and support for Scotland and the UK’s Muslim communities, who have been specifically targeted.

Many of the rioters’ chants have expressed the idea that “England/Britain is a Christian country.” This sentiment, legitimised by what are now mainstream political factions, rejects the very principle of secularism: the separation of church and state vital to the functioning of a modern, diverse, multicultural democracy. It expresses a desire for public institutions to enforce a single, faith-based worldview across an entire populace. This would create a highly dangerous situation for members of smaller religious communities and humanists alike. It must be resisted at every turn.

We are also deeply concerned at the speed and ease with which agents of disinformation have been able to promote their messages via social media. This resulted in misinterpretation of a violent crime committed in Stirling over the weekend. It has also been centrally responsible for the rioting across England and Belfast. In the past, certain platforms took swift action against accounts spreading misinformation. But over the past year previously banned accounts have been reinstated and intentional falsehoods promoted.

We trust that violent rioting will be met with the full force of the law. The principles of tolerance, the rule of law, and diversity that define the UK must express themselves with new urgency in the coming days and weeks.

Humanist Society Scotland, August 2024.

26/07/2024

Love a woodland wedding! Some pics from Chris and Federica's beautiful wedding day!

20/07/2024

Congratulations to Anthony and Anna married today in a beautiful ceremony at The Roseate in Edinburgh.

18/07/2024

Use our guide for responding to the assisted dying consultation, and help us push for end of life choice in Scotland.

09/07/2024

Hear from some of the participants in the To Absent Friends festival which takes place across Scotland in the first week of November, giving people the oppor...

06/07/2024

Bread and salt are offered to guests in a ceremony of welcome in cultures around the world

The bread representing wealth, health, hospitality, and generosity, and the salt representing the challenges that life throws at us, and that we must face. Salt is also an essential nutrient, and a metaphor for the basic necessity of living.

Today guests were welcomed with bread 🍞 and salt 🧂as a nod to the bride's Lithuanian heritage.

06/07/2024

Congratulations to Matthew and Ieva married today!

Humanist Society Scotland Ceremonies

01/07/2024

TONIGHT - free online talk. Hear from Derrick Guild, a prominent member of the Royal Scottish Academy, and an artist whose work often reflects on art history. Seeing the past as an open rather than closed system, Guild often reconfigures historic artworks to create a fluidity between past and present. His works are contemporary and classical, surreal and representational, philosophical and comic, dark and light.

Derrick has created a new body of work in response to Alan Ramsay’s portraits of David Hume, drawing on Hume’s ideas around self and identity. Derrick’s talk will be around all aspects of his work, with a large section devoted to Hume.

Hosted by Edinburgh Humanists.

More info and how to book here:

Derrick Guild, RSA artist, will talk about his work in relation to David Hume in a talk for Edinburgh Humanists.

27/06/2024

25/06/2024

Heading to Glasgow in October for this year's annual conference and looking forward to it. See you there?

We have a full speaker list and schedule confirmed for our Festival of Humanism 2024!

Book your ticket now for just £10 and hear from a range of expert speakers on AI, assisted dying, conversion practices, and religion in education. Our panellists include Brian Eggo of Glasgow Skeptics, Steph Wright of the Scottish AI Alliance, Erin Lux and Florence Oulds of Equality Network, humanist historian Dr Charlie Lynch, our own policy whizz Joe Higgins, investigative journalist Neil Mackay, Elena Whitham MSP and assisted dying campaigner Kate Buchanan

Take part in creative and art sessions with All That Is BRAW and Glasgow Zine Library and enjoy a pop-up exhibition of materials from Glasgow Women's Library.

It's all happening at Glasgow's Clayton Hotel on 26 October. Find out more here: https://buff.ly/3zjWtqQ

24/06/2024

It was a pleasure conducting Michelle and David's wedding ceremony, and I wish them both every happiness!

Great location and lovely pics!

24/06/2024

Happy Anniversary Suzy and Stuart ❤️ Two years since your 25th wedding anniversary, including your renewal of vows and handfasting ceremony in your beautiful garden. A pleasure being part of this special celebration. Lots of 💕 love to you both.

21/06/2024

What made you humanist?

This , we're interested in hearing your experiences of how you became a member of a humanist movement, a humanist celebrant, or just a follower or supporter of humanist causes.

Are you a faith leaver? Was it your experience as an LGBT+ person seeking equal rights? Did scientific curiosity or rational debate get you to this point? Your belief in democracy and secularism? Or something else? Reply to let us know...

Every year, is celebrated on 21 June to share and promote the values of the humanist movement globally. We've got a great programme of WHD events still going on at humanism[dot]scot/events.

19/06/2024

We know that our members and supporters care passionately about . Holyrood’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee has just launched a call for views on Liam McArthur’s draft bill to legalise assisted dying. The deadline for responses is 16 August 2024.

We want as many people as possible who believe in end-of-life to choice to have their say in this consultation process. So, we’ve put together a handy guide on how to answer each question in your own words, using your own experiences.

Just go to humanism[dot]scot/news and you'll find everything you need!

19/06/2024

Two days late for National Eat Your Vegetables Day!

But never too late to eat the rainbow of astounding veg! 🌈

Here's me with a bouquet of veg (that got turned into soup) made by The Henley Florist and Flower School

18/06/2024

🎺 ANNOUNCEMENT🎺 With the UK general election just two weeks away, Humanist Society Scotland is delighted to share this new DIY election kit. We want you, our members and allies, to make noise for humanist causes ahead of this pivotal vote for Scotland and the UK.

Our five priorities for the next government are:

Removing bishops from the House of Lords; Pressing for freedom of thought and belief around the world;
Action on the climate emergency;
Protecting asylum seekers;
Standing up for the LGBT+ community.

Use our template letter to local candidates to find out where your prospective MPs stand on key humanist causes, and use our social media graphics and posts to spread the humanist message.

Find it all at humanism[dot]scot/campaigns

17/06/2024

Congratulations to Marta & Mihaly who celebrated their love with a handfasting ceremony, beautiful vows, and a Scottish well wishing.

01/06/2024

Congratulations to Stuart and Iona married today!

And the sun ☀️ shone for us!

25/05/2024

Congratulations to Christopher and Federica! Married today in a beautiful woodland wedding 💍 and the weather was kind!

19/05/2024

Never mind light pollution from Premier Inn, did anyone else think they saw a weird symbol appear in the skies over Scotland last weekend? What can it all mean.....

17/05/2024

The Scottish Parliament held its first debate on 18 May 1999, 25 years ago almost to the day. And the question of humanism was central to the first debate, on whether daily prayers should be held. John McAllion MSP pointed out that people of no faith "have every right to hold that principle and to have their views respected. Later that year, MSPs established a non-denominational "Time for Reflection" in place of prayer.

Since then, we've seen Scotland become a more secular, tolerant, and humane country. The repeal of Section 2A that banned the "promotion" of homosexuality in schools in 2000. The extension of fostering and adoption rights to same-sex couples in 2009. The introduction of civil partnerships and, later, full marriage equality for LGBT+ people in 2014. These are all significant milestones.

But there's still so much more to be done to build on the promise of our humanist parliament. Women and pregnant people continue to face harassment and intimidation from anti-abortion protesters when exercising their right to healthcare. And the LGBT+ community still has no legal or civic protection against harmful attempts to ‘cure’ them of their sexuality or gender identity. These are the issues we’ll be asking MSPs to reflect on as they look forward to the next 25 years of the Scottish Parliament.

16/05/2024

What have I been working on today?

Arrived early at the crematorium to meet with piper and Funeral Director to talk through choreography.
Conducted a funeral that was especially moving.
Organised to meet with a bereaved family tomorrow, and read through their initial thoughts and stories sent to me by email.
Sent a reminder to a wedding couple to submit their M10 forms - how romantically named are they!
Took my mum to the minor injuries unit.
Cooked dinner.
Poached pears in my homemade gorse flower cordial and lemon zest.
Sampled my homemade kombucha.
Attended a workshop on grief tending.
Fed our worms 🪱 turning our kitchen scraps into the best compost.

And then feet-up with the 'The Humans' by Matt Haig - Humanist Society Scotland book group choice for June (there's still time for you to read it and join the chat).

And so to bed!

16/05/2024

We're kicking off a series today. We've just started digitising some materials kindly gifted to us by the daughter of John McMillan, a founder member of Glasgow Humanist Society and board member until his death in 1983.

was formed in 1989 through the amalgamation of local groups such as Glasgow Humanists, so people like John were trailblazers for the national movement, at a time of widespread religious conservatism in our country.

And wow, the Glasgow Humanists had some great speakers at their lecture series. Here's their 1960-61 season, featuring one of Scotland's most famous twentieth-century poets Hugh MacDiarmid speaking on "Scots Literature and the Church," Marxist historian Ronald Meek, journalist and writer of "Scotland the Brave" Cliff Hanley, anarchist activist Guy Aldred, and more.

We'll share more material next week - thanks to Jean Henretty for her generous donation.

15/05/2024

Fantastic to see so much interest in our brilliant (and free!) education resources, which we were pleased to give out at the STARME - Scottish Teachers Association of Religious and Moral Education Festival of Learning at today.

You can also download these resources from the Humanist Society Scotland website. Including the excellent 'Humanism on Morality and Belief' booklet.

15/05/2024

Love conducting ceremonies, also love talking about our brilliant education resources!

15/05/2024

International Conscientious Objector Day ( ) is marked around the world each year on 15 May. With its origins in the post-World War Two pacifist groups of Europe, this day was first observed in 1983, when campaigners organised around opposition to compulsory military service.

Every year, we rightly remember the Scottish and UK military personnel who have sacrificed their lives in conflicts around the world throughout history. But we should also pay our respects to those who have made the principled and brave decision of refusal: refusal to fight in wars they felt were needless, unjust, or immoral. During World War One in Britain, many such people faced prison sentences, social ostracism, and more. Today conscientious objectors in Israel and Russia are facing threats to their human rights for taking similarly principled stands. They deserve our respect and support.

A rally in support and remembrance of conscientious objectors around the world will take place this afternoon, 15 May, at 5.30 PM on the corner of Castle Street and Princes Street.

15/05/2024

My desk / workspace is too messy to take a picture of today, but it sits under a big skylight, so I can always look-up and see what the weather is doing. I love to open the window and hear the birds sing, and I love being bathed in natural light while I work. There’s always a stack of books nearby, and usually a mug of tea.

In lieu of a photo of my workspace here's a picture of my coloured pencils, which are a bit more ordered than my desk is today!