SUMMER 2005 £2.50 HUMANISM SCOTLAND · HUMANISM SCOTLAND SUMMER 2005 5 NEWS In order to cope with...

HUMANISMSCOTLANDThe magazine of the Humanist Society of Scotland

SUMMER 2005 £2.50

PLUS: AIDS IN AFRICA; A HUMANIST YEAR

MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY

MARCHEIBF– WINTICKETSTO HEARGRAYLING

BRITAIN’S FIRST!A LEGALLY RECOGNISED

HUMANIST MARRIAGE


HUMANIST MARRIAGE

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The deadline for submission ofarticles for the next issue is

12 September 2005

HUMANISMSCOTLAND

is the officialorgan of the

Humanist Society of Scotland

Recognised by the Inland Revenue as a Charity.Scottish Charity No. SC026570

[email protected]

Front cover main pictureKaren Watts and Martin Reijns

after their wedding at Edinburgh Zoo(Photo courtesy of Rod Shearer Photography)

Inside back coverEdinburgh Castle from Princes Street Gardens

HUMANISMSCOTLANDThe magazine of the Humanist Society of Scotland

SUMMER 2005 £2.50

PLUS: AIDS IN AFRICA; A HUMANIST YEAR

MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY

MARCHEIBF– WINTICKETSTO HEARGRAYLING


HUMANIST MARRIAGE


HUMANIST MARRIAGE

The Humanist Society of Scotland seeksto represent those who adopt a non-religious, but ethical life-stance basedon enlightened self-interest. It aims tobuild a better human world withoutreliance on supernatural forces.

Design & production by Paul [email protected]

Vol. 3 No. 21 ISSN 1357-8200

HumanistSociety ofScotlandA secular voice in Scotland

Articles published in Humanism Scotland arethe responsibility of their authors and areaccepted for publication, in part or whole,according to the space available and at theEditor’s discretion.

The views expressed in such items are likelyto be generally Humanist in content butrepresent, strictly, the opinion of theirauthors and not necessarily those of theSociety.

Letters to the Editor are welcome and neednot be from Humanists. They will bepublished (possibly edited) if, in thejudgement of the Editor, they are valid andhelpful comments of interest to Humanists.

Writers’ names and addresses will bepublished unless otherwise requested, butall letters must have the names andaddresses of their writers – anonymousletters will not be published.

It is our intention to enhance the contentand influence of Humanism in Scotland.

EditorAlex Scott51 Inveroran DriveGLASGOWG61 2PJ0141 942 [email protected]

HSS SecretaryIvan Middleton26 Inverleith RowEDINBURGHEH3 5QH0131 552 [email protected]

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SUMMER 2005HUMANISM SCOTLAND

EDITOR’S NOTE

3

Information on the HSS and an application form for membership can be found on pages 17 & 18

ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS

We are happy to receive articles andshorter pieces for inclusion in themagazine. Articles should normally bebetween 600 and 1,800 words, with bookand film reviews between 400 and 800words. News items should be approx-imately 200 to 400 words (but pleasebear in mind that publication frequencywill not always accommodate otherwisenewsworthy pieces).

Text can be supplied by email, disk orhard copy. Regular word processing fileformats are normally acceptable (e.g..txt, .rtf, .doc). Please include your nameand contact details at the beginning orend of the text, with the date.

Relevant photographs are welcome.Generally speaking, digital picturesshould be taken at the highest resolutionavailable. Hard copy photographs canbe scanned and returned.

The editor’s details can be found on thefacing page.

CCOONNTTEENNTTSS

4 A Marriage Not Made in Heaven

Ivan Middleton

5 New Celebrants Join the Team

Mary Wallace & Jim Petherick

When HSS Met MPH

6 BHA Conference Report

June Maxwell

At the World Humanist Congress

Ivan Middleton

7 NEC Digest

Ron McLaren

Humanism Down Under

Joan Gibson

8 A Clash of Titans?

Cathy Crawford

EIBF Ticket Competition

9 A Humanist Year: Part 2– June, July, August

Joan Gibson

10 Interview: AIDS in Africa

Cathy Crawford & Hugh Hill

12 Religion and the Law

Steuart Campbell

Onward Humanist Soldiers

Gordon Ross

13 No Room for Afterthoughts

A book review by Des Fik

14 Nigel Bruce’s Radical Reading No.40

When is War Ethical?

15 Letters; 50/50 Club Winners

16 The Humanist Crossword

Compiled by Nigel Bruce

Inside bback ccover: HSS Talks & Events

I have to report that, sadly, there will be nomore Plain View columns from Eric Stockton.‘I am very much lacking in energy,’ says Eric. ‘ I

can do most things, very slowly, at the cost of moreor less continuous fatigue. I’m giving up almosteverything except lying about and talking topeople who come and see me. As for taking hold ofa job and doing it, I cannot guarantee a solution.The problem is chronic heart fatigue and slowheart failure, but I’m in good spirits and wisheverybody well.’

A recognition of Eric’s contributions to ourmagazines, past and present, will appear in thenext edition of Humanism Scotland.

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On 18 June 2005 I conducted thefirst legal Humanist marriageceremony to take place in the

British Isles. This was the culminationof a campaign which had startednineteen years earlier, following thefirst Humanist wedding in Scotlandconducted by Robin Wood. Since then,hundreds of couples who followed hadto arrange to have a civil ceremony aswell to make their marriage legal. Mytwo sons and their wives went downthis path, but they now celebrate theiranniversary on the date of theirHumanist wedding.

Many office bearers down the yearsplayed their part in advancing ourarguments: Fergus Watt, George Rodger,Bill McIntosh. The Humanist Society ofScotland had argued that couples whowanted to have Humanist marriageswere being discriminated against.Charles Douglas and I, on behalf of theHSS, presented a petition to the ScottishParliament in 2001. Whilst the Parlia-mentarians appeared sympathetic, thelawyers assured them no action wasnecessary.

We then embarked upon a series ofmeetings with the Registrar General.These took place over a few years. Ourargument to him, as it had been to theScottish Parliament, was that it was nowunlawful under the European HumanRights Act to discriminate againstanyone on the grounds of their religionor belief. The Registrar General hadpromised to review our arguments, andwe had provided him with statisticsshowing that we were performing abouta hundred weddings a year.

At our meeting with him in April we

were delighted when he told us that hisreview had led him to the conclusion thatour argument was correct, and to preventany further discrimination he wasprepared to authorise twelve HumanistCelebrants to solemnise marriagesthroughout Scotland. His thinking hadbeen in part influenced by a House ofLords decision which had set out newguidelines on how this clause should beinterpreted.

It was decided by the CeremoniesCommittee that there should be fiveCelebrants each from the East and Westof Scotland, and two from the North. TheRegional Co-ordinators made the selec-tion. Experience of conducting Humanistweddings was an important criterion.

The approved celebrants are:

In the WestAlastair Douglas, GlasgowMandy Evans-Ewing, GlasgowJess Fitzgerald, GlasgowJoe Hughes, JohnstoneRobin Wood, Kilmarnock

In the NorthPam McDonald, AberdeenAlan Smurthwaite, Muir of Ord

In the EastRon McLaren, St AndrewsKen McMillan, EdinburghIvan Middleton, EdinburghJim Petherick, KinrossMary Wallace, Doune

We then set about arranging aninduction course for our twelve mostexperienced and suitably located celebrants.

Mary Wallace and I have conductedabout 200 weddings between us, and Ihad been a supply registrar for nearly

three years. We facilitated this courseand had a senior manager from theRegistrar General’s Office explain to usthe legal niceties involved.

Fortunately, we are able to keep to ourpattern of encouraging the couple to becreative in writing their own vows – andindeed as much of their wedding scriptas they wished. The only new legalrequirement is that we must formally askeach whether they are prepared to acceptthe other as their lawfully weddedhusband/wife. Then we declare themhusband and wife, before signing theMarriage Schedule with them and theirwitnesses. This has to be done using ablack pen as this schedule is kept in anarchive. The couple later receive theirMarriage Certificate from the registrar inwhose district the marriage took place.

The first couple to be married in alegal Humanist ceremony were KarenWatts, from County Clare, and MartinReijns, from Holland – delightful youngpeople. It took place at Edinburgh Zoo.We had issued a Press Release, and justabout every paper in the British Isles tookup the story in a very positive way.Internationally, we had papers from asfar afield as New York and SouthAmerica cover it. Radio broadcasts andtelevision interviews with Karen, Martin,myself and Charles Douglas followed.The HSS paid for a video to be made ofthe ceremony itself.

We are delighted for all Humanistcouples who choose to be married inScotland, as they can now celebrate theirlove and commitment in a way of theirchoosing.

Ivan Middleton is HSS Secretary

SUMMER 2005

LEGAL MARRIAGES

HUMANISM SCOTLAND4

A MARRIAGE NOT MADE INHEAVEN (ACTUALLY, IN THE ZOO!)

SCOTTISH HUMANISTSMAKE HISTORY WITHLEGAL WEDDINGS

IVAN MIDDLETONIvan with Karen

and Martin Phot

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HUMANISM SCOTLAND SUMMER 2005 5

NEWS

I n order to cope with the increasingdemand for Humanist ceremonies,we ran a training course in Perth in

April, and as a result we now have elevennew Celebrants to add to our Register.This brings the total number ofCelebrants to forty-five. Some of theseare in areas where we desperately needcoverage, such as Angus and Dundee.

The course has been extended andupdated and now runs over three dayswith a residential weekend, followed twoweeks later by a full day at theCrematorium to conduct mock cere-monies. More time is devoted to skillsdevelopment than previously, and thenumber of trainees was capped at twelve,in order to ensure adequate time fordevelopment, assessment and feedback.

The course evaluations indicated thatthe trainees found the experienceenjoyable and very effective in equippingthem with the skills needed to conductfunerals. ‘Very useful and productive’,‘great fun and very informative’, and‘one of the most professionallyconducted courses I have ever attended’– were just some of the commentsreceived.

It is likely that we will run another

course later this year, and if you or anyoneyou know might be interested in under-taking the training for what is rewardingand enjoyable work, please contact theCeremonies Co-ordinator. In the futurewe will also be looking to run a course onweddings and baby namings.

Mary Wallace & Jim Petherick areCelebrant trainers; Jim is an NEC member

NEW CELEBRANTS JOIN THE TEAMMARY WALLACE & JIM PETHERICK

The trainees, pictured, are:

Seated, from left to right: Helen Wood(Glasgow); Sylvia Cameron (Inverness);Alan McLellan (Glasgow); Louise Scott

(Glasgow); Margaret Maclean (Glasgow)Standing, from left to right: John Duncan

(Angus); Gary Smith (Dundee); JimGraham (Aberdeenshire); Marion

Richardson (Aberdeenshire); DavidHalliday (Perthshire); Gillian Stewart (Fife)

When HSS met MPHWith the G8 summit on our doorstep, Society memberswent along to lend support to the recent Make PovertyHistory march in Edinburgh.

Cathy Crawford holds the fort (tent)

The HSS contingent set up stall in the Campaigns Zone tent,where there was a constant stream of people asking questionsabout Humanism, including at least one RE (or rather, RME)teacher, and a couple interested in arranging their upcomingwedding ceremony. Volunteers were on hand all day to answerqueries, tend the stall and give out leaflets and freemagazines. Happily, all the material on offer was snapped up.

Our marchers had to wait four hours before they actually gotto leave the Meadows starting point, but this was due to thevast numbers wanting to join. On the plus side, the sun shone.

Overall there was a carnival atmosphere, with only minorcrowd trouble. It was a day when various groups cametogether to do the same thing: make the G8 leaders realisethey have the power to end poverty. And at Gleneagles a fewdays later they went some way towards achieving this goal.

Cathy Crawford, our co-ordinator for the day, extends herthanks to all involved.

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HUMANISM SCOTLAND SUMMER 20056

NEWS

The first speakers gave an overviewof their work in various fields.Babu Gogineni of the International

Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU)talked (in serene and eloquent terms)about the fairly new Apignani BioethicsCentre and its concern for the hindrance tosocial and medical progress. Matters likestem cell research were being thwartedthrough the interference of religiousgroups. He pointed out the need forconstant engagement at both local andinternational levels on these issues.Georges Liénard also spoke of the needfor our interaction at local and Europeanlevel, especially on matters like Con-cordats. These are policy agreementsdrawn up between policy makers andmember states. The Vatican has alreadysigned (that is to say, exerted its influenceupon) fourteen (out of twenty-five)concordats with various countries – themost pernicious being the one withSlovakia.

But it wasn’t all bad news. The nexttwo speakers brought some cheer to theproceedings with inspiring talks. LeoIgwe (an intelligent, colourful and happycharacter) spoke with passion about thesocial and educative work his group aredoing in Nigeria. He also emphasised thegreat need for this work by explainingsome of the daily horrors taking placethere, like witchcraft and ritual killings –all practices implicitly sanctioned byoutdated beliefs. Perhaps the best newscame from Maryam Namazie who told usabout the recent and on-going protests inIran. She cited women overtly burningtheir hijabs; youths openingly listening torock music, and out-and-out defiance bywomen who insist on attending footballmatches. Now that Iran has qualified forthe World Cup, this might just be thecatalyst the populace needs to get somedemocratic principles established in theircountry. So, the fight goes on in theseplaces.

Sunday brought new delights. Prof.Crick spoke generally about Humanistmatters. But alongside him was the moredynamic Prof Frank Furedi, who sparkeda very lively debate by saying thatenvironmental (and other protest groups)often sell human beings short. Space heredeters me from expanding on hisargument, but in essence he believes thatrather than concentrating on our‘vulnerabilities’ and blaming ourselves

for our misfortunes, we ought to bestressing the resilience of humanity andhow it has the ability to overcomeformidable obstacles. Throughout theweekend, many others spoke on variousmatters of concern to local groups.

As a treat, we were invited to a tour ofNewcastle, which was exceedinglyenjoyable: the Angel of the North, theTyne Bridge, Newcastle Brown, etc,being among the attractions.

I was sorry to see that out of the fiftyor so delegates that attended, theseincluded around fifteen BHA staff; andmost of the others were speakers andtheir partners, and almost all were oversixty! Many of them were disappointedthat I was the sole participant from theHSS, but someone said there was also anattendee from Kirkcaldy – so I sought himout. I was surprised to find Ibrahim, anEgyptian and a former Muslim, whoworks in the Kirkcaldy hospital as aneurologist. We had a good chat on thetrain home and I’ve persuaded him (andperhaps his friend) to join the Society andcome along to both the Edinburgh andGlasgow meetings. He’s promised to stayin touch.

All in all, the event was an excellentopportunity for networking and makingnew contacts, and it instilled in me renewedenthusiasm for the urgent tasks ahead.

June Maxwell is a GG and NEC member

BHA Conference ReportJUNE MAXWELL ON A HUMANIST TRIP OVER THE BORDER

The British HumanistAssociation held theirannual conference inGateshead on theweekend of 10-12 June.

AMERICANS, Russians, Icelanders, Indians, citizens of theworld – all Humanists – flocked to Paris. And of course theIrish, English and Scots were there too. The theme of theConference was the Separation of Religion and State.

We met at Maison de l’UNESCO and at the SorbonneUniversity. Papers were presented on the position in the USA,France, India, Nigeria, Mexico and Russia. Each was full of fairlybad news for varying reasons. Robert Boston from Americavividly reminded us of how America’s founding fathers haddesperately tried to keep religion and state separate. They hadobserved the dire consequences in Europe when this had nothappened. Fundamentalism has changed all that. A similarpicture of fundamentalist dogma replacing reason in modern

India was painted by IHEU’S redoubtable Chief Executive, BabuGogineni.

I will try to identify briefly some highlights:Suzanne Lalonde gave a paper on ‘Why Jesus is More

Appealing than Darwin to American Women’. The answerseemed to lie in part in their relative social isolation andexhaustion, and also in their expectation that Jesus will deal withtheir problems anyway.

In a Workshop on ‘How to use the Media’, presented by TerrySanderson (NSS), we were all exhorted not to be paranoid aboutthe press, but rather to give them stories and facts. Terryidentified to his international audience how well the HSS haddone recently with our Press Release about the first legalHumanist marriage.

Barbara Smoker was recognised as the InternationalHumanist of 2005. It was recalled how she had left an RC prelatespeechless in a TV appearance. He had been railing againstartificial insemination, and she said to him that she could notunderstand his opposition to a possible ‘Virgin Birth’!

At the World HumanistCongress by Ivan Middleton

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NEWS

NNNNEEEECCCC DDDDiiiiggggeeeessss ttttwith RON McLAREN

Since the Spring edition of 2004,this report has been conspicuousby its absence, ably pointed out at

this year’s AGM. Having been adopted,co-opted and mildly bludgeoned into arole of minute taking, it was perhapsinevitable that the subject matter wouldfall into a full, but still willing, lap. So,picking up from Cathy Crawford, whohelped to maintain the flow, and theensuing gap of 15 months, here we go.

As a relative newcomer, to say thatNEC involvement needs commitment isan understatement, not only in personaltime but also in its related demands. Themuch hoped for four hour maximummeeting time has not been achieved, andin some cases the agenda has had to becurtailed to allow priority items to havedue level of discussion. The new venue atGrangemouth proved to be worthwhile,although accessibility only by car meantthat it would be short lived – hence thehoped for move back to Stirling.

Some recent highlights include: a newTreasurer (Gordon Ross); budgets andfinancial reporting system with Gordonat the helm; repercussions from theextensive funeral directors survey andconsequent elections to the ceremoniesnetwork; the awarding of NationalLottery funding to review and establishthe Society’s five year developmentobjectives, and the formation of therelated Development Sub-committee; theformation of a Constitutions Sub-committee following the announcement

of charities law review; the appointmentof Ivan to the chaplaincy, and he andCharles on ethics consultation; the inputfrom Paul Forbes on the Society’spublicity, image and presentation,besides much-needed assistance to anailing editor; the ongoing demands ofconsulting in the legals of family law anddiscrimination; a more structuredapproach to the training and subsequentassessment of celebrants – old and new; aradical review of our website; formationof a Magazine and Publicity Sub-committee; new NEC members Jim, Jill,June and Mandy; donating to third worldhumanist organisations (Nepal andGhana); involvement in the high-profileMake Poverty History campaign: a re-write of ceremony leaflets, and TheChallenge of Humanist Ethics booklet; ouron-going role in the current planks of ourobjectives (Bioethics, Euthanasia, SecularEducation) and as of 1/6/2005, thedefining moment of Legal HumanistMarriage.

All in active progress!Then there are the routines of

planning: EIBF, the Ceremonies confer-ence in September, the Society’s annualconference (22-23 October in Perth(Scotland!)). Not to mention the daily,weekly and monthly toing and froing of aHumanist inspired Society, and therebuttal and enlightenment of those whohaven’t seen it yet !

Ron McLaren is a DG and NEC member

While vvisiting ffamily iin tthe AAntipodes, II wwasinvited tto tthe AAustralian HHumanist oof ttheYear AAward ddinner, hhosted bby ttheHumanist AAssociation oof SSouth AAustralia.The aaward wwas mmade tto DDr TTim FFlannery,Director oof tthe SSouth AAustralia MMuseum, iinrecognition oof hhis ‘‘scientific ddiscoveries aandHumanist aattitude’. HHis eevolutionaryexpertise hhas lled hhim tto ppropound bboldand ccompelling vviews oon ppopulationcapacity aand ‘‘terra nnullius’ ((no mman’s lland).

The presentation was made by Humanistand retired Senator, the Honourable ChrisSchacht, who called on Humanists,Secularists and Atheists everywhere tocampaign for secular government.

In his acceptance speech, Dr Flannerycalled for a generosity of spirit, essentialfor true Humanism. Humanism mustmake a difference if it is to meananything. A lot is resting on us to be thesalt of the earth and prevent decay insociety. Flannery cited ancient agrariansocieties such as Tongo, where perishablegoods had to be shared, in contrast tonow when we can hoard money and beselfish, e.g. allowing the gap between richand poor to widen.

The Australians were very interested tolearn about us and bowled over by our700+ membership, charity status anddevelopment plan. With only sixty-fourmembers in South Australia (populationtwo million) they sadly see themselves as adying breed and seemed rather down-hearted. Because non-religious cere-monies are legislated for by FederalGovernment, Humanists are expected tosupport independent secular celebrantsand consequently are deprived of theprofitable recruiting activity that is sobeneficial to us.

I found the fervour of some for legalisingrecreational drugs puzzling. Surely thereare worthier and more positive causes tosupport in furtherance of Humanism? Butthey have taken humanitarian causes toheart and raised money for midwifery inPapua New Guinea, the Atheist Centre’stsunami relief work in India, andeducational provision for Liberianrefugees in Ghana. They also encouragepublic debate of contemporary issuesthrough a national essay competition.

If you are going down under do get in touch– you can contact them via their website(www.users.on.net/~rmc/hsofsa.htm).

HumanismDown Underby JOAN GIBSON

Attendees of theStrategy PlanningWeekend, whichtook place inMarch, withfacilitator JeanBareham in thecentre.The NEC is stillkeen to hearfrom memberswho can offerhelp or expertisein various areas,e.g. fundraising,education,media, PR.

(Photo taken by Hugh Hill, who also attended)

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BOOK FESTIVAL

Iam not sure if as Humanists we areany more believers in ancient pagangods such as Titans, but as a

metaphor I use the image of two hugefigures battling it out at the RoyalSociety of Edinburgh on a wet eveninglast September. Of course, coming as Idid with an inclination to supportGrayling’s view, I may not be the mostobjective judge, but to me it was hardlya battle of equals: even in the style ofdelivery Grayling clearly had the edge. Ifelt there was really only one Titan, andthat was the Humanist, Grayling.

To put briefly the central points:Haldane claimed, after a historicalreview of the last five hundred years, thatwhatever anyone professed the very factthat a European had lived in theChristian culture of Europe meant thathis ethics grew out of and were of thatculture. In contrast, Grayling, when hehad his chance to respond, suggested thatanyone who had arrived at a secularHumanist point of view had thoughtcarefully about his or her beliefs, and notsimply continued without examining thefoundation of ideas. The Humanist was

thus in a stronger position to resist anyChristian cultural pressure exerted by thehistorical strength of the Church andreligion. The Humanist ethical positionwas therefore more strongly rooted.

Both speakers had something to sayabout perceived and real threats toEurope, and the extent to which theywere related to religious faith.

It was a quick but insightful dasharound a range of topics: from theEuropean constitution to the dangers –not of Muslims – but in Grayling’s terms‘Islamicists’ (who have a very looseconnection with the religion), and on tothe basis of science. I am glad to reportthat our hero, Grayling, managed toknock down his opponent’s argumentsevery time.

The subject is far too big for an hour’sdebate to do it justice, but it washeartening that the majority of theaudience’s questions were along the linesof Humanism, and challenging toHaldane’s position. When a finalquestion was taken on the speakers’views with regard to the French decisionto ban the hajib in schools, Haldane

started to speak about people’s faith notbeing an individual’s choice, but of itbeing somehow out in the space beyondthem – and thus not being a question oftoleration. It was at this point thatGrayling became even more animated,but sadly the argument had to be left outin the space where one presumesHaldane keeps his concept of faith. Theevening ended at this point, where somuch more needed to be said, as it raisedall kinds of questions – such as how far itis possible to be tolerant.

It is fortunate that we as Humanistshave such an articulate and ablespokesperson for our views. I felt veryfortunate to have had the chance to hearhim represent mine and stimulate mythoughts. So I am very glad that he is tobe our sponsored speaker at theEdinburgh International Book Festival inAugust. I for one will make sure I have achance to hear him speak again, and itwill be all the better for not having toshare the platform with someone whowas simply unconvincing.

Cathy Crawford is an EG and NEC member

A CLASH OF TITANS?by Cathy Crawford

Last autumn Professor A C Grayling of Birbeck College, London,and Professor John Haldane of the University of St Andrewsdebated the topic ‘Preserving the Values of Secular Europe in aTime of Religious Turbulence’

WIN TICKETS TO HEAR A C GRAYLING

The HSS and BHA are sponsoring A C Grayling at thisyear’s Edinburgh International Book Festivalevent, due to take place at 1.30pm on 18 August. Wehave four tickets to give away. For your chance towin them, just answer the following questions andpost your entry to: Alex Scott, 51 Inveroran Drive,GLASGOW G61 2PJ. Please include your name,address, telephone no., and email address (ifapplicable). The first four correct entries drawn on11 August will receive the tickets.

1 A C Grayling’s first name is:

a) Archibald b) Andrew c) Anthony

2 The humanist and educational psychologist Margaret Knightcaused a furore in 1955 with her BBC broadcast lectures‘Morals without Religion’. At which Scottish University was sheworking at the time?

a) Aberdeen b) St Andrews c) Edinburgh

3 In 1994 a leading Humanist coined a term to describe theHumanist non-theistic life-stance. What was this term?

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A HUMANIST YEAR

A HUMANIST YEARPart 2: June, July, August

This year brings the two gravestissues facing the planet to ourattention: global warming and

poverty. These issues are of great concernto Humanists because we are totallycommitted to Human Rights and justice:

‘Humanism is a progressivephilosophy of life that, withoutsupernaturalism, affirms our abilityand responsibility to lead ethical livesof personal fulfilment that aspire tothe greater good of humanity.’

– Humanist Manifesto III

In contrast, some religionists are sofocused on the next life that they see noneed to act on these issues. Indeed, theymight be deflecting God’s will for the earth,e.g. by supporting the Kyoto Protocol.

JuneNamed after the Roman goddess Juno,

the month of June contains the summersolstice – which marks the first day ofsummer – and a few days later, on the24th, the mis-called mid-summer day,which in fact marks the mid-point of ourcalendar.

The summer solstice is often referredto as ‘the longest day’ because it marksthe northern-most point of the Sun’srange at the tropic of Cancer; thereafter itmoves southwards as we head for winterand darker days. This is an importantday in the solar calendar, and has greatsignificance for Sun worshippers andfollowers of New Age religions, andrevivalists of an ancient religion such asDruidism.

However, for Humanists 21 June hasgreater significance, as it is the one day ofthe year dedicated to the celebration ofHumanism around the world: Inter-national Humanist Day. We often feelaggrieved because Humanists can seem

to be an invisible part of the population.If we do not make ourselves visible onthis one day of the year then we willdeserve our lack of recognition.

JulyThis is the one month that I have no

special day for Humanists to mark.Around the country throughout summerthere is a rolling programme of ridings,sea festivals, galas and Highland games.These events are rooted in history and areassociated with local traditions. There isbound to be such an event happeningnear where you live.

This year the G8 leaders meet atGleneagles and there are severalopportunities to join with othersdemonstrating for Humanist values.

AugustThis month brings an opportunity tomake the anniversary of David Hume – asignificant day for Humanists and FreeThinkers and all Scots. Born inEdinburgh on 26 April 1711, DavidHume does not enjoy the recognition hemerits in his native country, and it isperhaps not too early to begin thinkingabout how the 300th anniversary of hisbirth could be marked in Scotland.Meantime, we could establish theanniversary of his death, 25 August, asDavid Hume Day. Our philosophersurely deserves equal standing with theNation’s Bard.

The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophydescribes Hume as the ‘most influentialthoroughgoing naturalist in modernphilosophy’, and Russell considers himto be ‘one of the most important amongphilosophers’. Kant claimed his mindwas ‘awakened from dogmatic slumbers’by Hume, and his categorical imperativewas his response to Hume’s belief that

the foundation of ethics was aesthetics.Hume published his ‘Treatise of HumanNature’ in 1739. In it he claimed ‘Reasonis, and ought to be, the slave of thepassions’ and most of his subsequentphilosophical writing reworked andamplified his empirical approach to thehuman mind. Also an essayist andhistorian, most of the acclaim he enjoyedin his lifetime related to his achievementsin these fields. He died in Edinburgh in1776, and the ‘honest atheist’ is buried onCalton Hill.

A. Herman in his history The ScottishEnlightenment maintains that Scotland,the first literate nation, laid thefoundations of modernity and shaped theBritain, Europe and America we knowtoday. David Hume was a major playerin the Scottish Enlightenment. Hebelieved, ‘It is impossible for the arts andsciences to arise, at first, among anypeople unless that people enjoy theblessings of a free government’, and thatgovernment should combine ‘libertywhich preserves society, and authoritywhich preserves society’. Hume believedwe learn from history and can makeprogress and become enlightened.

The most appropriate way to markDavid Hume Day on 25 August wouldseem to be with a ‘Le bon David’ dinner,such as he frequently enjoyed. It musthave three essential ingredients: goodfood, good wine (claret) and goodcompany; with philosophical conver-sation, this was a recipe for Hume’s ideaof perfection.

I heartily recommend RoderickGraham’s recently published life ofDavid Hume, The Great Infidel, for an in-depth exposition of the life of Britain’sgreatest, and modernity’s first greatphilosopher.

Joan Gibson is an EG and NEC member

JOAN GIBSON continues her serieson the Humanist calendar with alook at the summer

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AIDS INTERVIEW

HUGH: I’ve just recently got back fromSri Lanka and clearly there is a potentialAIDS problem around the corner. Thegovernment denies AIDS even exists inSri Lanka, but I have it from a reliableand informed source that there is anAIDS problem out there. I feel we shouldnever allow the AIDS pandemic todisappear over the horizon by denying itin this manner. How do you view theAIDS figures for Asia?

ALAN: Yes, it’s true that South Asia issitting on a huge epidemic. The preva-lence rates are pretty low, but thepopulations are so high that the numbersof infected people are very large.

HUGH: Do you think the spread ofAIDS is under control in Africa? If so,how has it been controlled: if not, whatcould be done to bring it under control?

ALAN: In terms of the numbers ofnew infections, no, HIV is not undercontrol yet. There are a few promisingsigns however. In several Africancountries, HIV prevalence has turneddown in recent years, Uganda being themost spectacular example. There aremany ways in which control is beingattempted, including promotion ofcondoms, partner reduction andabstinence. However, HIV persistsbecause of ignorance and the underlyinginequalities found in sub-Saharan Africa– e.g. income inequalities, lack ofempowerment of women. In terms ofHIV control, therefore, this is adevelopment problem in the same waythat poverty is a development problem.In the long run, the social and economicdisparities need to be fixed. In the shorterterm, application of proven andculturally acceptable prevention, careand support mechanisms make adifference.

CATHY: In what ways do you seeAIDS affecting life in Africa?

ALAN: HIV/AIDS affects almost allaspects of life in Africa. In fact, you cansometimes see an ‘AIDS landscape’where traditional crops have beenreplaced by other crops that have lesslabour requirements or where grass roofsare no longer repaired because it is aman’s job in some cultures and the menhave all died. In economic terms, AIDStakes a bite out of the most productiveage groups, particularly young women,and men aged 30-40. The extended familysystem provides some kind of safety net,with orphaned children being broughtup by aunts and uncles, but many kidsfall through the net and life is madetougher for the foster parents. HIVpatients often take up over half the bedsin hospitals in Kenya and other badly-hitcountries. Many studies have doc-umented decreased domestic andworkplace productivity through AIDS-related causes – days off from sickness,absenteeism, lower capacity for work,etc. AIDS tends to encourage fatalism,which is, in itself, fostered by povertyand the preachings of fundamentalistreligions which seem to be more andmore prevalent.

HUGH: Given the greater awarenessof AIDS in recent years, do you think thatAsia will become as heavily infected asAfrica?

ALAN: It’s hard to say, but I think not.Thailand made a rapid and successfulmove to halt the epidemic there in the 90sand I believe that India and China willeventually do the same, just as they didwith family planning. The main problemto be overcome is the denial of theproblem at high political levels. Once thatbarrier has been breached, I believe therewill be a swift and effective response.

HUGH: Given that governments, forwhatever reasons, are inclined to playdown the degree of AIDS infection in

their region, what can be done to provideaccurate figures for the various regions ofthe world?

ALAN: Actually, there are only a fewcountries where HIV data is consideredinadequate or inaccurate. WHO, throughUNAIDS, publish annual statistics aboutthe epidemic, usually based on reliablesources. Interestingly, however, last yeara fairly respectable NGO in Ugandachallenged the official figures andwarned that the country was slippingback. Another point to make here is thatthe most commonly-used indicator ofHIV is the prevalence rate – i.e. thepercentage of a population or groupwhich is HIV+ at a given point in time.This is reasonably easy to measure andcompare. However, the prevalence ratemay be affected by forces acting inopposite ways. For example, in the high-mortality phase of HIV (where manyAfrican countries find themselves at themoment), prevalence could fall if thenumbers of HIV+ people dying exceedsthe numbers of new infections. To reallycheck on the epidemic, therefore, weneed to conduct studies of new cases tocalculate incidence rates. These are manytimes more expensive to measure thanprevalence rates, however, so we have torely, on the world scale, on the former.

HUGH: How do we counter thereligious propaganda that seems to beobstructing the preventative measuresbeing promoted by the UN?

ALAN: Certainly, early in theepidemic, nearly all the churches inAfrica used HIV/AIDS as a convenientsubject for moralising and marginalisingHIV sufferers. Gradually however, all themainstream churches, in East Africa atleast, have adopted a more practicalviewpoint. Many are running very goodprevention, care and support pro-grammes. The Catholic church in East

AIDS in AfricaA Humanist Issue

Dr. Alan Ferguson is programme manager for the AIDS ControlProject in Sub-Saharan Africa, and is a Scot currently based in Nairobi.Hugh Hill and Cathy Crawford were given the opportunity tointerview him about the AIDS pandemic.

hs_v3-21.qxd 22/07/05 01:01


AIDS INTERVIEW

Africa, being on the conservative end ofthis spectrum, does, of course, stilloppose the use of condoms. In practice,however, Catholics in Kenya are just aslikely to use condoms as non-Catholics(and to use hormonal birth controlmethods too). For me, the source of mostworry on this question is the conser-vative/religious right controlling the USgovernment. Like it or not, the UScontributes most of the anti-AIDSfunding in Africa. The chunk of cashpresently coming in for anti-retroviraldrugs comes with various condi-tionalities about promoting abstentionand playing down other preventivemeasures. Also, poverty, desperationand AIDS have allowed myriad smallindigenous churches to form in Africa.These, as a whole, are counter-productive in the struggle against AIDS.How do we counter propaganda? Peoplein this region often suffer fromignorance, but they’re not stupid. If wepromote consistent and effective counter-measures, then people will adopt themeventually, no matter what else they arebeing told to believe.

TREATMENT

CATHY: What part do you feeltreatment will play in conquering thedisease?

ALAN: ARV treatment will notconquer the disease, because it cannot (atpresent) offer a cure. However, it is a keyadvance in that ART will preservelongevity and maintain or increasequality of life for the infected andaffected. Ironically, prevalence rates mayeven rise in the face of an effectivenational programme of ART becausepeople who would otherwise have diedare still alive and still HIV+. This isimportant to take in because it makesprevention even more important. We’rein danger of being blown away by ARTas ‘flavour of the year’ and forgetting theprevention basics that are still beingpainfully diffused. In African countries,there’s a risk that people will, in fact, seeART as a ‘cure’ and resort to high-riskbehaviour. Another problem is animpending probable increase in resis-tance to ARV drugs if the tough regimesthey require are not adhered to.

CATHY Do you think free access toART treatment is essential?

ALAN Yes, but it is just not going tohappen here!

CATHY What has been yourexperience of the WHO’s 3x5 treatmentinitiative and do you see it reaching itstarget?

ALAN WHO has coined the initiative,but it has no resources to use to attain the

goal. The continued reduction in ARTcosts is a good thing, but the logistics andpracticalities of getting 3 million peopleon ART are very tough, so I don’t believethis goal is attainable. At the moment,only an estimated 20% of those eligiblefor ART in Kenya are receiving thedrugs. The target is 75% by 2010.

STIGMA

CATHY: Do you feel stigmasurrounding the disease still exists inAfrica and other parts of the world. If so,how would you set about breaking itdown?

ALAN: Absolutely. Stigma anddiscrimination are still major problems.In areas most affected by HIV, however,this seems to be less so. Leaders likeMuseveni and Nelson Mandela haveshown a way to counter stigma by goingpublic. Unfortunately, most Africangovernments are run by old men who arethe least likely to confront this problem,so the lesser leaders and the people taketheir cue from them.

Solutions? More leaders like thesetwo, more affirmative action by AIDSactivists, advocacy, more understandingof the disease.

THE FUTURE

CATHY: What are your views onthere being a cure for or a vaccine againstAIDS in the foreseeable future?

ALAN: There are a lot of very cleverpeople working on this. At the sametime, HIV is a very awkward virus todeal with, so there has been little successso far. I think a partially-effectivevaccination is likely soon, but I’m lessoptimistic about finding a total cure.

CATHY: What basis do you have forthinking that a vaccine is coming soon?

ALAN: There’s a vaccine initiativegroup working here with us, part of theloose collaborative group working onHIV centred in the University of NairobiMedical School. Although they haven’tbeen successful so far, they have plentyof ideas and are constantly finding outmore about the nature of the way thevirus works, so THEY are optimistic.Since I know diddly-squat about medicalmicrobiology, my own optimism stemsfrom these guys!

Latest Kenyan forecasts predict a fallin HIV in the general population from6.9% in 2003 to 3-4% in 2007, evenassuming a high uptake of ART, which ofcourse maintains the duration of life inthe HIV+ population so they stay in the‘numerator’ of the calculation.

HUGH: Until there is one or the otherof the above, what do you feel should be

the world’s response to AIDS? ALAN: Well, if the basic prevention

measures are all followed, the epidemicmay just die out eventually withoutresort to vaccines or cures. We need toconcentrate more on helping the mostvulnerable regions/groups (e.g., Africa,E. Europe, S. Asia, sex workers, truckers,young vulnerable women, refugees,orphans, etc.) We need to keep aware-ness of the AIDS disaster in Africa on thefront pages in Europe and not let fatigueset in. (By the way, the tsunami is goingto be an indirect African disaster if fundsare channelled away to S. Asia!) We needto persuade the Americans to elect amore caring and intelligent presidentnext time! We need to increase theresources available and facilitate theirutilisation for HIV/AIDS, and we needto see HIV as a gender issue and adevelopment issue.

HUGH: Do you feel the Britishgovernment could be doing more to help,and if not, what can organisations likethe Humanist Society of Scotland do tobring pressure on governments?

ALAN: Obviously, there’s alwaysmore that Governments can do. I feel theUK government, with poverty reductionas its development goal, has not done toobadly in the fight against HIV in Africa. Ithas certainly made quite effective use ofresources and hasn’t become side-trackedfrom its set goals.

I’m pleased, and impressed, that theHumanist Society of Scotland cares aboutthis issue. Firstly, be informed and beaware of the dimensions of the problem,then pass on to others what you know.When I am back in Scotland, I find it hardto talk about my work as it’s hard forpeople to associate with what I have tosay, or to imagine the sort of scenariosthat are the cause and the result of HIV inAfrica. To have a body of concernedHumanists who can inform others andcreate awareness about this tragedy isvery important. As an organisation, Iwould monitor government policyclosely and look for any back-downs ordetrimental shifts (e.g. as in the US casenoted above). Petition your MPs andMSPs about HIV/AIDS if you think theissue is being ignored. Have pro-fessionals advise you when you need tocounter any detrimental propaganda –either technical or social – and articulateyour points directly and in the media.

HUGH: Is there any question you feelwe should have asked you but haven’t?

ALAN: Yes. What would you like todrink?

Cathy Crawford is an EG and NEC memberHugh Hill is a Glasgow Group member

hs_v3-21.qxd 22/07/05 01:01


TALKS

The common law offence ofblasphemy remains on the booksbut has fallen into disuse; it was

last used in Scotland in 1843. ProfessorMunro reviewed several notorious casesin England, where the crime has beenjudicially modified to one of grossoffensiveness. These were private pros-ecutions, which are not possible inScotland. Because the law is discrim-inatory (it applies only to establishedChristianity), there have been calls bothfor its abolition and extension to otherreligions, although, in the latter case,there is difficulty in defining ‘religion’.

In 2003, the Criminal Justice (Scotland)Act introduced religious aggravation as afactor to be taken into account insentencing (there was a similar Actin England in 2001). Unfortunately‘religion’ is not defined in these Acts.Questionable novelties in them are thatthe defendant’s motive is relevant and

that only one witness (the accuser) isrequired. In England, there have been, onaverage, about ten cases per year, mostlyinvolving Muslims. In Scotland, therehave been about 450 cases in 15 months,mostly in West and Central Scotland andinvolving Catholics and Protestants.

More recently both Westminster andHolyrood have proposed to create anoffence of incitement to religious hatred.In Westminster, attempts to do so failedboth in 2001 and 2005 due to imminentgeneral elections. During Holyrood’sHate Crime Consultation, the HSSobjected to the idea early last year andthis objection was accepted. However,Westminster later proposed to add thecrime to its Serious Organised Crime andPolice Bill. This clause was subsequentlywithdrawn, but proposals for the intro-duction of such an offence may yet returnin England, Scotland or both.

THE recent fiasco round the BBC’stransmission of Gerry Springer – TheOpera made me realise just howwell organised the religious right iswhen it comes to making its verysmall voice heard.Why ain’t we as good at this? Weneed to organise.For example, every broadcaster (TVand Radio) has a ‘duty office’ wherecomments and complaints arerecorded and circulated aroundsenior management – seriously, theyare. I know: I worked for the BBC’s‘duty office’, and for a TV producer;so I saw complaints being bothrecorded and acted upon (or notacted upon), but definitely noted bysenior management.So when the BBC does something we

disapprove of, or even approve of,we can make our voice heard. It’s soeasy. You just call 08700 100 222and talk to the person in the ‘dutyoffice’, who will record yourcomment on the ‘duty log’, ready forgeneral circulation to management.I put the name in inverted commasbecause every broadcaster now callsthe office something different – at theBBC it’s now the ‘Information Office’– but they all do the same job as theold duty offices.We need to get together with theBHA, GALHA and the NSS to createa common email list of activistswhich can be circulated when issuesarise. These people can act toregister our feelings as quickly andeffectively as the religious right.

Onward Humanist Soldiersby GORDON ROSS

STEUART CAMPBELL reports from the Edinburgh GroupColin Munro, Professor of Constitutional Law and former Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Edinburgh,spoke in May on the state of the law (both in England and Scotland) concerning blasphemy, religious aggravationand religious hatred. He had addressed the Group on the same subject in 1992.

RELIGION AND THE LAW

Here’s aa llist oof ttelephonenumbers tto kkeep fforfuture rreference:

BBC aall TTV && RRadio08700 1100 2222

ITV aall rregions0870 6600 66766

Channel 440207 3306 88333

HOW TO MAKE YOURVOICE HEARD

Gordon Ross is HSS Treasurer

Since this talk was given the Racialand Religious Hatred Bill haspassed through its final stages inthe House of Commons. It will gofor consideration to the House ofLords after the summer recess.However, it would appear that thebill does not apply to Scotland.Provisions on offences aggravatedby religious prejudice are alreadyincluded in the Criminal Justice(Scotland) Act, 2003.

Professor Munro has written on the thalido-mide case, censorship of television and theScotland Act 1998. He has a particularinterest in media law and sits on theAdvertising Advisory Committee and theCouncil of the British Board of FilmClassification.

hs_v3-21.qxd 22/07/05 01:01


BOOK REVIEW

THINKING About Death contains anintroduction from the editors, a collectionof ten short essays, and as an epilogue aletter relating to the death of DavidHume penned by Adam Smith in 1776.The booklet is based on a HumanistPhilosophers’ Group conference held inLondon in 2002. The essays are veryshort (the whole volume only runs tosixty-one pages) and they are clearlybased on papers intended forpresentation at conference, where theycould be discussed, criticised, defended,expounded upon and so on. If you wereto buy this expecting a highly polisheddiscourse on philosophical thought aboutdeath through the ages, therefore, youwould be disappointed. What you get isa mixed bag of ideas, mostly robust andwell evidenced, some less so, presentedin a variety of styles.

The first essay, ‘Intimations ofMortality’ by John Harris, sets out someof the potential dilemmas posed bypredicted technologies which may greatlyincrease the length of the human lifespan, for some. The piece fails to givesufficient weight to problems of socialjustice, and the implications of medicalresources being available only for aprivileged few. Complex issues areoversimplified and an underlyingassumption conveyed that ‘market forces’will dictate such matters with no place forethical, social or political debate anddecision-making.

‘Six Months to Live’ by Tim LeBonexplores what the discipline ofphilosophical counselling can offerthrough the hypothetical case history of‘Alex’, a terminally ill atheist who ‘feelsthe urgent need to take stock of her life’.A stimulating piece, which highlights thatthere is a wide-ranging philosophical‘toolbox’ available to us when we try tofind value and meaning in our lives whenconfronted with pain and suffering.

‘Voluntary Sex’ is a satirical dialogue

which dissects ‘slippery slope’ argumentsagainst euthanasia by exposing saidarguments to ridicule. I found thiscontrived and laboured rather thanentertaining or funny. For me, a few wellwritten paragraphs of plain Englishwould have made the points better;however I fully acknowledge that this is amatter of subjective personal taste andothers will no doubt enjoy the piece.

Suzanne Uniacke, in ‘Is There a Rightto Die?’, points out that building a casefor euthanasia on the premise thatsuicide is no longer unlawful would bemistaken. Assertions about the legalposition seem to hang in the airsomewhat, and at times the argumentspresented could have been madeclearer. A utilitarian position (pp25-l) isattacked as a philosophical ‘slipperyslope’ without explanation either of theposition or the reasoning behindobjections to it. I am pretty sure theposition referred to relates to work byPeter Singer, but this remains educatedguesswork. While there are sources ofmore information in the ‘FurtherReadings’ section, proper referencingwould have helped.

In ‘How Should We Treat the Dead?’Piers Benn examines the idea that as wecan be harmed without knowing it whenliving, the interests of the dead can alsobe harmed. Peter Cave in his essay‘Dead People’ approaches the samearea by making the statement, ‘Weshould treat people well: therefore, weshould treat dead people well ‘ – thendiscussing objections to the statement.Well written and thought provokingpieces.

Richard Swinburne’s ‘The Possibility ofLife After Death’ offers ‘evidence’ for theexistence of a soul in the form of athought experiment where a humanbrain is divided, and each half implantedinto a new body. Swinburne argues thatone of the half brain people must still be

the original person and that the decisivefactor in this would be the presence orotherwise of the soul. In his ‘Reply toRichard Swinburne’, Hugh Mellorchallenges the assertion that one of thesebeings ‘must’ still be the original person,and points out that nothing in theexperiment evidences the possibility of adisembodied consciousness, mind orsoul. Anthony Flew’s ‘A DisembodiedLife’ provides some historical backgroundto the last fifty years or so in thedevelopment of British philosophy, andagain refutes Swinburne’s position.

In ‘The Gamblers Argument; BlaisePascal’, Nigel Warburton constructs adelightful dialogue between an agnosticon their deathbed and a concernedfriend who tries to convert them to beliefon the basis of Pascal’s argument, a sortof latter day cost-benefit analysis that itmakes sense to believe in God because itdoes not cost us anything to do so, andwe risk eternal damnation if we do not.The dying agnostic reminds the friendthat being true to oneself is a better wayto live and die, and that an all knowingGod may be a tad miffed at one’sexpedient last minute conversion.

The epilogue, Adam Smith’s accountof David Hume’s demeanour as heneared death, is eloquent testimony to aman who died with integrity and diedwell. This account has importance notjust in showing how Hume died, but indemonstrating clearly to all that a personcan die in dignity, at peace with theirown self and with humanity, without theemotional crutch of religious belief.

Thinking About Death delighted morethan it frustrated, and certainly neverbored. I happily recommend it to you withthe hope that the Humanist Philosophers’Group may at some future point considerproducing a larger, more comprehensivecollection on this most fascinating, andinescapable of subjects.

Des Fik is a Glasgow Group member

Thinking About Death, edited by Peter Cave and Brendan Larvor(British Humanist Association, ISBN 0901825239, £4.50)

NO ROOM FORAFTERTHOUGHTS

A review by Des Fik

hs_v3-21.qxd 22/07/05 01:01


NIGEL BRUCE

Some readers may respond to thisquestion with an absolute ‘Never’,and I respect that point of view. It

is a view shared by Buddhists and bythe Quakers and has a proud history.Presumably Jesus of Nazareth wouldhave shared it. The early ChristianChurch, once established in Rome,wrestled with this issue and eventuallyproduced a middle way, which came tobe known as the theory of the Just War.

This doctrine said that war wasinherently evil but could be justified ifthe circumstances satisfied five criteria.With some over-simplification, to be‘just’, a war must 1) be defensive, notaggressive; 2) be authorised by legalauthority; 3) be confined to militarytargets; 4) be a ‘last resort’, only after allpeaceful methods had failed; and finally5) the means employed must not be outof proportion to the merit of the endsbeing pursued.

The Iraq War

The invasion and occupation of Iraqby American and British troops could notbe justified on any of these five criteria,which explains why a vast majority ofChristian leaders world-wide con-demned it. Supporters of the aggressiontried to argue that historical changes hadmade the principles of the ‘just war’anachronistic and irrelevant. That stance,however, revealed ignorance of howthese principles had been given new lifein the Charter of the United Nations,whose classic Preamble calls upon allnations to ‘save succeeding generationsfrom the scourge of war’.

The UN Charter

Article 1 of the Charter calls for‘effective collective measures for theprevention and removal of threats to thepeace, and for the suppression of acts ofaggression or other breaches of the peace,and to bring about by peaceful means,and in conformity with the principles of

justice and international law, adjustmentor settlement of international disputes orsituations which might lead to a breach ofthe peace.’

Kofi Annan’s Initiative

The present Secretary-General of theUnited Nations, painfully conscious ofthe damage done to the authority of theUnited Nations by the aggressiveleadership of President George W Bush,with the support of his acolyte, theBritish Prime Minister, called together in2003 a ‘High-level Panel on Threats,Challenges and Change’, with fullauthority to consider which aspects of the1945 Charter required to be brought up-to-date in the light of the presentinternational balance of power and thecurrent wave of tribal, communal andcultural violence within national borders.

Published in 2004, the report of thisPanel is entitled ‘A more secure world:Our shared responsibility’. The chair ofthe Panel was the Thai statesman, AnandPanyarachun.

The Reports on Threats,Challenges and Change

The report provides a comprehensivereview of all the organs of the UnitedNations, but in this article I must confinemyself to the sections which tackle thequestion of legitimacy in the use ofmilitary force. These sections include thehighlighting of five basic criteria, therebyconsolidating and updating the tradi-

tions of international law. 1) The use ofmilitary force is legitimate only if it is inresponse to a clear and serious threat toState or human security, and if 2) haltingor averting such a threat is genuinely theprimary purpose, and if 3) it is a lastresort, after all peaceful methods havefailed, and if 4) the means employed areproportional to the ends pursued, and if5) the consequences of action are notlikely to be more damaging than theconsequences of inaction.

Kofi Annan has called a specialsummit meeting of heads of state in NewYork in September to authoriseimplementation of the report. He is alsorecommending that the Panel’s guide-lines for the authorisation of the use ofmilitary force should be embodied indeclaratory resolutions of both the

Security Council and the GeneralAssembly of the United Nations.

This will be a historic year for theUnited Nations. Are the nations of theworld, at this critical time, willing toacknowledge the primacy of interna-tional law and to put an end toimperialism?

Charter of the United Nations and Statute of theInternational Court of Justice. Department ofInformation, United Nations, New York.A more secure world : Our shared responsibility.Report of the Secretary-General’s High-level Panel onThreats, Challenges and Change. Department ofInformation, United Nations, New York.ISBN 92-1-100958-8

Nigel Bruce is an Edinburgh Group member

NIGEL BRUCE’S

RADICAL READING NO. 40

When is War Ethical?The invasion andoccupation of Iraqby American andBritish troops couldnot be justified onany of the fivecriteria of the ‘JustWar’

Are the nations ofthe world willing toacknowledge theprimacy ofinternational lawand put an end toimperialism?

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LETTERS

Editor: Alex Scott, 51 Inveroran Drive, Glasgow G61 2PJ [email protected]

LettersThe editor, Humanism Scotland:

Earth Charter caveats

I understand why the HSSendorsed The Earth Charter.However it should be aware ofsome of the consequences. Forexample, in section II onEcological Integrity, Principle 6about preventing harm(abbreviated in the Autumn/Winter 2004 issue) calls for theapplication of ‘a precautionaryapproach’ to environmentalprotection ‘when knowledge islimited’. This does not meantaking precautions; it means ‘donothing that could cause harm’ or‘as a precaution against what youintend causing harm, even whenyou do not know what that harmcould be, do not do it’! Thisbecomes clear when oneexamines the five clauses ofPrinciple 6.

Clause 6a calls for theavoidance of ‘the possibility ofserious or irreversibleenvironmental harm even whenscientific knowledge is incompleteor inconclusive [my italics]’. I donot know what the authors of theCharter had in mind here, in fact Iam not sure what this badly-written clause means, but I wouldhesitate to put limits on scientificenquiry. Perhaps the intention is toprevent activity which might causeharm, even though we do notknow what it is. The stupidity ofthis must be evident, but the nextclause takes much the same line.

Clause 6b places the burden ofproof on those who argue that aproposed activity ‘will not causesignificant harm’. David Humecould have pointed out the flaw inlogic here. It is impossible toprove a negative and, in this case,impossible to prove that aproposed activity will not causeharm. The burden of proof is onthose who argue that a proposedactivity will cause harm and theymust produce evidence for this.Asking everyone who proposessomething to prove that what theypropose will not cause harmwould have prevented almostevery technological advance,including the discovery of fire,which does actually cause harm.

This contrasts with the reasonablerequirement that proposers shoulddemonstrate that they have takenevery precaution against causingdamage or harm. However, thiscan only be done where there isan expectation of damage orharm. No one can be expected totake a precaution againstunknown damage or harm, yet, ineffect, this is what Principle 6 asksfor. Even if some damage or harm(cost) is known to occur (as withfire), it does not follow that theproposed activity should beabandoned. Costs have to beweighed against benefits. Wevalue our electricity supply, yet itcan kill, and its generation anddistribution equipment can beseen as environmentallydamaging. Perhaps that is not‘significant harm’. Clearly,‘significant’ needs to be defined.In Principle 6, it is not defined.

Clause 6c merely calls for alldecisions to be taken in the lightof their ‘cumulative, long-term,indirect, long-distance, and globalconsequences’. Fine, but we wouldneed to be omniscient! I doubtthat any mortal could possiblyknow what these universalconsequences would be.

Clause 6d calls for theprevention of pollution and insiststhat build-ups of radioactive, toxicor other hazardous substancesshould not be allowed. Ifinstituted, this requirement wouldcause the collapse of all thoseindustries which involve theconcentration of hazardoussubstances. In fact, it wouldprevent the operation of mostmanufacturing industry, and causethe collapse of the worldeconomy. Perhaps what isintended is the ‘build-up’ of suchsubstances in the environment,outwith factories. In that case, theclause needs to be rewritten.

The final clause (6e) calls forthe avoidance of military activitiesthat are damaging to theenvironment. Since one cannotengage in military activity withoutsome environmental damage, theeffect of this clause is to preventall military activity. Is that perhapsthe intention and are we now apacifist movement?

The precautionary principle isa well-meaning but naive attemptto halt environmental damage.However, the mere presence ofhuman civilization threatens theenvironment. While our civiliza-tion lasts, the planet will bevulnerable. The proper course ofaction should be by the institutionof effective environmentalprotection organisations (likeSEPA in Scotland). A balance hasto be struck between protectingthe environment and allowingprogress and development.Preventing harm through theprecautionary principle would ineffect prevent progress anddevelopment.

The three other Principles inthis section of the Charter are, onthe whole, similarly naïve, utopianand impractical. Indeed, thewhole Charter is hopelessly ill-informed and simplistic. I havecommented on the environmentalsection merely as an example.The HSS may subscribe to theCharter, but I do not.

Steuart Campbell,4 Dovecot Loan,Edinburgh

FOURTH QQUARTER 22004First PPrize: John Watson

Ardnamurchan, Argyllshire

Second PPrize: John FergusonBothwell

Booby PPrize: Alan McLellanNetherlee, Glasgow

ANNUAL PPRIZEMary Luck, Perth

FIRST QQUARTER 22005First PPrize: Joan Gibson

Dunfermline

Second PPrize: Alan McLellanNetherlee, Glasgow

Booby PPrize: Marilyn JacksonEdinburgh

50/50 CLUBWINNERS

hs_v3-21.qxd 22/07/05 01:01


CROSSWORD

Humanist Crossword No. 4Compiled by Nigel Bruce

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9

10 11

12 13 14

15 16 17 18

19

20 21 22 23

24 25 26

27 28

Solution on the inside back cover

ACROSS1 Bedlam. (8)

9 Traffic in unison. (3-3)

10 Outspoken woman in publishing. (6)

11 A sin which is mutually forgivable. (8)

12 The deity, when addressed objectively. (4)

13 Final book of the New Testament. (9)

15 Philanderer. (7)

17 Aquatic fowl, solving the riddle of ‘which camefirst?’. (7)

20 Christian believer, but not acknowledging 5down. (10)

22 Emperor, famous for persecuting the earlyChristians. (4)

24 The late 5 down. (4-4)

26 Specific component of the curriculum. (6)

27 Evil aforethought. (6)

28 Observant. (8)

DOWN

1 Representative on earth of Muhammad. (6)

2 Summer visitor from the sky. (8)

3 Jokers, occasionally confused with Humanists. (10)

4 Celebratory. (7)

5 Representative on earth of Jesus. (4)

6 Blessed home of the ‘cupper’. (6)

7 Conscientious Roman Catholic (4-4)

14 Sanctioned by law or custom. (10)

16 Aromatic plant, used for seasoning. (8)

18 Newly-elected 5 down. (8)

19 Doctrines superimposed on the Jesus story. (7)

21 This court too is a scene of adversarial contests. (6)

23 Yield, seemingly about a period of fasting. (6)

25 Son of Adam and Eve, murdered by his elderbrother. (4)

hs_v3-21.qxd 22/07/05 01:01

A Humanist ViewSince the beginning of history, questions about our origins and existence have been asked. There have been peoplewho maintained that, by means of the study of life on the planet and our relationship with it, rational and acceptableanswers to such questions have been available. This we believe to be a Humanist attitude to life.

In the past, primitive knowledge and lack of sophisticated modern means allowed other answers, based onmythology, superstition and religion to gain credence. People were too busy staying alive to have time to stop, thinkand learn. Especially if these answers were delivered by soothsayers, witch doctors or priests; rival explanations didenough to satisfy the needs of most questioners.

In these early years of the 21st century we have a wealth of knowledge about the evolution of our planet and of thehistory of its various species, especially that of Homo sapiens.

The evidence that we, like other life-forms, are a product of the self-perpetuating process of evolution is overwhelming.There is no suggestion that we have been created by any other means than this process or that we exist for any instinctother than survival and reproduction. Purpose is something we put into our lives.

Ethics and MoralityAs there is no real evidence that we as individuals will live after our deaths, Humanists accept that this is our only lifeand that we should try to make it as worthwhile and happy as possible for ourselves and for others. We believe that wemust face the opportunities and problems of the world with human co-operation but without supernatural help.

We are concerned with right and wrong. We believe that morality is a product of upbringing and developing thoughtand that it has to do with how we treat other people, ideally with kindness, consideration and unselfishness. Weaccept the importance of the rights of people throughout the world. The principles of morality enshrined in thedeclarations, covenants and conventions of human rights as promulgated by the United Nations are too little known inthis country. There is need for a human moral code if we, as humans, are to live peaceably together.

Social Issues Humanists co-operate with other people,including many with religious beliefs. Butco-operation is not always possible. Onsome issues, Humanists are pressing for arational and humane approach to end theharmful results of some religious attitudes.

Examples of changes Humanists want to seeabortion available when necessarylegal voluntary euthanasia for adults women valued as highly as men greater tolerance towards minority groupscontraception available to allbetter distribution of the world’s resources

What is the Humanist Society of Scotland?The Humanist Society of Scotland (HSS) seeks to represent those who adopt anon-religious, but ethical life-stance based on enlightened self-interest. It aims to build abetter human world without reliance on supernatural forces.

The Society is active in many fields in its aim for a better secular world. At present, theSociety’s main efforts are in helping to bring about secular schooling and a secular ScottishState, and in the development of its increasingly popular range of Humanist Rites of Passage,particularly Humanist funeral ceremonies. The Society is opposed to religious privilege thatpermits state-funded denominational schools to continue to exist, and to compulsory religiousobservance in state schools.

We publish a quarterly magazine, Humanism Scotland. We also provide trained andexperienced officiants, literature, guidelines and practical help for those who prefernon-religious weddings, baby-namings and funerals.

The Humanist opinion is increasingly voiced in the media – most frequently on moral issuessuch as euthanasia, abortion, equal opportunities and minority rights. We are opposed toreligious indoctrination. We believe thinking on moral and ethical issues is best isolated froma religious context – so enabling it to keep pace with the growth of knowledge and socialchange.

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Joining the SocietyYou can become a member of the Humanist Society of Scotland either by joining just the Society or by joining one of the

local groups as well. Membership of a group entitles you to attend its meetings, where you can engage with other members.

If you wish to attend any group meeting before joining, you will be made very welcome. Whichever type of membership

you take, you will receive our quarterly magazine, Humanism Scotland, and all the other membership benefits. Simply fill in

the attached form and return it with your subscription.

Distinguished Supporters of the Humanist Society of Scotland

Claire Rayner OBE Sir Ludovic Kennedy Iain Banks Polly Toynbee Professor Richard Dawkins Professor James Lovelock Stephen Fry

Further informationVisit our website at www.humanism-scotland.org.uk, or contact the Secretary:

Ivan Middleton, 26 Inverleith Row, Edinburgh EH3 5QH Tel. 0131 552 9046 [email protected]

Application for membership of the Humanist Society of Scotland✃

Name Telephone

Address

Postcode email

Membership (includes magazine)

Life (£200) Individual (£15 p.a.)

Family (two or more individuals at the same address) (£20 p.a.) Individual – low income (£10 p.a.)

If you wish to also join a local Group please tick the appropriate box:

Aberdeen Ayr Dundee Edinburgh Glasgow Highland Perth

Magazine subscription only

UK (£7.50 p.a.) Overseas (£9 p.a.)

Donation. Please consider giving an extra donation to our funds (all donations are anonymous): £

If you wish a copy of the HSS Constitution and Standing Orders and Group Constitution, please tick here: (automatically sent to new members)

Gift Aid tax relief. If you pay UK Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax, and would like details on how we can increase the valueof your subscriptions and donations at no extra cost to you, please tick here:

I/we wish to apply for membership/magazine subscription as indicated, and I/we agree to these details being held on computer.

Signature Date Total enclosed: £

Membership Cards are sent with the next issue of the magazine, but if you wish a separate receipt, please tick here:

If you have any interests or skills (e.g. in education, fundraising, public speaking, journalism) that we can call upon, please note

them here:

Please indicate where you heard of the Humanist Society of Scotland:

Please return this form, with a cheque or PO made payable to ‘Humanist Society of Scotland’, to the Membership Secretary:

Alice Atkinson, Flat 28, 11 Sandbank Crescent, Glasgow G20 0PR Tel. 0141 945 5699

For HSS use only

Database updated

Expires


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HHSSSS TTAALLKKSS && EEVVEENNTTSSEdinburghVenue: Quaker Meeting House, Victoria Terrace, EDINBURGH EH1 2JL (Just off the Royal Mile).Meetings start at 7.30 pm. Tea and coffee available at the interval.

Sunday 16 Oct Filmhouse Screening (to be confirmed)Tuesday 8th Nov The Rôle of the National Secular Society in Scotland – Keith Charters, NSS-Scotland

Convenor (to be confirmed)Monday 5 Dec Yuletide Gathering

GlasgowVenue: Unitarian Church Centre, 72 Berkeley Street, GLASGOW G3 7DS.Meetings start at 2.30 pm, with tea/coffee and biscuits from 1.45 pm.

Sunday 18 Sept Why I am a HumanistSunday 23 Oct Ian Haworth, Cult Information CentreSunday 13 Nov The BrightsSunday 18 Dec Yuletide Gathering (venue TBA)

DundeeVenue: Dundee Voluntary Action, 10 Constitution Road, DUNDEE DD1 1LL.Meetings start at 5.30 pm. Coffee/tea/biscuits at the interval.

Events to be announced

HighlandVenue: Beaufort Hotel, 11 Culduthel Road, INVERNESS IV2 4AG.Meetings start at 2.00 pm.


PerthVenue: The Gateway, North Methven Street, PERTH PH1 5PP.Meetings are held from 7.30 pm to 9.30 pm.


AberdeenVenue: Aberdeen Arts Centre 33 King Street, ABERDEEN AB24 5AA.Meetings start at 7.30 pm.


AyrVenue: Loudoun Hall, AYR.Meetings start at 6.00 pm.


HSS Annual ConferenceSat 22 & Sun 23 October.

Venue: Isle of Skye Hotel, Perth.

Speakers to be announced.

Readers are advised to check the website to confirm details, or contact the relevant Secretary.

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The Bell PettigrewMuseum

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Open Tuesday and Fridayafternoons 2–5,

early June until mid September.Entry is free.

School of Biology, Bute Medical Buildings,University of St Andrews

http://biology.st–and.ac.uk/sites/bellpet/index.html

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A wise man proportionshis belief to the evidence

David Hume

Scottish Charity No. SC026570

The Humanist Society of Scotland producesleaflets and booklets on a range of issuesand subjects, including introductions toHumanism and information on ceremoniesand funerals.

For further information contact theHSS Secretary:

Ivan Middleton26 Inverleith RowEdinburgh EH3 5QH0131 552 [email protected]

www.humanism-scotland.org.uk


ISSN 1357-8200

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SUMMER 2005 £2.50 HUMANISM SCOTLAND · HUMANISM SCOTLAND SUMMER 2005 5 NEWS In order to cope with...

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