Humanism Now | Secular Ethics, Curiosity and Compassionate Change

“[Magical beliefs in childhood] serve an important function.”  - Dr Lois LeeFor our festive special, Dr. Lois Lee, Senior Lecturer in Religious Studies at the University of Kent and one of the world’s leading scholars of non-belief, joins Humanism Now to explore why atheism spreads culturally and what Christmas reveals about humanist meaning in everyday life.Connect with Dr. LeeUniversity of Kent profileExplaining Atheism ProfileExplaining Atheism ProjectTopics we cover ✔︎ Why atheism still needs explaining in the 21st century ✔︎ Why socialisation and cultural visibility matter more than intelligence or education ✔︎ What children’s belief in Santa reveals about evidence, reason, and doubt ✔︎ Magical belief as a bridge between childhood and adult worldviews ✔︎ Christmas as a modern, child-centred ritual with humanist ethics ✔︎ Ritual, meaning, and non-religious culture ✔︎ Humanist privilege, school Christmas, and questions of inclusionResources & further readingBecoming Non-Believers (childhood research) – Dr. Lee & Dr. Anna StrhanTowards a Sociology of Irreligion – Colin Campbell (1971)A Christmas Carol – Charles DickensA Visit from St. Nicholas (“’Twas the Night Before Christmas”) The Snowman –  Raymond Briggs“Father Christmas Executed” – Claude Lévi-StraussSend us a textSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

“Humans didn’t evolve to believe in gods — we evolved to learn from culture, and sometimes culture points away from gods.”Dr Will M. Gervais, psychologist and author of Disbelief, joins Humanism Now to examine one of the most persistent puzzles in the study of religion: why a species capable of deep religiosity also produces millions of convinced non-believers. Drawing on cultural evolution, cognitive science, and cross-cultural data, Will shows why belief and disbelief are shaped less by raw rationality than by social signals, security, and learning environments.Contact & resources;Website – http://willgervais.com/University profile – https://www.brunel.ac.uk/people/will-gervaisResearchGate – https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Will-M-Gervais-16312567Disbelief – Gervais (2023) – https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Disbelief-by-Will-M-Gervais/9781633889248Topics we cover• Why humans evolved a capacity for religion, not a destiny to believe • The twin puzzles of belief and disbelief explained scientifically • Why comfort-based and “God-spot” theories fall short • Cultural signals, credible displays, and how communities transmit belief • Why atheism often emerges where signals are mixed or muted • Weak and fragile links between analytic thinking and non-belief • Moral distrust of atheists — and what behavioural data actually show • Differences in moral style rather than moral behaviour • Agnosticism as a distinct epistemic position, not a midpoint • Existential security and why stable societies secularise • Cultural evolution and the “big gods” hypothesis • Why scientific self-correction matters more than tribal loyaltySend us a textSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

 “Activism is the rent we pay to live on this world.”  Alavari JeevatholAJ  board member of Humanists International, founding trustee of the National Multifaith Youth Centre, and National Coordinator of Young Humanists UK — returns to Humanism Now to explore a humanism shaped by South Indian pluralism, UK youth organising, and a lifelong commitment to duty, solidarity, and awe. This conversation traces India’s rationalist heritage, the case for humanistic spirituality, and why resistance must be global, hopeful, and rooted in material realities.Connect with AJWebsite – alavari.infoInstagram – @alavarijFacebook – @alavariX (Twitter) – @alavarijLinkedIn – in/alavari/TikTok – @alavarijYoung Humanists UKNational Multifaith Youth Centre Resources & further readingDisenchanting India: Rationalist Criticism and Cultural Politics – Quack (2012) Humanist Society Scotland  Statement on Palestine & Israel (2023) AJ's events & talksHumanists UK Event: “India’s Rationalist Heritage” CLH Discussions | Gaza: genocide, ceasefire, and future prospectsCLH Talk:  Roots of Rationalism in India - Origins of Humanism SeriesHumanists International World Humanist Congress 2026 Send us a textSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

 “We will lose a lot before we win — that’s just the reality of starting the race 50 years behind.” — Sarah M. LevinSarah M. Levin - strategist, lobbyist, founder of Secular Strategies and co-founder of The Secular Vote, joins us to explore how secular voters are reshaping U.S. politics. She breaks down the real demographics behind the “nones,” why neutrality protects both believers and non-believers, and how church–state separation is at the heart of today’s fights over rights, democracy, and pluralism.Connect with Sarah:Website: sarahmlevin.comSecular Strategies: secularstrategies.comThe Secular Vote: hesecularvote.comX (Twitter): @SarahMLevinLinkedIn: sarahmlevinTopics we cover ✔︎ Why Secular Strategies exists ✔︎ “Unaffiliated” vs “atheist”: what the data really shows ✔︎ Secularism in law and public life ✔︎ Media myths about religious “revivals” ✔︎ Connecting secular voters with messages that resonate (one life, one world) ✔︎ How Christian nationalism drives today’s policy rollbacks ✔︎ Relationship-led coalition building across deep differences ✔︎ Inside The Secular Vote: correcting media blind spots ✔︎ Debunking the “anti-Christian bias” narrative ✔︎ State-level wins: transparency for healthcare sharing ministries ✔︎ Practical ways to get involved for the long termResources & further reading“Religious ‘Nones’ in America: Who They Are and What They Believe,” Pew Research Center (2024) – https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2024/01/24/religious-nones-in-america-who-they-are-and-what-they-believe/Presidential Action on “Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias” – The White House (2025) – https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/eradicating-anti-christian-bias/Religious Liberty Commission – U.S. Department of Justice – httSend us a textSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

“Nursing is the most humanistic of professions — it operationalises the philosophical groundings of humanism.” — Jamie Bourgeois “Nurses have 24/7 eyes on the human experience — we see how policy shows up in real people’s lives.” — Melissa Anne DuBoisJamie Bourgeois and Melissa Anne DuBois are the co-hosts of Nursing the Nation — a podcast giving nurses a national voice in debates that shape health, policy, and our daily lives. Together they explore how an ethic of evidence and empathy can challenge wellness hype, inform better policy, and centre human dignity in every decision that touches a patient’s life.In this episode Melissa & Jamie discuss the historical erasure of women healers to today’s media blind spots — and what happens when they’re finally heard. They reveal how nursing science quietly powers trauma-informed practice, safer hospitals, and better education. Join us to hear how nurses bridge the gap between policy and people and why the world’s most trusted profession must lead public conversations.Connect with Jamie Bourgeois & Melissa Anne DuboisBlog – nursingthenation.substack.comPodcast Links – Nursing the NationInstagram – @nursing.the.nationLinkedIn – Melissa Anne DuboisResearch – ORCID | ResearchGateWriting – Writers CampResources & further readingWitches, Midwives & Nurses: A History of Women Healers – Barbara Ehrenreich (1973)Ann Burgess – pioneer of forensic nursing, WikipediaClara Barton & the Geneva Convention – Library of Congress BlogFlorence Nightingale andSend us a textSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

This week we bring we are delighted to share the a guest episode from Sentientist Conversations, a podcast hosted by Jamie Woodhouse (Humanism Now Episode 4). In this episode, Jamie speaks with legendary primatologist Frans de Waal.Follow SentientismSentientism.infoAppleSpotifyYouTube“You cannot go wrong with compassion” – primatologist Frans de Waal – Sentientist ConversationsFrans (fransdewaal.com) is a primatologist & ethologist. He is Professor of Primate Behavior at Emory University, director of the Living Links Center at Emory & the author of many books including “Chimpanzee Politics”, “Our Inner Ape” & “The Bonobo & the Atheist”. He has featured in TV/radio productions & TED talks viewed by tens of millions of people. His research centers on primate social behavior, including conflict resolution, cooperation, inequity aversion, & food-sharing. He is a member of the United States National Academy of Sciences & the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts & Sciences.In Sentientist Conversations we talk about the two most important questions: “what’s real?” & “what matters?” Sentientism is “evidence, reason & compassion for all sentient beings.” The audio is on our Podcast here on Apple and here on the other platforms. ​​​​ You can watch the video here.Send us a textSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

This week we bring we are delighted to share the first episode of The Secular Sankofa Podcast, from the Association of Black Humanists. Subscribe to The Secular Sankofa wherever you get your podcasts!Apple PodcastsSpotifyYouTubePodcast IndexOvercastPodcast AddictGoodpodsAll other directories & RSS FeedIf you enjoy the show, please follow, rate, and review. *****"We believe in people, not prophets, we believe in freedom, not fear, and we believe in integrity, not doctrine" - Audrey Simmons, Podcast HostThe Secular Sankofa podcast is a platform for Black humanists to reconnect with African identity and heritage through a secular lens. The hosts introduce the Association of Black Humanists, its mission, and vision for creating a space where Black people can explore humanism without religious dogma.Stay connected with the Association of Black Humanists:Meetup: association-of-black-humanistFacebook: @AssociationBlackHumanistsInstagram: @abhumanistsX / Twitter: @abhumanistsYouTube: Association of Black HumanistsTikTok: @assoc_of_black_humanistsLearn more about our work and community at abhumanists.orgMusic: Icy by Jeff KaaleSend us a textSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

Join David B. McLaughlin, a leadership coach and author, as he shares insights from his book on humanism and its five values for living well. He emphasizes dignity as an ethical foundation that prevents dehumanization. Discover the PIDLA model of meaning, blending purpose, interconnection, and rituals to anchor secular values. McLaughlin explores how reason and compassion collaborate to promote awareness and justice, especially in workplace equity. He encourages taking tangible actions to foster humanism and leave a positive impact on the world.

“Being a skeptic doesn’t make me smarter or infallible—it just means I’m trying to fail slightly less often.”Michael Marshall has spent more than 15 years investigating pseudoscience, conspiracy theories and the psychology that sustains them. As Project Director of the Good Thinking Society, President of the Merseyside Skeptics Society and Editor of The Skeptic, Marsh has gone undercover at flat-earth conventions, exposed fake psychics, and campaigned successfully to end NHS funding for homeopathy. In this conversation, he explores how “compassionate skepticism”, leading with empathy and curiosity rather than confrontation can help us counter misinformation and connect more deeply with one another.Connect with MichaelX – @MrMMarshSkeptics with a K PodcastThe Know Rogan podcastQED ConferenceTopics we cover ✔︎ Skepticism as practice, not a badge of superiority ✔︎ The ethics of “compassionate skepticism” ✔︎ How pseudoscience harms—and why empathy works better than ridicule ✔︎ What Flat Earth believers reveal about human psychology ✔︎ The legacy of QED and building communities grounded in reasonResources & further readingThe Skeptic – Marshall’s author archive: skeptic.org.uk/author/michaelWikipedia – Michael Marshall (skeptic)Skeptical Inquirer interview: “Marsh Interview”BBC News – “NHS homeopathy funding to end”: bbc.co.uk/news/health-43373817The Guardian – “The Universe is an Egg and the Moon Isn’t Real”: Read articlePBS Independent Lens – Send us a textSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

"Another form of resistance is joy.”Maggie Ardiente, newly elected President of Humanists International, joins Humanism Now to share how humanism grounded in curiosity, compassion, and community can meet today’s rising threats to democracy and science. From a Catholic upbringing to global leadership, Maggie lays out a practical, joyful vision: build resilient humanist networks and live our values in the one life we know we have.Connect with Maggie:Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/maggieardiente/LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggieardiente/Topics we coverBuilding humanist community: from campus groups to a global movementWhy labels and groups matter for the non-religiousHumanism in public life: defending democracy, science, and human rightsJoy as resistance: living well as a humanist practicePractical ways to start or grow a local humanist groupMisconceptions about “humanism” in the United StatesLeadership skills for secular nonprofits (fundraising, empathy, voice)Supporting humanists at risk—especially across the Global SouthResources & further readingHumanists International – Global federation advancing humanist values – https://humanists.internationalAmerican Humanist Association – US national org for humanists – https://americanhumanist.orgSecular Coalition for America – Policy advocacy for secular Americans – https://secular.orgPhysicians for Social Responsibility – Health professionals for climate solutions & a nuclear-free world – https://www.psr.orgSend us a textSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.