We are pleased to present our Monthly Gloucestershire Humanists meeting: A talk "What’s the Problem with Humanism?" with guest speaker Mike Flood, chair of Milton Keynes Humanists.
Mike has been arguing for some time that humanism is not fit for purpose in the 21st Century, at least the way it is currently being presented, promoted and practiced, both here in the UK and abroad. He'd like to see humanist organisations radically change their approach and priorities in the light of the massive social and geopolitical upheavals that we are living through — changes made possible by extraordinary advances in information technology (smartphones, social media, artificial intelligence and the like). Mike is concerned that what is happening is compromising everything that humanists hold dear: truth, compassion, social justice and democracy, and he’d like us to change tack.
Humanism has enormous potential, as both an ethical code and a positive and attractive life stance. Why then, when more than half of the UK population identifies as ‘not religious’, are so few interested into finding out more about our work and or joining a local group? Have we become rather ‘too intellectual / academic’ and lost touch with our spiritual side? Or is it because humanist organisations are focused primarily on challenging religious privilege and fighting for the rights of the non-religious (rather than working for the Common Good)? And where’s the humanist voice when it comes to the big moral / ethical challenges of our day, like the scourge of misinformation, and adjusting to AI systems (which are raising profound questions about what it means to be human)? And what do humanists have to say about the threat to sentient life on Earth posed by climate change?
*** For members of Gloucestershire Humanists, attendance of this event is free. For non-members, a £3 contribution would be greatly appreciated. Such donations allow us to host monthly events and keep our group running. The donation link and membership info can be found on our website https://glos.humanist.org.uk/ ***
