Cardiff Humanists News
News regarding group activities, events and related news to be posted here.
Humanist Week 2010: Cardiff
Humanist Week is a national project run by the BHA to increase awareness of Humanism at local, regional and national level. The week is based around World Humanist Day, which is the 21st June and is supported by the International Humanist and Ethical Union.
We are celebrated by-
Presenting a talk by Andrew Copson, BHA Chief Executive, at The National Assembly for Wales.
Taking over the Digital Display Screen on Queen Street, one of Cardiffs main shopping streets.
24th Feb 2010
Cardiff Humanists Finally Accepted on the Cardiff Standing Advisory Committee for Religious Education (SACRE).
The next meeting is scheduled for 24th February at 4.00pm in Committee Room 4, County Hall. There are 2-3 meetings per year. Currently Humanists can only be co-opted to the committee and do not have voting rights.
11th Feb 2010
Cardiff Humanists: Darwin Day 2010
Prof Anthony Campbell, Professor in Medical Biochemistry at Cardiff University gave a talk entitled "Charles Darwin, an inspiration for Wales in the 21st century". The Event is hosted by Cardiff Humanist Lorraine Barret at the National Assembly of Wales, Cardiff Bay. It was clear that Prof Campbell was very passionate about Darwin and Darwins ‘big ideas’. The talk was extremely informative and very enjoyable. There were about 50 people in attendance including members of the West Glamorgan Humanist Group, who travelled from Swansea. It was agreed that event was a great success, and its hoped that this has laid the foundations for a even better event next year. Many thanks to the CH’s who attended, but especially to Lorraine and her team for organising this.
7th Feb 2010
BBC TV's Big Questions
Members of Cardiff Humanists again appeared BBC TV's Big Questions hosted by Nicky Campbell at Michaelston Community College, Cardiff. The topics for debate were- Does assisted suicide threaten the vulnerable? Is it right to pay a ransom? Should inter-country adoption be easier? Taking part in the topical debates was Falklands veteran and author, Simon Weston.
20th Nov 2009
Blakeley Nixon was a guest on The Radio Wales Phone-In show hosted by Jason Mohammad discussing the new BHA poster campaign ‘Don't Label Me’.
The campaign follows a theme from Richard Dawkins book the God Delusion disputing that children can be labelled with the religion of someone else i.e. the parents. The show included religious guests and was thoroughly entertaining, most if not all of the callers supported Blakeleys argument. The Radio Wales Phone-In
18th Nov 2009
Humanist ads go up in Cardiff- Western Mail
The Western Mail reported that The British Humanist Association (BHA) said that four large advertisements went up in Cardiff, London, Edinburgh and Belfast with the slogan “Please Don’t Label Me. Let me grow up and choose for myself”. More
17th Sept 2009
The Church in Wales’ first ever 'Education Review' found its 168 church schools, as a group, performed “consistently above the average for Wales”. Western Mail.
Julian gave an excellent rebuttal for this article in the Western Mail.
12th July 2009
Cardiff Humanists Appear on TV!
Cardiff Humanists on TV!!- No less than 8 members of the group (including AM Lorraine Barrett) appeared on the BBC One TV programme 'The Big Questions' presented by Nicky Campbell on Sunday 12th July 10am! Blakeley was invited as group spokesperson along with other members of the group to defend the uproar caused when the nurse, Caroline Petrie, was suspended after she offered to pray for a patient back in January. Full Story
13th June 2009
Humanist Week 2009
World Humanist Day is celebrated annually by Humanist organisations around the world on 21 June. In 2009, the BHA is encouraging Humanists to celebrate this important event by doing something in the days surrounding the day – i.e. ‘Humanist Week’ (20th - 28th June).
Cardiff Humanists have obtained special display materials produced by the BHA for ‘Humanist Week’ that contain interesting information about Humanism, the BHA, ceremonies, the history of Humanism and facts and figures about non-religious people. These have been handed to Cardiff Central Library who have agreed to put them on display to the public. More information
24th May 2009
Most paedophilia in Catholic Church "commited by homosexuals" Father John Owen
Cardiff University chaplain and communications officer for the archdiocese of Cardiff, Father John Owen, sparked controversy after claiming that homosexuals are the main perpetrators of child abuse within the Catholic Church. He was responding to the recent ‘Ryan Report’ the BBC One TV programme 'The Big Questions' presented by Nicky Campbell. The 2,565 page report revealed that sexual abuse was widespread in Irish Catholic industrial schools and orphanages run by the Church, and was compiled using testimony from former pupils, inmates and officials.
In response to this outrage CH sent a letter of protest to the Western Mail. Full Story
9th April 2009
Letter to The Western Mail- Humanists Excluded from the Cardiff SACRE
Julian (CH) wrote to The Western Mail concering his latest attempt to be accepted on the Cardiff SACRE (the Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education).
The BHA is pressing for more Humanists to sit on SACRE as full voting members. Cardiff Humanists have been excluded from SACRE despite appeals over the past six years.
Julian had waited 11 months to attend a Cardiff SACRE meeting this March to present the reasons why a Humanist representative should be present, only to be faced with rejection once again... Read More
8th February 2009
'All Things Considered'- God and Darwin
Richard (CH) took part in a discussion for the Radio Wales programme 'All Things Considered' where the topic for discussion was whether there is really a conflict between believing in God and believing in Darwinian evolution.
8th December 2008
It’s Christmas but we’re losing our religion
WALES was last night described as “one of the most secular societies in the world” after a study revealed Welsh people are more likely to regard the Christmas story as fictional than their counterparts in any other part of the UK.
12th November 2008
Writer shocked as Christian group forces cancellation of poetry event
The group sent letters to the manager of Waterstones, Cardiff in protest.
7th September 2008
'All Things Considered'
Member Richard Patterson took part in the BBC Radio Wales programme 'All Things Considered'. It was a discussion about faith schools and the new coalition 'Accord' in which the BHA is participating (see BHA website).
22nd August 2008
BHA- Bishops must go in Lords reform
Responding to the Ministry of Justice White Paper, the British Humanist Association (BHA) has urged the Government to ensure that there will be no reserved places for Bishops in a reformed House of Lords.
A letter was sent to Jenny Willott, Cardiff Central MP asking her to support the removal of the Bishops automatic right to sit in parliament, on behalf of the Cardiff Humanists.
30th July 2008
South Wales Echo caves in to Christian extremists
'It has come to our attention that in an article on Wednesday, July 16, headlined 'If God considers gays and abomination why did he create them?', our columnist Dan O'Neill offended a number of Christians (I counted six - ed). We would like to apologise for any offence caused to those people who believe the article insulted the Christian faith, Jesus Christ and the Holy Bible.' South Wales Echo
Members wrote South Wales Echo to complain about the newspapers blatant over sensitivity concerning this issue.
11 April 2008
Dr Who to meet Dawkins?
Richard Dawkins is to have a cameo role, playing himself, in the final episode of the new series of Dr. Who, filmed on the streets of our capital city.
Series producer Russell T Davies (Swansea born and bred), who declared himself an ardent atheist and a fan of Dawkins' work, said: "He was just brilliant. He has brought atheism proudly out of the closet. When he came on set people were falling at his feet."
Professor Dawkins has another connection with Dr Who. His wife the actress Lalla Ward starred in the series between 1979 and 1981. She played Romana, an assistant to the fourth Doctor, Tom Baker, during his time in the Tardis (National Secular Society Newsline, 11th April 2008).
10 April, 2008
Welsh Assembly Organ donation- Have your say!
The National Assembly for Wales ’ Health, Well being and Local Government Committee is carrying out an inquiry into the potential for making changes to the way body organs are donated in Wales.
At present, organs are only taken from people who have died if they have registered as a donor with the NHS Organ Donor Register or carry a card and if their loved ones have no objections. In some countries, a different system operates. When people die their organs can be taken automatically unless they have previously registered an objection. This system is called presumed consent. Some of the countries who use this system allow loved ones to object to or prevent the removal of organs; while others do not.
Presumed consent as a means of obtaining organs for transplantation has increasingly become a focus for public debate in the UK because of a shortage of donors. Concerns are increasing that social and health trends will lead to even greater demand for transplants in the future.
The British Humanist Association (BHA) supports a system of presumed consent, and will be providing written and oral evidence to this inquiry. We have attached our briefing on ‘Organ Donation and Presumed Consent’ for your information.
The Committee would also like to hear your views, and has set up a forum where you can post your comments and get your views heard. You can access the forum and more information here
If you do wish to take part in this inquiry, please feel free to use as much or as little information from our briefing as you wish. If you would like more information, please contact Naomi Phillips on naomi@humanism.org.uk.
BHA Briefing Organ Donation April 200831 March 2007
Member Brian Williams Pledge “church-and-state”> Pledge Bank
28 January 2007
Member Richard Patterson Joins the Catholic Adoption Debate
BBC Wales