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Humanitie Autumn 2008 | 3 Letter from the Editor C Ontents This Issue Is Much Preoccupied with Death

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Humanitie Autumn 2008 | 3 Letter from the Editor C Ontents This Issue Is Much Preoccupied with Death 1 Autumn 2008 £2.50 umanitie H The Humanist Society of Scotland Magazine Scaling the Heights of Humanist Weddings! Our intrepid celebrant Ken McMillan got into training to marry Samantha Hobbs and Stewart Campbell on the summit of Ben Nevis on 26 July 2008. Ken says, “It was a spectacular, magical day - it stayed dry with little wind, but a bit misty on top. The ceremony was lovely and included a hand fasting, exchange of gifts and drinking from a quaich! The vows, exchange of rings and signing were all done on the summit and everyone was so happy and delighted that the day had gone so well.” Press coverage of the wedding appeared in Lochaber News, Daily Record and The Edinburgh Evening News. Humanism hits the headlines The release of The Registrar General for Scotland’s figures in July provoked a lot of media coverage – here’s just some of what the papers had to say. Ringing the changes in how Scots More Couples Decide To Tie choose to get married The Knot With Humanism Weddings up 64%” is probably the most The growth of humanist weddings in recent unlikely headline of the year, but add one word years has been so great that if they continue to and it’s completely true. expand at such a pace there will be more of them That word is “humanist”. in Scotland by 2011 than those carried out by A Special Celebration Catholic Church. It is debatable whether this Julian Baggini There were no hymns, no prayers, indeed will happen, but it is startling to discover that The Herald humanists already marry almost as many couples very little that anyone would recognise as the Scottish Episcopal Church. from a regular church wedding. “It was a much more intimate occasion,” Rise of the humanist wedding said Mrs Wheatley. “Our vows felt like something we believed in, rather than Catherine Salmond words we were repeating because that’s The Scotsman IT used to be that a church or register office was the only choice when deciding how to marry. But latest figures show the way it’s always done. I know a lot of more and more couples have opted for humanist weddings people commented afterwards on how since they were granted legal status in 2005. They are now relaxed and right it all felt.” the fourth most popular way of tying the knot outside a register office, says the General Registrar Office of Scotland. Morag Lindsay, Press & Journal Craig McQueen, The Daily Record Humanitie Autumn 2008 | 3 Letter from the Editor C ontents This issue is much preoccupied with Death. Our cover Letters to the Editor 4 features Highlander Allan Douglas, the 99th British serviceman to be killed in Iraq. The artist Steve McQueen hopes The The HSS goes to Washington 5 Royal Mail will issue this and 137 images of service men and women Derek Young reports on a worldwide gathering of humanists who lost their lives in the conflict as postage stamps. Mary Wallace and Christopher Brookmyre share plans for their Remains of the day 6 final farewell, Tim Maguire interviews one of our most popular Stuart Ritchie investigates the adversaries of science celebrants, Joe Hughes, Stuart Ritchie investigates life after death and Nigel Warburton explores the undying popularity of “My Way”. A place in the sun 8 Much as I miss Nigel Bruce’s Radical Readings, I am delighted he How the HSS helped to create a perfect life continues to contribute his challenging crossword. In his place, please welcome two new columnists, The Friendly and The Not Quite So My funeral 9 Friendly Humanists. Derek Young reports from IHEU’s conference Two humanists envisage their own final farewell while Malcolm McGonigal goes to The Theatre. I am very grateful for those of you who have been in touch to say how The kindest gift of all 10 much you are enjoying the magazine. Designer Derek Green and I find How you can still be useful even after your death each issue more rewarding than the last but it was an occasion of great sadness that brought us together. Derek writes about the death of his Queen and country 11 partner Ken and how they planned the celebration of his life. I hope that Steve McQueen’s work makes us think about war and after reading his article you’ll agree that Humanism is certainly about individual sacrifice the things that unite us. Wee stories 14 Juliet Wilson, Editor A theatre troupe challenging children to think for themselves Humanitie The Humanist Society of Scotland Magazine My name is Joe 16 Vol.1 No.4 ISSN 1756 - 3313 A profile of HSS celebrant Joe Hughes Editor: Juliet Wilson | Sub Editor: Tim Maguire The Friendly and Not Quite So Friendly Humanists 18 Design: Derek Green; www.derekdigital.com Our new columnists share their thoughts on life and death Contributors: Derek Green, Stuart Ritchie, Mary Wallace, Mike Williamson, Christopher Brookmyre, Malcolm McGonigal, Tim Maguire, Derek Young, Peter Local Group News 19 Sas, Dr. Finlander, Nigel Warburton, Timothy Mills, Nigel Bruce and Juliet Wilson Board of Trustees’ News 20 The Editor would like to thank: Steve McQueen, Lorna Fletcher and all at The Art Fund, Henry Cummins, Peter About The HSS 21 and Elizabeth Fenwick, Tiffany Jenkins, Wee Stories Theatre Company, Peter Sas from NHS UK Transplant, Dr Finlander and Tara Womersley from Edinburgh Crossword 21 University, Nigel Bruce and Joe Hughes. My warmest thanks go to Diane and Walter Douglas for allowing us to use their son Allan’s image on our front cover Virtual Philosopher – Nigel Warburton 22 and for agreeing to be interviewed. I did it my way... We warmly welcome articles from HSS members and non-members alike. If you The ‘Society’ Page 23 are interested in writing for Humanitie, please contact the editor to discuss your idea before submitting your article: [email protected] HSS Merchandise 24 Humanist Society of Scotland | 272 Bath Street | GLASGOW G2 4JR 0870 874 9002 Letters to the Editor: Writers’ names and addresses will be published unless otherwise requested. All letters must include the names and addresses of their authors, as anonymous letters will not be published. Articles published in Humanitie represent the opinions of their authors and not necessarily the views of the Society. Humanism is a diverse movement with ancient roots that reflects the views of millions of people around the world. Stated simply, Humanists believe that we can lead good and worthwhile lives guided by reason and compassion rather 272 Bath Street | Glasgow G2 4JR than religion or superstition, and that there are more things that unite humanity 0870 874 9002 | www.humanism-scotland.org.uk than divide it. Or, as we say in Scotland, “We’re a’ Jock Tamson’s bairns” - we’re all the same under the skin. Recognised as a Charity by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator. Scottish Charity No. SC026570 Cover Image: From Queen and Country, Steve McQueen. Lance Corporal Allan Douglas, The Highlanders, died 30 January 2006, aged 23 w Printed on recycled paper 4 | www.humanism-scotland.org.uk Letters to the Editor Dear Editor, Dear Editor, I think I was about twenty years of age when I decided that the idea of Three triumphs in a row. Humanitie has got to be the best presented, god, any god, or Jesus or any thought of life after death was simply not colourful and most intelligent magazine in Scotland. I disagree within my range of thought Now seventy one years of age I have not with both John Brownlee (Letters, Humanitie Spring 2008) and seen or heard anything that would change my mind. with Alice Watson (Letters, Humanitie Summer 2008). The title is both linguistically apt within the Scottish literary tradition and I have spent quite bit of time in the rest of my life trying to persuade journalistically eye-catching as a one-word summation of what others to accept people as just people without trying to fit them into humanism is about. a box. It is surprising how often people like to make people into one group or another. Sometimes this has met with some success and some Eye-catching too are the front page illustrations as well as the layout times not. I would be the first to say that not always have I managed to of the contents, with good use of material that is challenging as well do this but I do try. as being relevant to the issues of the day that are important to HSS members active in their communities. Humanitie is more than a house With all of this in mind and with what I had read about Humanism I magazine though, with the quality of the articles and the calibre and thought that some of my views would be similar to your organisation high profile of various contributors putting this publication in the and that was what made me decide to apply for membership and the award winning bracket. start of this year Best of all in my estimate is that the Editor and her team have turned On being accepted I received my first edition of your magazine, around what was a lacklustre production before into a magazine that Humanite (sic), what a title, for Spring 2008. we can be proud of. It could do with some trenchant wit, perhaps a regular column on the Scottish scene from the point of view of In this edition was an article about “thought for the world” and someone with an eye on the foibles of ‘humanitie’, a Hogarthian/ amongst the contributors to this, to my utter and complete surprise Swiftian touch, but otherwise and for my money, Humanitie is a was a group called the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association.
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