Saturday 26 February 2011

Our March Meeting

Humanism and the State.

This will be the subject of the next Hastings Humanists meeting at 6:30 pm on 10 March at the Arts Forum, 36 Marina, St Leonards on Sea.

There will be a round table discussion of Humanist views on issues such as the reliability of the Census, Monarchy versus Republicanism, Disestablishment of the Church of England, and any related questions people might like to raise. The entrance fee for nonmembers is £2.50.

The Census on 27 March will again include the leading question: "What is Your Religion?" To avoid the misuse of statistics to justify government involvement of religious organisations, Humanists urge everyone who does not actively practice a religion to tick the "No religion" box, and not to enter joke answers.

The above is the wording of a Press Release that I have sent out. Members are urged to bring their arguments and opinions and questions on these issues so that we can have a lively debate. The Census is on 27 March and the Royal Wedding in April, so these are topical issues. The current revolutions in North Africa and the Middle East may also have some bearing on these subjects.

A PDF poster for this meeting is now available.

Friday 18 February 2011

East Sussex SACRE meeting

I went to the East Sussex SACRE meeting as I have been doing for a couple of years. The latest meeting was held at Uckfield, which is very awkward to get to by public transport from Hastings (train to Eastbourne, and 54 bus to Uckfield). Even by car it is a long journey. I was kindly given a lift back by one of the SACRE members. Unlike the previous meeting in Uckfield last year this time there was a full complement of 18 people round the table.

Although it had been agreed at the last meeting that the question of whether a Humanist could be co-opted onto the committee (as opposed to being an observer as I am at present) would be placed on the agenda, this was not done (and I didn't see a copy of the agenda until the tea break). I raised this issue at the end and have been given to understand it will be discussed at the next meeting in June. Not that there seems to be much difference between the two roles; I still would not have a vote on anything.

The East Sussex Agreed Syllabus for RE is due to be launched at a meeting in Lewes scheduled for 21 March.