Cumbria Humanist Group

Promoting a Positive Caring Outlook for the Non-Religious

Welcome to Cumbria!

What is Humanism?

Humanism is the belief that we can live good lives without religious or superstitious beliefs. Humanists make sense of the world using reason, experience and shared human values. We seek to make the best of the one life we have by creating meaning and purpose for ourselves. We take responsibility for our actions and work with others for the common good.

What Humanists believe. 

Humanism is an approach to life based on humanity and reason – humanists recognise that moral values are properly founded on human nature and experience alone. Our decisions are based on the available evidence and our assessment of the outcomes of our actions, not on any dogma or sacred text.

Humanism encompasses atheism and agnosticism – but is an active and ethical philosophy far greater than these negative responses to religion.

Humanists believe in individual rights and freedoms, but believe that individual responsibility, social cooperation and mutual respect are just as important.

Humanists believe that people can and will continue to find solutions to the world's problems, so that quality of life can be improved for everyone.

Humanists are positive – gaining inspiration from our lives, art and culture, and a rich natural world.

Humanists believe that we have only one life – it is our responsibility to make it a good life, and to live it to the full.

To quote the humanist philosopher AC Grayling “ . . . I wish to comment on something that in the current climate of debate has been mainly overlooked: the fact that those who are not religious have available to them a rich ethical outlook, all the richer indeed for being the result of reflection as opposed to conditioning, whose roots lie in classical antiquity when the great tradition of ethical thought in Western philosophy began."

To have reached here you are either one of us or are interested in what we stand for.  Why not come to one of our meetings (see What's On?) and meet local people who share your beliefs and values ?   

 (Launched in January 2008, this site is under constant revision: please feel free to browse the existing content and let us have your views and suggestions.)

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