Happy New Year to all our members and readers! 2016 proved to be a very busy year for GMH’s: as well as a full programme of monthly meetings we hosted a number of ad hoc events ranging from serious discussions to more leisurely social events. Our programme for 2017 is promising to deliver a similar offering and I would point out in particular our upcoming Day of Celebration marking Darwin’s birthday in February!
Atheist Jokes!
Q: What is so ironic about Atheists?
A: They're always talking about God.
Q: How does an Athesist girl have her hair done?
A: In big bangs!
Q: What do you call an intelligent American?
A: Atheist.
Q: What does a dyslexic, agnostic, insomniac do?
A: Stays awake all night wondering if there really is a Dog.
Q: Why did the Atheist cross the road?
A: He thought there might be a street on the other side, but he wouldn't believe it until he tested his hypothesis.
Q: How many atheists does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Two. One to actually change the bulb, and the other to videotape the job so fundamentalists won't claim that god did it.
Q: Why can't atheists solve exponential equations?
A: Because they don't believe in higher powers.
Two cannibals are eating an atheist, and one says to the other, "Can you believe the way this guy tastes?"
Q: How many creationists does it take to change a light bulb?
A: None! They've invented torches!
So you’re an Athiest. Great! I guess I don't have to waste my time telling you to go to hell.
Central Manchester Christmas Meal
The group met on 13 December at Home, the new arts and cinema complex in Central Manchester, for a three course Christmas meal. Thank you to Events Organiser David Milne for arranging this, much fun was had by all!
Central Manchester Meeting – The Evolutionary Origins of Religion
On 11 January Guy Otten, GMH Secretary, looked at the evolutionary origins of religion. He mapped the evolution of early man from 6 million years ago to the present day, highlighting the factors that led to the growth of religion. He correlated changes in the brain of our ancestors with the development of the conditions that led to the growth of religion. The elements of intelligence mapped were 1. general intelligence which includes learning by trial and error and associative learning, 2. social intelligence which involves the ability to infer the mental states of others, 3. technical skills relating for example to the use of tools, 4. awareness of the natural world and 5. language skills. Evolutionary psychologists believe that modern chimps are likely to resemble our ancestors from 6 million years ago.
At that time they would have had some intelligence, such as minimal technical skills, for example using sticks to reach into bee hives for honey, and some awareness of the natural world, but the various kinds of intelligence were separate.
They would have lived in groups and would not have had any language skills as we know them. Guy talked through the changes to the brain at different periods: 4 million years ago with the appearance of the first early hominines, 1.8 million years ago and the emergence of Homo Erectus, 500 thousand years ago when Homo Sapiens and Neanderthals appeared. The brain grew in size, there were advances in technical skills, tools were becoming more advanced, and social and communication skills were developing. Our ancestors gradually moved out of Africa and by the Stone Age reached remote places such as Southern England. By 100 thousand years ago the areas of intelligence in Homo Sapiens started to overlap, with the barriers between different parts of the brain weakening. At that time Homo Sapiens could for instance think about the social world using technical ideas or the natural world using social ideas. This accompanied the development of language, a higher level of consciousness, and a growth of imagination, all caused by cross-fertilization of the formerly separated intelligence domains. At this time there is evidence of art in the form of beads, necklaces, figurines and burials with grave goods.
Guy talked about the role that the quick reactions of animals play in ensuring sensory responses to threats and their survival generally. When language abilities are developed, words can describe dangers. In addition, language can also facilitate the sharing of knowledge of technical skills about hunting and tool making. With the development of language came story telling, which played an important role in these societies. Pre-scientific humans, grappling with phenomena that they did not understand, developed stories about hunting, battles with large animals, changes in the environment, weather phenomena, shortage of food, illness and death, and warfare. Stories about exaggerated mythical ancestors and mysterious forces that caused events, agents of harm and agents who could save, were also common. These advances in human thinking set the conditions for the growth of religion. Religion in this sense is a belief in non-physical beings. Variants of belief systems involved individuals who claimed to be able to communicate with the spirit world. Evidence of this type of religion appears at the dawn of recorded history with burials in Egypt from 3100 BCE of the Pharaohs with everything they needed to live in the afterlife. The burial of the Chinese Emperor Qin Shi Huang in c 210-09 BCE with his Terra Cotta warriors to defend him in the afterlife provides a further example. There were also rituals in the ancient world designed to propitiate the gods. These form the origins of church services today, which generally include prayers to the deity. Shamanic types of religious thinking had their own cosmologies to answer questions about the earth’s origins. Guy questioned whether their ideas are any different qualitatively from those of the Abrahamic faiths.
This array of religious thinking developed in many parts of the world into the polytheisms of ancient history and still prevails in parts of the world today. From polytheism came monotheism, as was the case with Judaism and Islam, with belief in one god being just the latest development of magical thinking about the spirit world. There is an association with primitive people and religion and the cargo cult in Melanesia is a case in point. In Vanuatu there is a cult that believes that Prince Philip is a god. Guy pointed out that all religious thinking and beliefs in gods emanates from the same beginnings and are completely unfounded evidence wise. He argues that when one puts the evolution of religion into perspective one can see a history of some 60 thousand years with religious thinking persisting and different religions coming and going. Guy concluded that there was little reason to think that the current dominant religions would last indefinitely but we should be mindful that at this point we only have a few hundred years of scientific thinking to aid this turnaround.
Central Manchester Monthly Meetings
The group meets on the second Wednesday of the month at 7pm for a 7.30pm start. There is no meeting in February: the Darwin Day Celebration replaces this. Upcoming meetings will take place on 8 March and 12 April. The group meets at Friends Meeting House, 6 Mount Street, Manchester, M2 5NS. The meeting formally ends around 9pm but many of us continue at The Waterhouse, 67-71 Princess Street, Manchester for further discussion and liquid refreshment! We ask for the following contributions towards the cost of room hire: members £2.50; non-members £3.50 (students £1). However, there is no charge for those attending their first meeting. In addition, there is a charge of £1.50 for tea or coffee and a biscuit.
Central Manchester – Monthly Humanist Discussion Group
Do you enjoy exploring contemporary social, political and philosophical themes? If so why not join GMH at their monthly discussion forum! The next meeting of the group will be held on 17 January and will look at the topic of Individualism. Notes for the meeting
are posted here. We meet at The Waterhouse, 67-71 Princess Street, Manchester, M2 4EG at 8.15pm in one of the quieter spaces in the pub. The event is free but attendees are expected to buy a drink.
Central Manchester – Manchester University Dialogue
On 30 January at 7pm David Milne from GMH will be in conversation with Christian apologist Tom Price from Oxford in a dialogue on the topic “Is God Real”.
The debate will take place at Manchester University Students Union, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PR and is a free event. All members are welcome to attend!
Panel Discussion – Warrington
On 1 February Guy Otten, GMH Secretary, will take part in a panel discussion organised by the Mayor of Warrington on the topic of “Bridging the Barriers”. The meeting will commence at 7.30pm in Parr Hall, Pyramid Building, Cultural Quarter, Palmyra Square South, Warrington, WA1 1BL. The event is free but places must be booked. Please contact Guy on for further details. All members are welcome to attend!
Bolton Meetings
The group meet on the second Thursday of the month at 7.00pm. The next meetings will take place on 9 February and 9 March. The group meets in the Mercury Hotel bar in Westhoughton. It is free and all are welcome! Enquiries about the meeting or other group activities should be sent to
Oldham Monthly Meetings
The group meets on the third Sunday of the month at 2.30pm for an informal discussion of the basic ideas of Humanism. The next meetings will take place on 15 January, 19 February and 19 March at the Squire Knott, 55 Yorkshire Street, Oldham, OL1 3SL. They are free but attendees are expected to buy a drink. All welcome!
Stockport Humanists
The next meeting will take place on 18 January. Derek McComiskey and David Seddon will introduce some discussion points on the book “Homo Deus” written by Yuval Noah Harari. A review of the book can be found at the following link. The meeting will take place at 7.30pm in the back room at the Boars Head, 2 Vernon Street, SK1 1TY (near the Market Place). There is a £2 charge (free for first timers).
The next afternoon social for the group will take place on 25 January at 2.30pm at the Rhode Island Coffee Bar, 2 Little Underbank, Stockport, SK1 1JT.
GMH noted the findings of a recent BBC investigation into faith schools as reported on the Victoria Derbyshire BBC Radio 4 show. Following this format, GMH are looking to undertake research on faith schools and their admission practices via Freedom of Information requests. If you are interested in being part of this please contact David Milne at
Seven Tuesday evenings, 19 September to 31 October 2017, 7.00pm to 9.15pm
At Friends Meeting House, 6 Mount Street, Manchester M2 5NS
The course has run for the last 8 years, and this year will be its thirteenth presentation!
It’s for anyone who is interested in finding out what Humanism has to offer as a non-religious way of answering the ‘big questions’ of life, and developing values that help us live enjoyable and worthwhile lives. Humanism provides the ideal value system for a secular society.
The course is interactive and enjoyable, with video clips, an input on Humanist ceremonies and group discussions of interesting and challenging issues with like-minded people. The course fee is £20 with an ‘early bird’ reduction to £17 for applications received by September 4. For further details and application form please click here
Legalise Humanist Weddings
In December 2016 the BHA launched a campaign to give Humanist weddings legal recognition in England and Wales. These ceremonies are legally binding in Scotland. The campaign involved the launch of an animated video by Stephen Fry on Humanist Ceremonies which can be viewed here. The campaign received unprecedented publicity thanks to rolling coverage on Sky News of a number of items throughout the day on 8 December 2016. See their coverage of a Humanist wedding. To support the campaign to give legal recognition to Humanist weddings in England and Wales follow the campaign link icon on the top right of these videos.
Opposition to Religious Segregation in Schools
In September 2016 the Government announced proposals to drop the current requirement that all new and existing religious free schools keep at least half of their places open to all local children, irrespective of religion or belief. This so-called 50% cap on religious selection was first introduced in 2007 by Labour, extended by the Coalition in 2010, and kept in place by David Cameron's Government in 2015. But now the Government proposes to lift the cap, ostensibly because it has failed to make schools more ethnically diverse, and because certain religious groups have claimed that the cap breaks religious rules and prevents them from opening new schools.
Since the announcement was made, however, these claims have been refuted by evidence from a range of different sources, all of which point to the fact that the cap has been incredibly successful not only in improving integration, but also in promoting the access of local families to their local schools.
A Populus poll found that 72% of the population opposes religious selection in schools of any kind. Opposition to religious selection runs even in religious communities. Nearly two thirds (63%) of Catholic respondents are opposed to religious selection, as are 68% of all Christian respondents. 82% of Muslim respondents also expressed a preference for no religious selection in admission arrangements.
An open letter to the Times wasorganised by Accord Coalition, in which 76 of the country's leading humanists, religious leaders, and academics urge the Government to abandon plans to lift the 50% cap on religious selection.
Now it's your turn to support this cause. Add your endorsement to Accord's open letter through a web form created by the BHA. The more names that are added, the more we can show that popular and expert opinion is united in opposing 100% religious selection in schools.
We now have:
- 86 paid up members
- 771 supporters on our email list
- 302 Meet-up Group members
- 553 Facebook Group members
Annual subscriptions are £15 for waged and £10 unwaged.
If you’d like to become a member of GMH you can download our brochure, which includes a membership application form, from
We offer 18 months membership for your initial subscription if you take out a standing order. To take up this offer, please complete the membership application and the standing order form which can be downloaded from the same link, and return them both to us with your cheque for your first subscription (plus any additional donation). The date of the first payment under your standing order should be 18 months after the date on which you complete the membership application form.
For more about what’s going on at GMH check out some of the links below.
gmhumanists.blogspot.co.uk
@gmhumanists
If you would like to comment on this newsletter or send in suggestions for future content (jokes, articles, links, book reviews or whatever) please email the editor at:
Cathryn McGarvey – Newsletter Editor
January 2017 Newsletter
1