Humanism Now | Secular Ethics, Curiosity and Compassionate Change

Humanise Live

Humanism Now is the weekly podcast for everyone curious, interested or actively engaged in secular humanism. Each Sunday, host James Hodgson—founder of Humanise Live—welcomes scientists, philosophers, activists, authors, entrepreneurs and community leaders who are challenging the status quo and building a fairer, kinder world. Together we unpack today’s toughest ethical questions—using reason and compassion instead of dogma—and champion universal human rights and flourishing. Expect in-depth interviews on today's pressing issues, from climate action, protecting freedoms, equality & justice to AI ethics and cosmic wonder. Every episode delivers practical take-aways for living an ethical, purpose-driven life while discovering more about ourselves, others and the universe. Whether you’re a lifelong secular humanist or simply curious about a naturalistic worldview, hit follow for insight-packed conversations that challenge ideas, celebrate human potential and inspire positive change. Join our global community working toward a fairer, kinder and more rational world—for this generation and the next.

  1. 82.: The Quiet Revival That Wasn't: David Voas on Faked Data and the Truth About Religion in Britain

    6h ago

    82.: The Quiet Revival That Wasn't: David Voas on Faked Data and the Truth About Religion in Britain

    "I don't think that we have any solid evidence of a religious revival underway in England, or for that matter, anywhere else." — David Voas In April 2025, the Bible Society published a report claiming church attendance in England had surged by more than 50% since 2018, with young men's churchgoing up fivefold. It made national headlines. A year later, both YouGov and the Bible Society retracted it. This episode unpacks what actually went wrong: bots and bogus respondents in online survey panels, why the data never supported the story, and what decades of solid evidence tell us instead about religious decline in Britain. Our guest is Dr. David Voas, Emeritus Professor of Social Science at UCL, where he led the Social Research Institute from 2016 to 2020. A quantitative social scientist, he has spent his career studying religious change in modern societies, and his TEDx talk, "Why There Is No Way Back for Religion in the West," has been viewed nearly two million times. In this conversation we cover: How AI chatbots, survey farming and bogus respondents undermined the survey data, and why this is an industry-wide problem, not a one-offThe three ways sociologists actually measure religiosity — identity, practice and belief — and why they don't always move togetherWhy secularisation is a generational process that plays out over centuries, and what fills the space religion leaves behindLINKS & REFERENCES David Voas UCL profile: https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/56605-david-voasTEDx talk, "Why There Is No Way Back for Religion in the West": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtAR_OGzlcg"Why Humanism Is the Future" — Humanists UK Convention 2023: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfI7VgkDFMg"Is there really a religious revival in England? Why I'm sceptical of a new report" (UCL News/The Conversation, 16 June 2025): https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2025/jun/comment-there-really-religious-revival-england-why-im-sceptical-new-reportBritish Religion in Numbers: https://www.brin.ac.ukMentioned in this episode Bible Society, "The Quiet Revival" report (retracted): https://www.biblesociety.org.uk/research/quiet-revivalBBC News coverage of the report's retraction: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpwjxx5eyn1oChristian Smith, Why Religion Went Obsolete (Oxford University Press): https://global.oup.com/academic/product/why-religion-went-obsolete-9780197800737If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review — it helps more people find the show. Support Humanism Now from just £5/month for exclusive content, a say in future episodes, and we'll plant a tree each month in your name. Follow us @HumanismNowPod. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.live Music: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

    39 min
  2. 81. The Re-emergence of Eugenics and How to Fight Back with Science, with Rebecca Sear

    6d ago

    81. The Re-emergence of Eugenics and How to Fight Back with Science, with Rebecca Sear

    "I used to think eugenics had died out after the Second World War. I no longer believe that, unfortunately." — Rebecca Sear Most of us think of eugenics as a horror confined to the past. It isn't. This episode examines the worrying re-emergence of eugenics and scientific racism, from discredited claims about race and intelligence to the far-right money funding them, and asks how we defend good science against bad-faith actors. Along the way, Rebecca overturns another myth, that the isolated nuclear family is "traditional", and explains why demographers are far calmer about falling birth rates than the headlines suggest. Our guest is Professor Rebecca Sear, an evolutionary behavioural scientist and demographer at Brunel University London, where she directs the Centre for Culture and Evolution. She is co-founder of the European Human Behaviour and Evolution Association and a Fellow of the British Academy. In this conversation we cover: The re-emergence of eugenics and biological essentialism, and how old ideas are being repackaged for a modern audienceRichard Lynn's discredited national IQ database, the far-right money behind scientific racism, and how to spot bad-faith scienceWhy cooperative childrearing is the human norm, and how "population panic" over falling fertility has been used to justify real human rights abusesIn this conversation we cover: Why cooperative childrearing is the human norm, and what the "male breadwinner" nuclear family gets wrongWhy demographers are not panicking about falling fertility, and how "population panic" has been used to justify real human rights abusesThe modern resurgence of eugenics and scientific racism, from Richard Lynn's discredited national IQ database to how to spot bad-faith science LINKS & REFERENCES Rebecca Sear Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/rebeccasear.bsky.socialLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-sear-8183551Sear, R. (2021) The male breadwinner nuclear family is not the 'traditional' human family. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 376: 20200020. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2020.0020Sear, R. (2021) Demography and the rise, apparent fall and resurgence in eugenics. Population Studies 75(Suppl 1): 201-220. https://doi.org/10.1080/00324728.2021.2009013Samorodnitsky, Bird, Carlson, Lingford, Phillips, Sear & Townsend (2024) Journals should retract Richard Lynn's racist 'research' articles. STAT. https://www.statnews.com/2024/06/20/richard-lynn-racist-research-articles-journals-retractions/Mentioned in this episode Sarah Hrdy (2009) Mothers and Others: The Evolutionary Origins of Mutual Understanding. https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674060326Quinn Slobodian (2025) Hayek's Bastards: Race, Gold, IQ, and the Capitalism of the Far Right. https://press.princeton.edu/books/ebook/9781890951931/hayeks-bastardsThe Guardian / Hope not Hate investigation into a US-funded 'race science' network (October 2024). https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/16/revealed-international-race-science-network-secretly-funded-by-us-tech-bossSend us Fan Mail Support the show Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.live Music: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

    37 min
  3. 80. Inside the Ex-Muslim Movement - Muhammad Syed on why leaving Islam Can Be Liberating, and Dangerous

    Jun 29

    80. Inside the Ex-Muslim Movement - Muhammad Syed on why leaving Islam Can Be Liberating, and Dangerous

    "One of the things I heard again and again was: I thought I was the only one." — Muhammad Syed  Leaving religion can be one of the most liberating decisions of a person's life. For those leaving Islam, it can also be one of the most dangerous. This episode looks at why so many ex-Muslims stay hidden, how community breaks that isolation, and what the data really tells us about people leaving the faith worldwide. Our guest is Muhammad Syed, human rights activist, writer, and co-founder and president of Ex-Muslims of North America (EXMNA), the first ex-Muslim advocacy and community organisation in North America. In this conversation we cover: Why so many ex-Muslims believe they are "the only one", and how visibility and community change thatWhat scripture, interpretation and culture each contribute to the risks ex-Muslims face, from loss of family to threats of violenceThe numbers behind a global trend, and how both the political left and right get the conversation wrongLinks for support: Ex-Muslims of North America: https://exmuslims.orgFaith to Faithless (UK support): https://www.humanists.uk/our-work/faith-to-faithless/r/exmuslim global reddit community: https://www.reddit.com/r/exmuslim/References: Pakistan college student lynched after discussing Adam and Eve/incestNigeria college girl lynched over a WhatsApp class chatAyan Hirsi Ali threatened, lost security/neighborhood in Netherlands, moved to U.S.Somali gay atheist kidnapped/taken to Kenya for “re-education”Canadian mother whose children were taken to Africa; hasn’t seen them in over a decadeEx-Muslim husband/wife/siblings chain deconversion storyIIraq lowering age of consent/marriage age to nine -Pew: one in four U.S. Muslims raised Muslim have left Islam-Pew: among U.S. ex-Muslims, ~55% became nonbelievers and ~23% became Christian-Arab Barometer: younger people in parts of North Africa around 18% nonreligious/nonbelieving-Turkey survey showing rising nonbelief-Iran survey showing roughly 40% nonbelief -Saudi Arabia survey showing ~4–5% confirmed atheists, higher broader nonbelief-Pakistan poll: ~60–70% support killing apostates-EXMNA data/reporting: ~60% lost friends/social circle; similar share verbal abuse; high 40s/around 50% lost family; one in three experienced threats of violenceSend us Fan Mail Support the show Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.live Music: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

    43 min
  4. 79. Meet strangeness with kindness - Kestral Gaian on the role of representation, community and politics in fiction

    Jun 21

    79. Meet strangeness with kindness - Kestral Gaian on the role of representation, community and politics in fiction

    "It's really about what happens when kindness is the first response to strangeness." — Kestral Gaian What does it take to stay human in a world that often forgets what that means? This episode explores storytelling as an act of resistance: why humans need fiction, why representation matters, and how meeting difference with curiosity rather than judgement can ease the loneliness of modern life. Our guest is Kestral Gaian, an award-winning writer of fiction, theatre and poetry, whose debut young adult novel "The Boy From Elsewhere" is out now. In this conversation we cover: The origins of "The Boy From Elsewhere", born from a 26-hour charity writing livestream, and what tiredness taught Kestral about creativity and craftWhy storytelling is fundamental to being human, and how representation shapes what young readers believe is possibleWhether all art is political, the recent publishing pushback against LGBTQ+ fiction, and meeting strangeness with kindnessLinks: The Boy From Elsewhere: https://reconnectingrainbows.co.uk/book/tbfe/Kestral Gaian's website: https://kestr.alSupport Humanism Now: https://ko-fi.com/humanismnowpod Send us Fan Mail Support the show Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.live Music: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

    35 min
  5. 78. "No Hope But Peace and Justice" - An Israeli and a Palestinian in Dialogue

    Jun 5

    78. "No Hope But Peace and Justice" - An Israeli and a Palestinian in Dialogue

    "Many in society saw the news and understood there's no hope for peace. But I understood there's no hope but peace." — Yaniv Aknin What does humanism actually ask of us when we confront the Israel-Palestine conflict? In this episode we preview a special Festival of Humanism session, exploring how secular, rational and compassionate values can cut through motivated reasoning and moral blind spots to rebuild shared ground between Palestinians and Israelis. Our guests are Dr Jasr Kawkby, a British-Palestinian paediatrician raised in Gaza, and Yaniv Aknin, a British-Israeli software engineer and former soldier, who work together on peacebuilding, dialogue and nonviolent advocacy. In this conversation we cover: Their personal journeys from a Gaza refugee camp and a secular Zionist household in Tel Aviv to a shared humanist platformHow humanist values (curiosity, rationality, secularism and the dignity of every life) can reframe history, accountability and the path forwardWhy both believe nonviolence and sustained dialogue, not force, are the only routes to peace, justice and equalityJasr and Yaniv host "No Hope But Peace: A Dialogue Between an Israeli and a Palestinian" at the Festival of Humanism in Bournemouth on 13–14 June. Links: Festival of Humanism 2026: https://humanists.uk/events/festival2026/Send us Fan Mail Support the show Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.live Music: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

    44 min
  6. 77. Ethical Volunteering with Kimberly Haley-Coleman - Building Bridges Through Community Led Service

    May 24

    77. Ethical Volunteering with Kimberly Haley-Coleman - Building Bridges Through Community Led Service

    "It's amazing how enduring humans can be with their willingness to look for good." Kimberly Haley-Coleman is the founder and executive director of GlobeAware, a nonprofit building ethical, community-led volunteer service programmes across more than 25 countries. With a background spanning international business, nonprofit leadership, and global partnership building, Kimberly has spent years thinking deeply about how service, cultural exchange, and shared work can bring people together with dignity, curiosity, and compassion. Topics we cover ✔︎ What ethical volunteering actually looks like — and why locally led, community-designed programmes are so different from voluntourism  ✔︎ How shared work breaks down assumptions faster than almost anything else — and what that means for building genuine cross-cultural empathy  ✔︎ How GlobeAware's programmes are responding to sweeping foreign aid cuts and what resilience looks like on the ground in 2026 Connect with Kimberly and Globe Aware Website www.globeaware.orgFacebook https://www.facebook.com/globeawareLinkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlyglobeaware/Podcasts https://open.spotify.com/show/6n9cfb4QIVb2aqUD6XSttEInstagram https://www.instagram.com/globeaware/Youtube: https://youtube.com/@globeawareX Twitter: https://twitter.com/GlobeAwareLinkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/globe-aware/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@globe_awareWikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globe_AwareBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/globeaware.bksy.socialPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/globeaware/Send us Fan Mail Support the show Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.live Music: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

    29 min
  7. 76. Why Science Always Carries Human Values with Anjan Chakravartty

    May 17

    76. Why Science Always Carries Human Values with Anjan Chakravartty

    Support Humanism Now and Join Our Community!  "Dogmatism is the enemy of reason, after all." Dr Anjan Chakravartty is the Apignani Foundation Chair for the Study of Atheism, Humanism, and Secular Ethics at the University of Miami and a philosopher of science whose work explores the nature of knowledge and what science tells us about the world. His latest edited volume, Science and Humanism: Knowledge, Values, and the Common Good, brings together leading philosophers to examine the relationship between science and humanist values — historically deep and increasingly urgent. Topics we cover ✔︎ Why science is not a value-neutral tool — and why humanists need to think more carefully about what science is actually for  ✔︎ How disinformation campaigns exploit the language of science to manufacture doubt on climate, health, and more  ✔︎ What a genuinely humanistic science looks like in practice — from diversifying research communities to confronting scientism Connect with Dr Chakravartty and find out more University of Miami profile: https://people.miami.edu/profile/axc1256@miami.eduScience and Humanism: Knowledge, Values, and the Common Good: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/science-and-humanism/Personal Website: https://anjanchakravartty.com/Send us Fan Mail Support the show Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.live Music: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

    41 min
  8. 75. Taming Your Impostor Monster with Dr AJ Lauer

    May 10

    75. Taming Your Impostor Monster with Dr AJ Lauer

    Support Humanism Now and Join Our Community! "Culture is a representation of what our habits are on a daily basis. If we drop the habit, we are not building the culture we're wanting to see." Dr AJ Lauer is a leadership and diversity educator, executive coach, and founder of Thriving IBIS Leadership Solutions. With two decades of experience across higher education, non-profit research, and STEM, she specialises in imposter syndrome, psychological safety, and helping organisations make more human-centred decisions. She is also the author of My Monster Mungo, an illustrated book for adults about the imposter phenomenon. Topics we cover ✔︎ What the imposter phenomenon actually is — and why 82% of people experience it  ✔︎ How to build psychologically safe, inclusive teams where dissent and creativity are welcomed  ✔︎ Why burnout and perfectionism are connected — and how leaders can interrupt the cycle Connect with Dr AJ Lauer Thriving IBIS Leadership Solutions: https://www.thrivingibis.comMy Monster Mungo — illustrated book: https://www.thrivingibis.com/my-monster-mungoSend us Fan Mail Support the show Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.live Music: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

    30 min
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About

Humanism Now is the weekly podcast for everyone curious, interested or actively engaged in secular humanism. Each Sunday, host James Hodgson—founder of Humanise Live—welcomes scientists, philosophers, activists, authors, entrepreneurs and community leaders who are challenging the status quo and building a fairer, kinder world. Together we unpack today’s toughest ethical questions—using reason and compassion instead of dogma—and champion universal human rights and flourishing. Expect in-depth interviews on today's pressing issues, from climate action, protecting freedoms, equality & justice to AI ethics and cosmic wonder. Every episode delivers practical take-aways for living an ethical, purpose-driven life while discovering more about ourselves, others and the universe. Whether you’re a lifelong secular humanist or simply curious about a naturalistic worldview, hit follow for insight-packed conversations that challenge ideas, celebrate human potential and inspire positive change. Join our global community working toward a fairer, kinder and more rational world—for this generation and the next.

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