Announcements Page 2

Response to The Straits Times Op-Ed

10 February 2021 by DJ Tan

A recent op-ed written by Chua Mui Hoong and published in The Straits Times, ‘S’pore teen detained under ISA: Wake-up call for Christian community’ (5 Feb 2021), has piqued some interest and stirred emotive discussions within the non-religious community. This is particularly because Archbishop William Goh, of the Catholic Church, was quoted that he ‘believes that the greatest risk of religious fanaticism comes from a hostile and extreme form of secularism’. He argued that an overly secular society would push religion into marginalised, private areas, diminishing the scope for open, public sharing and discussions of commonalities and differences. Some of us may remember Archbishop Goh’s previous misinformed comments on atheism and secularism.

This bears repeating.

Farewell 2020

31 December 2020 by humanist j

It has been a difficult year for the world, with many nations still struggling to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. In the fight against the virus, prolonged lockdowns have affected livelihoods, separated families, grounded air travel, and brought a chill to festive seasons not seen in many decades. Healthcare personnel have also sacrificed their time, and sometimes their lives, in the frontline effort against the pandemic. Overall, the pandemic has put humanity as a whole to a severe test.

Love Amidst a Pandemic Thing

16 November 2020 by Tattsi Tan

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced many couples to adjust their wedding plans. Our Humanist Celebrant, Mr Tan Tatt Si, shares some moments from a Humanist wedding in Singapore.

Humanist Society (Singapore) 10th Year Anniversary

10 October 2020 by humanist j

On this day ten years ago (10/10/10), the Humanist Society (Singapore) came into being. We started with only 13 members and almost no resources. All we had was a common dream, to build an organisation dedicated to raising awareness of the non-religious and protecting the secular space. Above all, we wanted to help promote rationalism, evidence-based thinking and compassion in the public sphere.

Here are some moments at our founding:

NDP Special Offer!

12 August 2020 by humanist j

Special offer! In celebration of Singapore’s 55th birthday this month, we are selling red and white humanist bottles and mugs at discounted prices. Buy your own humanist mug at $9.90 each, and a humanist bottle at $12 each. This offer ends on 21 Aug 2020, midnight.

Humanism in Phase Two

1 August 2020 by humanist j

When Singapore implemented the Circuit Breaker in April, we launched the Humanism At Home programme where we had events held on Skype and Zoom. In total, we had 11 online events, including World Humanist Day and several Skype discussions (Skype Parties). Although Singapore moved to Phase Two on 18 June, we adopted a cautious approach and decided to observe the situation for a while longer before resuming physical events.

[Read more…]

Announcements, Blog, Press

Reflections on Racial Harmony

28 July 2020 by humanist j

Every year, on the 21st of July, Singapore observes Racial Harmony Day commemorating the tragic 1964 race riots, which, half a century ago, threatened to tear our city apart. Since then, Singaporeans have worked hard to prevent history from repeating itself by rebuilding trust between ethnic groups and fostering harmonious interracial relations.

Response to Archbishop William Goh’s Sermon, Fear God or Fear Man.

1 July 2020 by humanist j

On 21 June 2020, Archbishop William Goh of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore delivered an online sermon titled “Fear God or Fear Man.” The sermon was followed by a written sermon published on the website. As of 1 July, the online sermon has attracted over 5,500 views on Facebook and 5,100 views on Youtube. Given the widespread viewership, the Humanist Society (Singapore), or HSS for short, would like to respond to some of the points delivered.

Advisory by Humanists International

23 May 2020 by humanist j

Recently, Mubarak Bala (above), the President of the Humanist Association of Nigeria, was arrested for “blasphemy” after he allegedly posted criticism of Islam on his Facebook page.

[Read more…]

Announcements, Blog

Amendment 2020 to the Humanist Society (Singapore) Constitution: An Update

22 April 2020 by DJ Tan

Following approval from the Registry of Societies, the proposed ‘2020 Amendment’ to the Constitution of the Humanist Society (Singapore) has been voted upon and accepted at the Annual General Meeting on 14 March 2020.

Here are the broad changes:

1. Associate Membership.

Associate Membership is now available for our friends, allies, and partners who are religious and subscribe to the values of humanism. A separate Declaration is available for applicants to ratify, in lieu of the Minimum Statement of Humanism. Associate Members enjoy the same fees, requirements, and privileges as our regular, Full Members, but will neither be eligible to vote nor run for office in the Executive Committee.

2. Membership Grace Period.

Previously, members were not eligible to vote at any general meeting unless membership dues had been paid at least one month before the meeting. With this ‘grace period’, members will be eligible to vote as long as all membership fees have been paid before the general meeting.

Members will also be allowed to pay their annual subscription fees during the extended six-month ‘grace period’ to prevent their membership from lapsing.

Announcements Tags: agm, amendment, annual general meeting, constitution, updates