Humanist Resources: Humanist Practice

The Humanist Ceremonies Handbook is perfect for anyone looking to craft or perform nonreligious ceremonies of any kind. Everything from weddings and memorials to trans naming ceremonies, divorce ceremonies, and ceremonies marking women's life transitions are included in this comprehensive book. You'll get tips such as how to write and speak for ceremony, how to get through a difficult funeral service without crying, and how to set up an officiant business for yourself. (Description from publisher)

This book is an affirmation of the ethical view of life that dramatizes, in prose and poetry, what secular and humanistic Jews feel about their heritage.The celebration material in the book is primarily verbal. It is also strongly intellectual and ideological, as well as reflective and sentimental. The style rests on the conviction that celebration events can touch both the mind and the heart; the content rests on the conviction that reason and emotion, inspiration and integrity, humanism and Judaism, are not separate, but complementary. (Description from publisher)

The main purpose of this booklet is twofold: to help Humanists who are thinking of becoming officiants on a regular basis; and to help families and friends who are faced with the need to organize a ceremony themselves at short notice. A third group who may find parts of it useful are funeral directors coping with funerals where there is no officiant and the family has no wish to play an active role.The booklet aims to set out clearly the basic format of a Humanist ceremony, to suggest possible readings and turns of phrase, and to state simply the various practical measures that need to be taken. In short, it is a straightforward working manual. (Description from publisher)

The first published guide to a humanist wedding service.

Approaches Humanism primarily as a way of life rather than as a philosophical perspective but also includes some discussion of philosophical foundations. Its purpose is to present Humanism as a basis for living in a meaningful and fulfilling way which enables us to become more fully human. Describing Humanism in positive terms, it emphasizes what Humanism affirms rather than what it denies. It presents religious Humanism as a personally satisfying and morally responsible way to live, giving our lives meaning and purpose, hope and joy. Most importantly for many readers, it offers practical advice about the qualities that enable one to live well and explores Humanism’s resources for living ethically and dealing constructively with common human problems and personal crises (Description from publisher)

In What It Means to Be Moral: Why Religion Is Not Necessary for Living an Ethical Life, Phil Zuckerman argues that morality does not come from God. Rather, it comes from us: our brains, our evolutionary past, our ongoing cultural development, our social experiences, and our ability to reason, reflect, and be sensitive to the suffering of others. By deconstructing religious arguments for God-based morality and guiding readers through the premises and promises of secular morality, Zuckerman argues that the major challenges facing the world today―from global warming and growing inequality to religious support for unethical political policies to gun violence and terrorism―are best approached from a nonreligious ethical framework. In short, we need to look to our fellow humans and within ourselves for moral progress and ethical action. (Description from publisher)

It's hard enough to live a secular life in a religious world. And bringing up children without religious influence can be even more daunting. Despite the difficulties, a large and growing number of parents are choosing to raise their kids without religion. In Parenting Beyond Belief, Dale McGowan celebrates the freedom that comes with raising kids without formal indoctrination and advises parents on the most effective way to raise freethinking children. With advice from educators, doctors, psychologists, and philosophers as well as wisdom from everyday parents, the book offers tips and insights on a variety of topics, from "mixed marriages" to coping with death and loss, and from morality and ethics to dealing with holidays. (Description from publishers)

Drawing on survey data and in-depth personal interviews with religiously unaffiliated parents across the country, Christel Manning provides important demographic data on American “Nones” and offers critical nuance to our understanding of the term. She shows that context is crucial in understanding how those without religious ties define themselves and raise their families. Indeed, she demonstrates that Nones hold a wide variety of worldviews, ranging from deeply religious to highly secular, and transmit them in diverse ways. What ties them all together is a commitment to spiritual choice—a belief in the moral equivalence of religions and secular worldviews and in the individual’s right to choose—and it is that choice they seek to pass on to their children. (Description from publisher)

Humanism is "the radical idea that you can be good without a god." That's how Roy Speckhardt, the longtime executive director of the American Humanist Association, defines it. His new book, Creating Change Through Humanism, lays out how and why people can lead moral and ethical lives without belief in a higher power. While surveys show that more and more Americans are giving up on religion, merely abandoning traditional religious faith is just one step on a path to a better way of thinking. Speckhardt explains how to take the next steps with the empathy and activism that characterize humanism today. Humanism has inspired generations of individuals to improve themselves, their communities and their country. Creating Change Through Humanism describes how a humanist lifestance has influenced and can continue to advance acceptance, diversity and equality. (Description from publisher)