Humanism

Freethinking and Social Justice: Questioning the Rules We Inherit

Equality, Freethinkers, Humanism, Opinion Pieces, Philosophy, Public Interest Articles, Secularism

SA Secular Society member Emma Campbell turns her lens on social justice, from a Freethinker’s point of view. Throughout history, many social institutions and customs have been defended on the grounds that they are traditional, natural or ordained by a higher authority. Freethinking challenges us to ask a different question: Are these ideas actually justified?

Freethinking and Social Justice: Questioning the Rules We Inherit Read More »

Freethinkers and Humanists: What’s the Difference?

Freethinkers, Humanism, Opinion Pieces, Public Interest Articles, Secularism

SA Secular Society member Emma Campbell provides some insight into these two ways of thinking and living. The terms Freethinker and Humanist are often used interchangeably. While they are similar in many, overarching ways, they contain some differences. Both terms centre themselves around reason, evidence and intellectual freedom, and both have played an important

Freethinkers and Humanists: What’s the Difference? Read More »

Women’s Day 2026: Time For A Reality Check

Equality, Freethinkers, Humanism, Public Interest Articles

Every year on 9 August, South Africans commemorate Women’s Day, marking the anniversary of the 1956 march when more than 20,000 women united in protest against the apartheid pass laws. Their courage became a powerful symbol of resistance to injustice and a reminder that ordinary people can bring about extraordinary change. Seventy years on Seventy

Women’s Day 2026: Time For A Reality Check Read More »

Why have a Baby Naming Ceremony?

Humanism, Non-religious ceremonies, Opinion Pieces, Public Interest Articles, Secular Parenting

Introduction Many young couples would describe themselves as “non-religious”. So when they have a baby they don’t wish to take it to a formal religious venue for some sort of ritual which will commit them and the child to uphold that religion’s teachings. But that doesn’t mean that they don’t want a ceremony in which

Why have a Baby Naming Ceremony? Read More »

Modern Humanism: An Interview with the Author

Freethinkers, Humanism, Opinion Pieces, Philosophy, Public Interest Articles

Modern Humanism: Science, Ethics and the Stewardship of Earth by Kai Taraporevala was published in 2025 by MH Eudaimon Editions. It has been widely praised by reviewers as a masterful synthesis of science, philosophy, and environmental ethics. The South African Secular Society conducted the following interview with the author. How do you define modern

Modern Humanism: An Interview with the Author Read More »

What is Humanism?

Freethinkers, Humanism, Opinion Pieces, Philosophy, Public Interest Articles

By the South African Secular Society You don’t need a god to be good. You don’t need the promise of heaven to treat people with kindness, or the threat of hell to stop you from doing wrong. Millions of people across the world live rich, ethical, meaningful lives without religion ~ and many of them

What is Humanism? Read More »

Talking About Death Over Coffee: Why Death Cafés Matter

Freethinkers, Humanism, Opinion Pieces, Public Interest Articles

In many parts of the world, including South Africa, death remains one of the last great taboos. We plan for births, celebrate milestones, and share our achievements openly—but when it comes to death, we often fall silent. For members of the South African Secular Society and the broader secular community, this silence raises important questions.

Talking About Death Over Coffee: Why Death Cafés Matter Read More »

What Secular Values Offer South Africa in 2026

Humanism, Opinion Pieces, Public Interest Articles, Secularism

Human dignity, equality, critical thinking, and evidence-based progress South Africa enters 2026 carrying both promise and strain. We are a constitutional democracy founded on human dignity, equality, and freedom, yet we continue to live with deep inequality, social fragmentation, and a persistent gap between policy intention and lived reality. In this context, secular values are

What Secular Values Offer South Africa in 2026 Read More »

Our Secular Charter: Your Rights, Explained

Humanism, Opinion Pieces, Public Interest Articles, Secularism

When the South African Secular Society (SASS) was established in 2014, a Secular Charter was adopted. This outlines the principles of the secular state that SASS strives to achieve. Comparative approaches to secular charters around the world Across the world, societies have found different ways to formalise the principle of secularism — the separation of religion

Our Secular Charter: Your Rights, Explained Read More »

More Than a Feeling: The Secular Architecture of Mandela’s Constitution

Humanism, Opinion Pieces, Public Interest Articles

An opinion piece by Declan Ahern. On July 18th, we don’t just remember a man; we celebrate an idea. We’ve consumed the brand of Nelson Mandela for decades: the warm smile, the forgiving spirit, the easy story of the Rainbow Nation. It’s a powerful, marketable narrative that feels good. A national comfort food. But comfort

More Than a Feeling: The Secular Architecture of Mandela’s Constitution Read More »