My Journey to Humanism: How I Became a Humanist Celebrant in Ireland

My Journey to Humanism- How I Became a Humanist Celebrant

Curious- Seeds of Humanist Life

I was curious about the meaning of things from an early age. At 16 I became very involved in a Christian group and went on to study theology at college. Religion was a huge part of my life. My ‘faith’ drove me to try and live a just life. I involved myself in a range of social justice projects.

While in college I fell in love with a woman. That shattered my world. It was equally the most exciting and terrifying thing to happen to me up until then. Being gay was, I thought, one of the worst things I could be and I kept it hidden from most people I knew. It was a really difficult time- I felt fully myself for the first time but also felt such dread.

I gradually became more comfortable with being a lesbian and I felt I had to share it with my Christian group. I was immediately banished. No contact whatsoever with the friends I’d shared so much with. That hurt!

I began to question a lot of what I was learning in college and this shunning really sparked me into questioning religious rules and who makes them. I gradually began to see religion as a human construct for the first time. The ‘mystery of faith’ was the answer for every difficult question and that just felt empty to me. It made no sense.

Spiritual Limbo- Discovering Humanists

Over the next few years, I discarded any notion of faith I had. I was working as an RE teacher at the time. On one hand I felt very conflicted but on the other I was in the best position to teach young people how to think critically about religion and it’s influence in the world. I spent many years living in a kind of spiritual limbo. I still tried to live so my actions made a difference but there was an intellectual gap. I stumbled across the notion of Humanism about 20 years ago when my mother gave me a book entitled Ferocious Humanism (edited by W.J. McCormack) which was an anthology of Irish poetry. I wasn’t familiar with the term. I started to read a little around the subject and came to understand that our moral compass is found within ourselves. As social beings we know how to treat others. We can rely on the goodness of what has gone before to find answers and don’t need to look to the supernatural for inspiration or approval.

Cork - Finding my Humanist Celebrant Feet

I moved to Cork in 2010 when I met my wonderful wife, Louise. I involved myself in Cork life.

I began to build myself a community of friends. I campaigned for Marriage Equality, and it was then that I thought I would like to be there for couples at these most important moments. For more information on LGBTQ weddings, click here.

I found the Cork Humanist group and started learning about how humanism drives action. I completed a six-week Introduction to Humanism online course run by Humanists UK in 2018. In 2020 I applied to train as a Humanist Celebrant and am now happily working away in the role. I love my work!

What does Humanism mean to me?

As a Humanist, I believe that everyone has a right to live the best life possible. Humans should be encouraged to thrive, live and love freely; to enjoy life; to question and make decisions based on reason and experience; to be free to reject ideas that do not make sense; to protect the lives of all other sentient beings.

While often aligned with religion, Humanism stands apart in that it only works if it is conscious and deliberate. You will rarely hear of a lapsed Humanist! We choose Humanism after considering and rejecting the irrational and oppressive dogma of most ‘revealed’ traditions. Individual thought and critique are central to Humanist thought. For more information on Humanism in Ireland, please click here.

Humanism is not purely a belief system but a way of being in the world. Compassion must manifest itself in action. We must seek out injustices and act to the best of our ability to make changes. Humanists must always act in the most loving way. It means honest self-reflection and then our best action so that we all can enjoy the earth’s bounty together. For more information in inclusion in my ceremonies, please click here.

That’s my potted journey-how I became a Humanist Celebrant. I try to live my humanism every day and yes, I am far from perfect. I get it wrong as often as I get It right- just ask those closest to me but I keep trying.

If you would like to have a chat about Humanism or about Humanist ceremonies, please contact me here.