Irreligious organizations promote the view that moral standards should be based solely on naturalistic considerations, without reference to supernatural concepts (such as God or an afterlife), any desire to do good for a reward after death, or any fear of punishment for not believing in life after death.

Background

Individuals and organizations sharing these views, identify themselves by a variety of terms, including, bright, freethinker, naturalist, rationalist, or skeptic. Despite the use of these various terms, the organizations listed here have goals in common. Note that, while most of these organizations and their members consider themselves irreligious, there are certain exceptions (Ethical Culture, for example). In some jurisdictions, a provincial or national humanist society may confer upon Humanist officiants the ability to conduct memorial services, child naming ceremonies or officiate marriages – tasks which would be carried out by clergy in most organized religions.

List

Australia

Belgium

Brazil

Canada

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Iceland

India

Indonesia

Ireland

Italy

Kenya

Luxembourg

Netherlands

New Zealand

Northern Ireland

Norway

Philippines

Romania

Singapore

Sweden

Switzerland

Turkey

United Kingdom

National organisations

Local groups

There are many local humanist groups around the United Kingdom, most being affiliates of Humanists UK and the National Secular Society. Of these, Leicester Secular Society has particular claim to fame in being the world's oldest secular society, founded in 1851. Others include North East Humanists.

United States

Notes and references