We believe in the concept of a Divine force which can be referred to as God, Nature and the Universe or many other words in different languages and cultures. Words are emotive when it comes to belief and we do not wish to offend anyone.
We are inclusive Celebrants and respect all religions and belief systems if they promote peace, love and respect.
We view all religions as shoots stemming from different branches of the same tree and this is why we are unable to call ourselves ‘Humanists’ as defined by the Humanist Association, who do not believe in God but place Mankind at the centre of the Universe.
There are secular and Christian versions of Humanism.
Secular Humanism refers to the principles and teachings of Classical Greece, Socrates and Plato. It values science, reason, evidence and human intelligence and accepts the theory of evolution. There is no place for religion or God.
Christian Humanism is based on the moral teachings of Christ and embraces a religious belief that affirms humans are made in the likeness of God as the basis for self-worth. We are a part of all that exists and the strength of one’s relationship with God unites Faith and morality.
Pope Benedict XVI, following the example of Erasmus in the 16th century, advocates a new form of Humanism, finding a way to reconcile secular ethics and scientific knowledge with a belief in ‘God’ while remaining faithful to the core teachings of the Church.
According to Saint Augustine the way to understand the mystery of God was through introspection. As humans are mysteries unto themselves, God is a mystery to man.
The mind is too narrow to contain itself.
A Humanist Ceremony is legally binding in Scotland and Ireland as the Humanist Association has lobbied to obtain the licence to marry couples legally anywhere and any time. There are many wonderful Humanist Celebrants who perform touching and memorable ceremonies. Some will include spiritual references and allow religious text whilst others prefer not to. It is always worth double checking with any Celebrant first to avoid misunderstandings regarding their individual viewpoints.
We receive many requests from couples seeking a Humanist ceremony. By this some couples mean they wish to hold a personalised ceremony outdoors with freedom of choice including spiritual or religious elements. There seems to be quite a lot of confusion regarding the definition of Humanism and Ceremonies due to misleading magazine articles and misguided advice from industry figures, who are not professionals in this area.
Surely the most appropriate choice of celebrant for your wedding day should be an accredited, trained and registered celebrant/officiant who you find to be mutually suited rather than someone who improvises or has been ‘ordained’ on-line as a reverend.
Alternativily you can entrust a family memeber or a friend to perform a ceremony.
If you strongly believe that an eloquent wedding ceremony is of central importance and that whoever composes and conducts it should ideally be an experienced Professional Celebrant, then we would be very pleased to hear from you. We offer bespoke packages to suit your requirements.
