“It is much easier to confess your sins in the dark, than to acknowledge them in the light: to make it up with a god you don’t see, than with a man whom you do. Teach man to do right, to love justice, to revere truth. So be virtuous, not because a god would reward or punish him hereafter, but because it is right; and as every act brings its own reward or its own punishment, it would best promote his interest by promoting the welfare of society.” Ernestine Rose (1810–1892). Activist and humanist

'It is much easier to confess your sins in the dark, than to acknowledge them in the light: to make it up with a god you don’t see, than with a man whom you do.'

Ernestine Rose – humanist, abolitionist, and pioneering women's rights advocate. #HumanistHeritage
heritage.humanists.uk/ernestine-ro...

Humanist Heritage: Anna Wheeler (1785–1848) To women I would say… continue not to leave the bitter inheritance of ignorance and slavery to your daughters; plead […]

Learn more about Anna Wheeler, social reformer and pioneering feminist, on #HumanistHeritage heritage.humanists.uk/anna-wheeler/

Humanist Heritage: Harold John Blackham (1903-2009) Faith without works is not Christianity, and unbelief without any effort to help shoulder the consequences for mankind is not […]

'Faith without works is not Christianity, and unbelief without any effort to help shoulder the consequences for mankind is not humanism.' Read more on #HumanistHeritage heritage.humanists.uk/harold-john-...

What made the movement so powerful was its breadth: nonconformists, secularists, and the non-religious stood shoulder to shoulder, united by a belief in freedom of conscience and the principle that no church should hold special privileges over those who didn't choose it. #HumanistHeritage

The Liberation Society took up the cause from 1844, campaigning against state involvement in religious matters and vice versa. The Anti-Tithe League followed in 1886, linking land reform and disestablishment as twin causes rooted in the same injustice. #HumanistHeritage

As far back as 1840, the chartist magazine Udgorn Cymru ( (The Trumpet of Wales) was demanding disestablishment, condemning the payment of church tithes and the grip of wealthy Anglican landowners over ordinary Welsh people. #HumanistHeritage

Humanist Heritage: Wales Wales has long been a nation of nonconformists, with a history of challenging the power and influence of the established […]

The Anglican Church was officially disestablished in Wales #OnThisDay 1920 – a victory nearly a century in the making, and one of the most significant wins for secularism in British history. #HumanistHeritage #Secularism🧵

heritage.humanists.uk/wales/

It’s extraordinary to watch Hansberry’s mind at work here in 1960. What a tragedy that she died at just 34. Such as a sharp intellect and passionate commitment to storytelling. #WorldTheatreDay #HumanistHeritage #WomensHistoryMonth

Humanist Heritage: First European performance of A Raisin in the Sun (1959) I wish to live because life has within it that which is good, that which is beautiful, and that which […]

The first UK run of A Raisin in the Sun included American actors Juanita Moore and Olga James, Welsh actor (Gwilym) Meredith Edwards, and South African actor Lionel Ngakane, who lived in exile in the UK for four decades during apartheid. #HumanistHeritage heritage.humanists.uk/a-raisin-in-...

Humanist Heritage: A. E. Housman (1859-1936) June suns, you cannot store them To warm the winter’s cold, The lad that hopes for heaven Shall fill his […]

June suns, you cannot store them
To warm the winter’s cold,
The lad that hopes for heaven
Shall fill his mouth with mould

Read more about the humanist life and legacy of A E Housman on the #HumanistHeritage website.

heritage.humanists.uk/alfred-edwar...

Humanist Heritage: Secularism The adoption of the term Secularism is justified by its including a large number of persons who are not Atheists, […]

Today, a secularist is someone who believes in the separation of church and state, and that laws and public institutions should be neutral with regards to religion and belief. Discover more about the history of the word #secularism on the #HumanistHeritage website. heritage.humanists.uk/secularism/

Sara A. Underwood, who died #onthisday in 1911, was a pioneering humanist, freethinker, and suffragist whose life was dedicated to advancing rational thought, women's rights, and secular ethics. #WomensHistoryMonth #HumanistHeritage

heritage.humanists.uk/sara-a-under...

Humanist Heritage: Douglas Adams (1952–2001) Isn’t it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the […]

You can read more about the humanist legacy of Douglas Adams on the #HumanistHeritage website.

heritage.humanists.uk/douglas-adams/

Humanist Heritage: Heroines of Freethought Borrowing the title of an 1876 work by feminist freethinker Sara Underwood, this article celebrates the many brave women who have populated and propelled the humanist movement.

‘Heroines of Freethought’ was the title of an 1876 work by Sara Underwood that celebrated the lives of humanist women who lived and worked before the emergence of humanist organisations such as the ethical societies. #HumanistsUK #HumanistHeritage
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Humanist Heritage: Rosalind Franklin (1920-1958) I agree that faith is essential to success in life (success of any sort) but I do not accept your […]

Very touching to hear Hannah pay tribute to Rosalind Franklin at the end of the lecture – whose crucial contribution to discovering DNA’s structure was only fully recognised after her death. A humanist hero. You can read more on the #HumanistHeritage website.

heritage.humanists.uk/rosalind-fra...

Humanist Heritage: Rosalind Franklin (1920-1958) I agree that faith is essential to success in life (success of any sort) but I do not accept your […]

Rosalind Franklin’s X-ray diffraction work was crucial to revealing the structure of DNA, and her later research on viruses was equally pioneering. She held a humanist belief that science should serve future generations. Find our more on #HumanistHeritage

heritage.humanists.uk/rosalind-fra...

The 2026 #DarwinDayLecture was watched by over 1000 people online and in person at London's @conwayhall.bsky.social - a venue rich in #HumanistHeritage. Thank you to everyone who joined us, took part in the Q&A, and stayed for a chat after.

Humanist Heritage: John Curry (1949–1994) John Curry was an English figure skater celebrated for revolutionising the sport by combining athleticism with balletic artistry. Openly gay […]

Tragically, John died of an AIDS-related illness at the age of 44 in 1994. You can read more about the life and legacy – as well as the humanist beliefs – of John Curry this #WinterOlympics on the #HumanistHeritage website. heritage.humanists.uk/john-curry/

Humanist Heritage: Charles Darwin (1809-1882) I cannot pretend to throw the least light on such abstruse problems. The mystery of the beginning of all things […]

Read more about Charles Darwin this #DarwinDay. The #HumanistHeritage website is a fantastic resource to learn more about his work, his legacy, as well as humanist beliefs.

heritage.humanists.uk/charles-darw...

In conversation with Paul ‘Polyp’ Fitzgerald | The radical life of Thomas Paine

This evening! Join #HumanistHeritage Manager Madeleine Goodall in conversation with @polypartist.bsky.social to celebrate Thomas Paine’s 289th birthday. Explore the life and legacy of the United States' most radical Founding Father. Book your place now! humanists.uk/events/in-co...

Humanist Heritage: Thomas Paine (1737-1809) I believe in the equality of man; and I believe that religious duties consist in doing justice, loving mercy and […]

In an era dominated by monarchs and inherited privilege, Paine arrived in the colonies with a vision for a radically different society. He imagined America as a 'blank sheet' – a secular republic serving as an 'asylum for mankind'. #HumanistHeritage

heritage.humanists.uk/thomas-paine...

In conversation with Paul ‘Polyp’ Fitzgerald | The radical life of Thomas Paine

Join #HumanistHeritage Manager Madeleine Goodall in conversation with @polypartist.bsky.social next week on Thomas Paine’s 289th birthday to explore the life and legacy of the United States' most radical Founding Father. Book your place now! humanists.uk/events/in-co...

Humanist Heritage: Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) The good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge. Neither love without knowledge, nor knowledge without love […]

'The good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge. Neither love without knowledge, nor knowledge without love can produce a good life.'

You can read more about the legacy of Bertrand Russell on the #HumanistHeritage website. heritage.humanists.uk/bertrand-rus...

Humanist Heritage: Nicholas Winton (1909–2015) What is needed is something in which [we] can all believe irrespective of religion, which in most cases, dare I […]

You can read more about Nicholas Winton and the Kindertransport on #HumanistHeritage

heritage.humanists.uk/nicholas-win...

Of #HumanistHeritage interest: Wheeldon's funeral was described in the press as being 'devoid of Christian ritual' and 'sensational in its simplicity'.

You can now read this on #HumanistHeritage, alongside profiles of Nicholas Winton – the British humanist who helped save more than 650 Jewish children, Harold Blackham’s wartime address – and other fascinating archives exploring humanism and anti-fascism.

heritage.humanists.uk/article/huma...

Humanist Heritage: Harold John Blackham (1903-2009) Faith without works is not Christianity, and unbelief without any effort to help shoulder the consequences for mankind is not […]

If you've enjoyed this thread, you can learn more about the humanist legacy of Harold Blackham on the #HumanistHeritage website.
heritage.humanists.uk/harold-john-...

Humanist Heritage: George Jacob Holyoake (1817-1906) Free thought means fearless thought. It is not deterred by legal penalties, nor by spiritual consequences. Dissent from the Bible […]

You can learn more about the humanist life and legacy of George Jacob Holyoake on #HumanistHeritage heritage.humanists.uk/george-jacob...

From narrowly escaping the guillotine in France, to writing the publication that fuelled the American Revolution, to boldly denouncing organised religion – read more about the extraordinary life of Thomas Paine on #HumanistHeritage

heritage.humanists.uk/thomas-paine...