The International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) has many and diverse member organisations (MOs). They have different cultural backgrounds, speak different languages and face different problems. And in an ideal world they will learn from one another. But this requires communication. We need MOs to send in reports to our website and to this magazine. Contributions in other languages have to be translated into English, but even from English-speaking countries we receive comparatively little. And we also need the links on our website to be kept up to date. So I would like to ask all MOs to communicate more with IHEU and share problems and solutions.

Separation of church and state is an IHEU priority. But there is a lot of disagreement on the details. This reflects the different conditions in the countries in which our MOs are active. As a result, MOs have very different views of the nature of the problem and the best paths to a solution. But despite disagreements, we are stronger if we work together. We therefore need to respect one another’s traditions and methods and find common ground.

There are other important differences among MOs. For some, the organisation of ceremonies marking the important moments in life is the core business, whereas for others all efforts have to be directed towards the prevention of government persecution of non-believers.

Although all members agree on the importance of scientific research, there are many differences of emphasis. On the one hand, there can be fairly academic discussions where scientists attempt to show the weaknesses of various types of pseudo-science, on the other the overriding problem may be the cruel result of a widespread superstition. A terrible example of the latter is the belief that misfortunes are caused by witchcraft, with the resulting persecution and even killing of supposed witches, many of them children.

And then, of course, there are differences in the way we look at ourselves or what we call ourselves: are we Humanists, freethinkers, atheists…?

In a number of European countries, Humanism is recognised as a “life stance”. Some MOs in these countries even receive government subsidies on account of their community work. But there are many countries where it is impossible even to say that one is not a follower of the state religion. Here the freedom of religion from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights simply means that you are free to be a member and believer of that ‘unique’ religion! In some countries a minority religion is tolerated but lack of belief in the supernatural is persecuted.

On the website you can read the sad story of Ismail Mohamed Didi, a 25-year-old air traffic controller, who was found hanged from the control tower of the international airport in the Maldives on Tuesday, July 13 2010, after he apparently killed himself to escape persecution for his rejection of religion. The suicide is the latest tragedy in a series of persecutions of non-believers in a nation that claims to be "100 percent Muslim". IHEU is raising the issue with the United Nations and representatives of the Maldives government.

We are all aware that the Catholic Church, which traditionally preaches a very strict sexual morality, has been involved in scandals about its covering up the abuse of children and youngsters by priests. Such was the respect in which the laity held the priesthood and the church that parents often disbelieved the complaints of children and even punished them for traducing the priests. The majority of victims remained silent, fearing that they would be disbelieved or even accused of being responsible for the sins. At last the magnitude of the abuse and the Church’s wilful mishandling of the situation are beginning to emerge into the light of day. And yet when the Belgian authorities reacted as they do in any cases of child abuse, the Holy See accused them of applying worse methods than those used by communist regimes.

Why is it so difficult to accept that we all think differently and that people will come to their own independent conclusions and beliefs? Why does it seem impossible to accept that this is simply a human right?

We know that in past centuries in Europe dissent from the dominant ideology was punished. On 4 July this year a ceremony was held in Abbeville (France), organised by the Libre Pensée, in commemoration of the Chevalier de la Barre. In 1766, at the age of only 19, he was tortured and executed for the crimes of blasphemy and sacrilege. His tongue was torn out and then he was beheaded and his body was burnt, along with a book by Voltaire that he had owned. 

Modern Europeans find the fate of the teenaged de la Barre shocking, but has the world really changed much in the past 250 years? Some countries have changed and moved away from such persecution, but others seem firmly stuck in a cruel and intolerant past.

There is still a lot to be learnt from the great philosophers of the Enlightenment. Just read about David Hume in this issue.