Humanism is a worldview for non-religious people who want to live an ethical life. Humanism says that human beings have the right and responsibility to give meaning and shape to their own lives. Humanism stands for the building of a more humane society through ethics based on human and other natural values, in the spirit of reason and free inquiry and using human capabilities. It does not believe in gods, nor accept supernatural explanations of reality.

You can find more information and resources on our ‘What is Humanism?’ webpage.

There are many definitions of humanism out there – there isn’t just one definition. The meaning of humanism can vary from person to person. The Amsterdam Declaration 2002 definition of humanism has been widely adopted by humanist organisations.

Humanism is the outcome of a long tradition of free thought that inspired many of the world’s great thinkers and creative artists, and gave rise to science itself. Humanism is ethical and rational, and supports democracy and human rights. It also insists that personal liberty must be combined with social responsibility.

Humanism is a response to the widespread demand for an alternative to dogma and religion. It values artistic creativity and imagination. Humanism is a way of life that brings meaning and fulfilment. By utilising free inquiry, the power of science and creative imagination for the furtherance of peace and in the service of compassion, Humanists have confidence that human beings have the means to solve the problems that confront us all.

You can find more definitions of humanism and more resources on our ‘What is Humanism?’ page.

There is no official test you have to pass to become a humanist. However, we have developed this handy quiz to help people better understand if you have the same values as a humanist. Take the Quiz Now!

You can also read more about our values or Join Us today.

This question has been an ongoing topic of debate within humanist circles for years! It usually comes down to what one defines as "spiritual". We certainly don't want to deny the existence and importance of human feelings of awe and wonder, love and compassion, and a search for meaning in our lives. And it's becoming normal (and acceptable to some but not all humanists) to call those feelings and experiences "spiritual".

But "supernatural" is a different matter, and involves belief in an invisible world that contains beings and forces like gods, devils, ghosts, witches, etc (which are also called "spiritual" in some places and times). It also covers supposed phenomena such as astrology and numerology as well as an "afterlife" or similar that lies outside of the physical universe. Those ideas are exactly what humanism was established to counter or supersede, because they are seen as false and ultimately harmful (even though they may be comforting in certain situations). So unshakeable faith in a supernatural world would indeed be a barrier to being fully humanist.

If we can't explain something scientifically it's valid to accept that "we don't know", but to claim that it's therefore "supernatural" is problematic, and can allow everyone to make up their own (convenient) supernatural explanation including their own version of how to respond, all without any evidence at all. There are, of course, a few grey areas where it's possible that science hasn't yet caught up. In those areas humanists may have differing opinions about likely explanations and should be willing to explore them scientifically from either perspective.

You can find more information and resources on our ‘What is Humanism?’ page.

We are a national organisation dedicated to helping people live good, meaningful lives through humanism. We advocate for positive social change, and we provide authentic, heartfelt humanist ceremonies to mark life’s big milestones.

We are a national organisation dedicated to helping people live ethical and meaningful lives through humanism. Humanism is a worldview for non-religious people who want to live an ethical life. Through our ceremonies, educational resources and awareness-raising, we help non-religious people discover humanism and humanist values so that they can live an ethical life, full of meaning and fulfilment.

Through our campaigns work, we advocate for positive social change. We advocate for rational, evidence-based policies that reduce societal inequalities, advance secularism, advance human rights and improve quality of life.

We help people mark life’s big milestones by providing authentic, heartfelt humanist ceremonies. Delivered by experienced humanist celebrants, we offer meaningful marriage and commitment ceremonies, baby namings, end of life and funeral ceremonies, and ceremonies for other life events. Humanist ceremonies are underpinned by the values and traditions of humanism, but each ceremony is different and honour each individual as they are.

Humanists Australia aims to grow its work across Australia. Our long-term objectives are:

▪️ True separation of Church and State

▪️ Secular wellbeing services in defence, hospitals, schools and prisons to ensure equal provision of pastoral care for the non-religious

▪️ Excellent access to community help and support for the non-religious

▪️ Guidance and support on how to live well and mark life stages as a humanist

Support Humanists Australia today. Show your support and help us grow our important work. Join Us or Donate today

Our Values are built on nine pillars, which are:

Compassion

Community

Reason

Diversity

Resolve

Integrity

Culture

Environment

Forgiveness

Read more about what these mean in Our Values. Or take the Are you a Humanist? quiz today

We launched in December 2020

We are a growing non-profit organisation and we’re the only national membership organisation for humanism in Australia. We represent people with humanist beliefs.

The Religiosity in Australia report found that, on a range of factors that contribute to a sense of personal identity, Australians put religious beliefs well behind in last place. Seven in ten Australians (71%) say that religion is not personally important, including around half of Catholics (49%) and non-Christian denominations (48%), nearly two thirds (64%) of Anglicans, and around one in four of minor Christian denominations (39%).

Most weddings (80%) are now conducted by civil celebrants, not ministers of religion, and most Australians now say they would not choose a religious minister to officiate their funeral.

The number of Australians who expressly do not believe in a specific deity or even a generic “higher power” continues to increase, making up 40% of the population in 2018. Overall, just one in five Australians feels certain that God, heaven, hell, religious miracles, and life after death are real.

Humanist celebrants have been conducting ceremonies and celebrating with people for many years, worldwide. We help people mark life’s big milestones by providing authentic, heartfelt humanist ceremonies. Delivered by experienced humanist celebrants, we offer meaningful marriage and commitment ceremonies, baby namings, end of life and funeral ceremonies, and ceremonies for other life events. Humanist ceremonies are underpinned by the values and traditions of humanism, but each ceremony is different and honour each individual as they are.

Find out more about our ceremonies.

Here in Australia we have many fine experienced humanist celebrants. Contact us to find a celebrant or find out more about becoming an accredited Humanist Australia celebrant.

Find out more about our ceremonies.

Support Humanists Australia today. Show your support and help us grow our important work. Join Us, Donate, or Volunteer today.

You can! Monthly or annual recurring payments are extremely helpful for us as they reduce administration and help us to plan for the future. If you prefer to make a one-off payment and renew each year you can do so by making a donation and noting that you would like to use your donation to pay for membership. You can make a donation at any time here.

We also love to welcome new life members which enables you to support us with a one off payment. Life members are listed as a supporter on our website. You can find out more about Life Membership here.

Complete this form. A member of Team HA will contact you to help cancel your recurring membership subscription, if you have one.

There are humanist state societies in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. The ACT has an active humanist community — Canberra Humanists. Individual humanists in these areas can join and take part in activities in their local society or community. Humanists Australia is a stand-alone organisation and is the only organisation that any Australian Humanist can join — anywhere in Australia — to signify their support for humanist beliefs and values. The Council for Australian Humanist Societies is an umbrella organisation for affiliated state societies and is only able to accept organisational members.

Humanists Australia is a Registered Charity structured as a Company Limited by Guarantee.

Non-profit organisations are often Companies Limited by Guarantee because this structure is particularly suited for conducting non-profit activities. Because they cannot pay dividends or issue shares, no person can acquire a controlling interest or profit from a share sale. Each member of the company has a single vote.

Incorporated Associations are intended to operate only in the State or Territory of incorporation. To operate nationally, an Incorporated Association would need to become an ASIC registered body. That would mean complying with two sets of legislation, so would involve significantly more overheads than being a Company Limited by Guarantee.