"Some of Humanism's closest cousins can be found amongst liberal Christians - comments from a one who has been both".

Lancashire Secular Humanists member Mike Quinton was a minister of religion from 1956 to 1974, having left architectural school mid-course for a theological training.  

Reared and trained a Baptist he transferred in 1958 to the Presbyterian Church of England. 

Having grown up in a strongly liberal Christian environment he became increasingly aware that he was expected to subscribe to ideas about "God" which he increasingly found intellectually untenable.

In 1974 he left the Church and found work in the NHS as an administrator of Community Health Councils in Bristol and finally Lancaster.

In 2004 Mike started within the Liberal Democrat Party the first Humanist group within any of the main UK political parties, an initiative which has proved a considerable success, now followed within the Labour Party and, rumour has it, even amongst the Conservatives.

Mike believes that there is a strong strand of liberal humanism within the British church membership, including some of the clergy, allied to a fairly loose hold on any theological convictions. 

Moreover that there are many reasons for church membership which have very little to do with "belief" but a lot to do with "liberal" values  which can be found, selectively, within the Judaeo-Christian traditions.  Therefore it would make sense to see what we can learn from those elements in the churches and perhaps see that strand of churchgoers as potential allies and maybe eventually signed-up humanists.  

As with all LSH meetings this is an open meeting.
It is on Wednesday 21^st May (7:30 - to meet/greet/eat (etc) - For an 8pm start).
LSH members £2 - Non-members £3 [Refreshments tea/Coffee & 'really good' biscuits included].