Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism or other supernatural beliefs, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment. Basically, it’s the idea that we can be good without gods, relying on reason, compassion, and our shared humanity to build a better world.

Meaning Doesn't Require the Supernatural

September 11, 2026

There's a persistent myth that "spiritual care" and "religion" are the same thing — that if you don't believe in a god, you simply don't need the kind of support a chaplain provides.

That's not true, and it never has been.

Humans grieve. We search for purpose. We sit with people in the worst moments of their lives and try to help them make sense of what's happening. We ask big questions — about death, duty, love, and what it means to live a good life — regardless of whether we believe in the supernatural. Non-religious people need spaces to process loss, moral injury, and existential uncertainty just as much as anyone else. The difference is simply how we frame those conversations: through reason, shared humanity, philosophy, and lived experience rather than doctrine.

That's the whole premise behind Humanist chaplaincy — offering the same compassionate, confidential, one-on-one care that religious chaplains provide, but rooted in a non-theistic worldview. It's not a lesser form of support. It's a different door into the same room: a place to be heard, supported, and helped to find meaning, without being asked to adopt beliefs you don't hold.

This matters especially in high-stakes environments like the military, where people face trauma, loss, and moral complexity daily, and where chaplaincy has historically been built almost entirely around religious traditions. Non-religious service members deserve access to that same quality of care, delivered by someone who understands their worldview instead of working around it.

That's why I'm proud to share that on September 8, 2026, in Ottawa, Silvana Morales-Boiardi officially enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces — becoming the third Humanist Canada chaplain to enroll in the military. She joins Capt. Marie-Claire Khadij and Lt. Anne Marie Tapp, and will spend the next two years training through the SEELM program before serving CAF members directly.

As Humanist Canada's president, Martin Frith, put it, this is an important moment — what began with a pioneering few is becoming an established and growing presence within the CAF, with Humanist chaplains bringing a distinct voice to the Royal Canadian Chaplain Service while sharing its fundamental commitment to caring for every member.

Three chaplains may sound small. But it's proof that the door is opening — and that more non-religious Canadians, in and out of uniform, will have somewhere to turn when they need to talk about the things that matter most.

On Empathy, and Reflecting on the World Humanist Congress

September 1, 2026

Last month, hundreds of humanists from around the world came together with a shared vision of a humanity that can do better. Yes, the speakers were all amazing. But the true value of such a gathering is the people — the human connections — that forge partnerships that make us all stronger. And those partnerships are rooted in empathy, for one another, for our fellow humans who inhabit this planet. We care deeply about issues of human rights and democracy because we have empathy for one another. As Fish Stark put it so simply: "Science tells us what is true, empathy tells us what is right."

I recently read an article called "The 3 Types of Empathy and How to Increase Them in Your Relationships," which defines empathy as "the capacity to experience the emotional state of another person" and describes three kinds: cognitive (intellectual understanding), emotional (sharing emotions), and compassionate (seeking to improve someone's situation). As humanists, we need to master all three. Later in the piece, sociologist Sherry Turkle is quoted:

"Empathy is a democracy's job… At the end of empathy, people are not supposed to agree with each other. You're supposed to have listened to each other, and be willing to share a bit of road with another person [and] find a way to make peace so [we] can live in real life with each other in a democratic community."

A Bag of Spilled Pens

On my way home through the Ottawa airport, I was struggling to check in two giant bags that had somehow ended up fuller than when I arrived (it may have had something to do with some leftover bags of Cheezies…). I was rearranging items to avoid extra baggage charges when a giant container of Humanist Canada pens spilled all over the airport floor.

A lovely woman standing behind me in line came to help me pick them up, and we got to chatting. Turns out we had a lot in common. Margo runs an organization in Calgary called InceptionU, whose tagline is "Be meaningful, not mechanical." They celebrate humanity and creativity, and are, essentially, a humanist organization working to resist the narrative that business must put profit before people. Her kind act, rooted in empathy, has led to an ongoing conversation about how humanist values can resonate in business spaces.

The Three Empathies of the Congress

During the World Humanist Congress, we listened with cognitive empathy to understand the issues facing our partners from around the world. We felt emotional empathy as people shared their stories of struggle and discrimination, and of the corrosive effects of authoritarianism and anti-democratic movements taking hold. And now, our task is to embody that third kind — compassionate empathy — in the actions we take moving forward.

That is the kind of empathy my new friend Margo showed me in the airport, as she knelt on the floor to help me retrieve my lost pens. That's what I call on you to show — as Louis O'Reilly, Vice President of Humanist Canada, said, “We need your time, your talent, and your treasure.”

Mattering, Equally and Without Exception

In her opening keynote, Rebecca Goldstein reminded us that all humans "morally matter and exactly to the same degree," and that this mattering doesn't depend on bloodline, creed, or permission from a throne or altar. She argued that every person's right to flourish can be defended on purely secular grounds — through our capacity for self-reflection, and our ability to give and weigh reasons together, binding ourselves to one another in a common pursuit of the good. (Read more from Rebecca Goldstein here.)

This very humanist principle is itself rooted in empathy — that ability to imagine every human's joy and suffering as if it were your own.

That is what I carry home from this Congress: not just ideas, but the felt sense of what it means to share a bit of road with one another. Let's keep walking it together.

Happy Canada Day — And an Invitation to Reflect

July 1, 2026

Happy Canada Day everyone.

I hope you get some sun, some good food, and some time with people you love today.  It’s a wonderful day to step back from our busy routines and appreciate the sheer fortune of living in this vast, stunning landscape we call home.

 But I also want to make the case that Canada Day can be more than fireworks and barbecues. For humanists, it's an unusually good vantage point.

Humanism asks us to value reason, human rights, compassion, and our shared responsibility to one another and to the planet. Those commitments don't take a day off just because the calendar says "holiday." Canada Day is a perfect, necessary moment for honest, constructive reflection on where our nation stands—and where it needs to go.

Humanism puts a premium on evidence over convenient narratives. On Canada Day, that cuts directly against the urge to tell a simple, flattering story about our country's founding. It means choosing honest history over comfortable myth.

Universal human dignity means acknowledging that Canada Day can be a complicated, and often painful, day for Indigenous peoples given the brutal history of colonialism, residential schools, and ongoing systemic inequalities. True progress means moving past performative gestures and actively supporting the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action. Facing our history with intellectual honesty isn't about self-flagellation; it’s about making sure that human rights, clean water, healthcare, and self-determination for Indigenous communities are fully realized. We must hold space for genuine national achievements alongside our historical failures as part of what it actually means to truly know and respect the place we are celebrating.

Canada is a beautifully pluralistic society. But secularism is an ongoing project that requires constant vigilance. We need to look closely at where the lines are blurring: from the public funding of religious school systems in certain provinces and tax exemptions for religious institutions that don't provide public charity, to the creeping use of religious arguments to restrict healthcare access, bodily autonomy, and medical assistance in dying (MAID). Freedom of religion is entirely impossible without freedom from religion in our public institutions. Today is a great day to commit to championing science-based policy and comprehensive education at all levels of government.

We are living through a fractured time. Like many democracies, Canada is facing a rise in political polarization, misinformation, and "post-truth" politics. Humanism relies on the conviction that humans must solve human problems using reason, empathy, and cooperation. We can use today to reflect on how we can foster community, support robust public services like universal healthcare and social safety nets, and commit to civil, evidence-based dialogue with those we disagree with.

At the same time, we should calibrate our gratitude to what is true on the evidence. Canada has got a lot of things right. Our expansions of human rights (including same-sex marriage and disability rights), our healthcare access, and a relatively functional pluralism compared to many places in the world are real achievements worth genuine appreciation.

If we don't ground our ethics in divine command, the weight of getting things right falls on us — on human institutions, reasoned debate, and democratic participation. So today's a fair day to ask yourself: Am I actively engaged in the secular ritual of citizenship? Am I staying informed, voting, and doing the daily work to support a rights-respecting society?

None of this requires uncritical flag-waving, and none of it requires reflexive cynicism either. It just asks for the kind of clear-eyed, values-examined reflection humanism has always called for.

Canada is an ongoing project — an experiment in building a diverse, fair, and compassionate society. Today feels like exactly the right day to think about the role each of us plays in shaping its next chapter.

Summer Solstice

June 19,2026

June 21 is a day of profound alignment, reflection, and celebration across Canada. This Sunday, we mark three incredibly significant occasions: the Summer Solstice, World Humanist Day, and National Indigenous Peoples Day.

The Summer Solstice & World Humanist Day As the Earth’s tilt brings us closest to the sun, marking the longest day of the year, Humanists celebrate the predictable mechanics of our solar system. For over 50 years, Humanist Canada has promoted a lifestyle rooted in compassion, reason, and community. We don't look to the supernatural for meaning or answers—we believe that we have only ourselves to rely on to build a better world. The abundance of solstice light is a beautiful metaphor for curiosity, scientific reality, and our shared responsibility to protect our planet and each other.

National Indigenous Peoples Day June 21 is also a vital opportunity to honor and celebrate the rich cultures, diverse traditions, and enduring resilience of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. As Humanists focused on human responsibility and ethics, this day is a firm reminder to reflect on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action. To build a truly compassionate community, we must remember that we are all Treaty people, deeply interconnected by history and our shared future on this land.

As we welcome the brightest days of the year, let’s celebrate the warmth of summer, the beauty of our environment, and the power of human connection.

The Humanist Forum: Living Your Values Intentionally

June 1, 2026

The other day, one of our dedicated members, Craig Barlow, reached out to share a deeply moving reflection with me. He had been reading an article titled How to Lead a More Intentional Life in 2026, which prompted him to look back on the final days of his late wife, Rhoda.

With his permission, I want to share a piece of what Craig wrote, because it strikes at the very heart of what it means to live a meaningful, humanist life:

“In the last month of my wife's life, I and her son noticed that her personality shone bright. I think it was so because Rhoda to the very end was living intentionally her values and she was becoming a better person as she was dying. I think this is what she was advising me to do when she said 'Live Fully.' To live fully is to live your values intentionally so they become lived virtues that shine. One of my values is to convert Net Worth into Social Worth. I know when I do this I feel good, I shine within when I intentionally do the right thing.”

Rhoda’s final advice—to live fully—is a beautiful distillation of intentional living. As author Audrey Stanton wrote earlier this year, “Intentional living means understanding your fundamental beliefs and values and then actively living your life in line with those values” (2026).

But how do we do that in a world that rarely asks us to pause and reflect?

The Missing Forum for Values

Craig’s reflection got me thinking about a systemic challenge we face in modern society. One of the factors contributing to the fractures and problems our world is facing today is that, as we have moved away from religion as a society, we have lost a consistent public forum where values, morals, and ethics are discussed on a regular basis.

Regardless of whether you believe that religious organizations promote the "correct" values, they historically provided a physical and cultural space for the consideration of how to live your life in a way that aligns with your beliefs. Every week, congregants were asked to contemplate how to be better neighbours, better citizens, and better human beings.

In the absence of that traditional forum, many people are left adrift without a regular opportunity to call to mind what is truly important, and to actively align their actions with those values.

Creating the Secular Space to "Shine"

This is precisely why our work within the secular and humanist movement is so critical. Humanism is not merely the absence of belief in a deity; it is the presence of a commitment to human flourishing. But flourishing doesn't happen on autopilot. It requires intention.

If we no longer look to ancient texts or religious authorities to dictate our morals, we must take up the responsibility of actively cultivating them ourselves. We need communities, conversations, and spaces where we can ask the big questions:

• What are my fundamental values?

• How do my daily actions reflect them?

• How am I converting my resources—whether that is wealth, time, or talent—into social worth?

When we intentionally do the right thing, we experience what Craig described as "shining within." We bridge the gap between abstract values and lived virtues.

Living Fully, Together

Rhoda’s legacy is a powerful reminder that intentional living is a lifelong practice, right up until our very last moments. We don't need a church to live ethically, but we do need to be deliberate about creating spaces in our modern lives to reflect, recalibrate, and support one another in doing good.

Let us commit to being that forum for each other. Let us keep talking about ethics, practicing compassion, and turning our values into action—so that we, too, can live fully and shine bright.

Contact:

Phone: 587.351.5907   Email: Janaleemw@gmail.com    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/janaleemorris

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