When will the Beeb give us a look-in? asks humanist group

A humanist group in England is demanding that the BBC produce programmes about the humanist tradition, which goes back to ancient Greece and Rome.

But, as usual, the Beeb has been “disappointingly noncommittal”, say Coventry and Warwickshire Humanists, saying only that the request has been registered “on our audience log”.

The group’s chairman, George Broadhead (also secretary of this blog owner, the Pink Triangle Trust), commented, “Humanism is the rational, ethical alternative to supernatural beliefs, including deism. It is obvious that people can lead happy, fulfilled lives and show concern for others without such beliefs.

“According to a Mori poll, 36% of British people – equivalent to around 17 million adults – are Humanists in their basic outlook, 62% of Britons believe that ‘human nature by itself gives us an understanding of what is right and wrong’, against only 27% who said ‘people need religious teachings in order to understand what is right and wrong’.

“Moreover, the Office for National Statistics has reported about the same proportion of people saying that they belonged to no religion as saying that they belonged to a Christian denomination, and the British Social Attitudes Survey has reported that 69 per cent of people either did not claim membership of a religion or said that they never attended a religious service.

“Despite this evidence, the BBC spends more than £10 million a year on religious broadcasting – much of it propaganda like Radio 4’s God slot ‘Thought for the Day’ – and nothing on programmes about Humanism.

“Research shows that Britain is one of the most irreligious nations in the world. So, why is the BBC so biased in favour of the so-called faith communities, and when is the large non-faith community going to get a look-in?”

Why, and when, indeed, George?