Jim Al-Khalili: "Indoctrination from any perspective, in any
point of view, has to be wrong"  The new president of the
British Humanist Association explains his views on the "broad
church".  Jim Al-Khalili. Sketch: Dan Murrell/New Statesman Jim
Al-Khalili. Sketch: Dan Murrell/New Statesman  You’ve just been
appointed president of the British Humanist Association. What
defines your idea of humanism?  A humanist is someone who
doesn’t believe in the need for a supernatural being to tell us
how to lead our lives. But humanism is a very broad “church”. I
don’t feel I need to “put right” people who have religious
faith.  For instance, my mother is a very devout Christian. I
would never think it worthwhile or morally right to tell her
what she believes is wrong, maybe because I know she’s not going
to say, “Oh, yes, of course there’s no God. How could I have
been so stupid all this time?”  For me, humanism is about making
sure that we live in a secular society in which you are free to
believe but that doesn’t impin