Barbara Smoker

Barbara Smoker (born 1923) is a British humanist activist and freethought advocate. She is also former President of the National Secular Society (1971-1996), former Chair of the British Voluntary Euthanasia Society (1981-1985) and current Honorary Vice President of the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association in the United Kingdom. 1923 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Humanism is a system of thought that defines a socio-political doctrine (-ism) whose bounds exceed those of locally developed cultures, to include all of humanity and all issues common to human beings. ... Activism, in a general sense, can be described as involvement in action to bring about change, be it social, political, environmental, or other change. ... Freethought is a characteristic of individuals whose opinions are formed on the basis of an understanding and rejection of tradition, authority or established belief. ... The National Secular Society is an organisation of the United Kingdom which promotes secularism. ...

Biography

Barbara Smoker was born in London in 1923 into a Roman Catholic family. On 15 August 1945, while serving in the Women's Royal Navy, she sent out her own signal which was repeated throughout Southeast Asia, in an attempt to prevent unnecessary deaths due to ships at sea not knowing the War against Japan was over. It was during her time at the service that she became an atheist. Greater London and the Regions of England. ... 1923 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... August 15 is the 227th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (228th in leap years), with 138 days remaining. ... 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the senior service of the armed services, being the oldest of its three branches. ... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... Atheism is the state either of being without theistic beliefs, or of actively disbelieving in the existence of deities. ...

In 1949 Smoker joined the secular humanist movement, and eventually became President of the National Secular Society for the period (1971-1996). In that capacity, she represented the atheist viewpoint in print, on lecture platforms, speaking tours, on radio and television. She officiated at non-religious funerals, wedding ceremonies, gay and lesbian commitments and baby namings. She became active in various social campaigns, such as the abolition of the death penalty, nuclear disarmament, legalization of abortion and voluntary euthanasia. 1949 is a common year starting on Saturday. ... Secular humanism is an ideology that views rationality as paramount to the practical advancement of humanist principles, while viewing religion as irrational, and therefore not suited for the humanist view of an ethical life. ... The National Secular Society is an organisation of the United Kingdom which promotes secularism. ... Abolition is the act of formally destroying something through legal means, either by making it illegal, or simply no longer allowing it to exist in any form. ... Death Penalty World Map Color Key: Blue: Abolished for all crimes Green: Abolished for crimes not committed in exceptional circumstances (such as crimes committed in time of war) Orange: Abolitionist in Practice Red: Legal Form of Punishment Capital punishment, also referred to as the death penalty, is the judicially ordered... Nuclear Disarmament is the proposed recall and dismantling of nuclear weapons, particularly those the US and USSR targeted on each other. ... Legalization is the process of removing a legal prohibition against something which is currently illegal. ... Euthanasia (Greek, good death) is the practice of killing a person or animal, in a painless or minimally painful way, for merciful reasons, usually to end their suffering. ...

She is considered one of the most powerful advocates of the freethought movement in Britain. Freethought is a characteristic of individuals whose opinions are formed on the basis of an understanding and rejection of tradition, authority or established belief. ...

References

• Biography based on an entry in Rationalist International (http://www.rationalistinternational.net/)

External Links

• National Secular Society (http://www.secularism.org.uk/)
• Voluntary Euthanasia Society (UK) (http://www.ves.org.uk/)
• Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (UK) (http://www.galha.org/)
• The Royal Navy (http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/)