Donate Now

Religion vs Welfare in a Scottish Court, c.1956

In 1956 the Scottish Daily Mail and Edinburgh Daily Dispatch ran a story about a ‘confirmed’ atheist who was appealing for custody of his daughter. After some discussion regarding the child’s access to religious instruction, custody was finally awarded to the father. However, the judge warned that:

“Since the paramount consideration in custody cases is the welfare of the child, it would be almost impossible for a court in Scotland to award the custody to an atheist with the prospect of the child being brought up without the solace and guidance of any religious teaching at all”

It was against this social back drop that the Ethical Union and Rationalist Press Association began legal discussions which would lead to the creation of the British Humanist Association.

Image © British Humanist Association

Bishopsgate Institute Reference: BHA/1/8/22


Read more about how we use Cookies in our Privacy Policy.

×

We need your help!

We host talks, concerts, performances, community and social events. However, we are an independent charity and receive no funding from the government. Everything we do is dependent upon our commercial activity and the generosity of supporters like you.

Donate Now