View source for Norwegian Humanist Association

{{Short description|Organization}}
{{Infobox organization
| name                     = Norwegian Humanist Association
| native_name              = Human-Etisk Forbund
| native_name_lang         = no
| logo                     = HEF logo.png
| abbreviation             = HEF
| caption                  = 
| formation                = {{Start date and age|1956|04|09|df=y}}
| founder                  = 
| leader_title             = President
| leader_name              = [[Christian Lomsdalen]]
| membership               = 150,000 (2024)<ref name=membership>{{cite web|url=https://www.nrk.no/nyheter/human-etisk-med-sterk-medlemsvekst-1.16839865|title= Human-Etisk Forbund med sterk medlemsvekst|work=NRK.no|language=nb|date=2024-04-11}}</ref>
| region_served            = mainly [[Norway]]
| website                  = {{url|human.no}}
}}
{{Humanism}}
The '''Norwegian Humanist Association''' ({{langx|no|Human-Etisk Forbund}}; '''HEF''') is one of the largest [[secular humanism|secular humanist]] associations in the world,{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}} with over 130,000 members.<ref name=membership /> Those members constitute 2.3% of the national population of 5.47 million,<ref name="Population">{{cite web|url=https://www.ssb.no/en/befolkning/statistikker/folkemengde|title=Population|work=Statistics Norway|access-date=2022-12-22}}</ref> making HEF by far the largest such association in the world in proportion to population. The association publishes the magazine ''[[Fri tanke]]'' (Free Thought).

==History and activities==

Founded in 1956, the HEF is a member of the [[Humanists International]] (HI). The Norwegian Humanist Association is an organisation for people who base their ethics on human, not religious values. Most of its members are agnostics or atheists. HEF supports the following statement of the IHEU:

:Humanism is a democratic, non-theistic and ethical life stance which affirms that human beings have the right and responsibility to give meaning and shape to their lives and therefore reject supernatural views of reality.

Former HEF secretary general, [[Levi Fragell]], was president of the IHEU (1988–2003) and later Chair of IHEU's Committee for Growth and Development.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iheu.org/node/1230 |access-date=December 27, 2006|title=Mr. Levi Fragell |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061003183246/http://www.iheu.org/node/1230 |archive-date=October 3, 2006 }}</ref> Since September 2021, Christian Lomsdalen is [[Chairperson|chairman of the Board]] of the organization.

According to its bylaws, the organization works to ensure access to humanist ceremonies and spreading knowledge of humanism. The organization previously also worked for a [[separation of church and state]] (the [[Lutheranism|Evangelical-Lutheran]] [[Church of Norway]] was the [[state church]] of Norway until 2012).<ref>Finngeir Hiorth (1997): [http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/finngeir_hiorth/norway.html Church and State in Norway]</ref> A [[Secular coming-of-age ceremony#Norway|civil confirmation]] organized by HEF has gained popularity among the Norwegian young during recent years. About 19 percent of Norwegian 15-year-olds were in 2018 taking part in HEF's civil or humanist confirmation, whereas 56% took part in the ceremonies of "state church", with the ceremonies of HEF increasing in popularity while the opposite happens to the church ceremonies.<ref name="GrowHumConf">{{cite web |title=Kirkekonfirmasjon synker i popularitet |url=https://www.ssb.no/kultur-og-fritid/artikler-og-publikasjoner/kirkekonfirmasjon-synker-i-popularitet |website=Statistics Norway |access-date=19 March 2022 |language=nb |date=16 May 2019}}</ref> Locally the percentage of humanist youth ceremonies have been significantly higher and also significantly lower in the churches.<ref>{{cite web |title=Høy andel humanistiske konfirmanter |url=https://www.nrk.no/vestfoldogtelemark/humanistisk-konfirmasjon-populaert-1.10998953 |website=Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=19 March 2022 |language=nb |date=24 April 2013}}</ref>

On July 9, 2006, a prominent member of the Norwegian Humanist Association, [[Jens Brun-Pedersen]], called for prime minister [[Jens Stoltenberg]] to advocate the separation of church and state. He argued that the second article of the [[constitution of Norway]] which defines the "Evangelical-Lutheran Religion" as "the [[State religion|official religion]] of the State" and the 12th article of the constitution which requires half of the [[Minister (government)|ministers]] of the [[Cabinet (government)|cabinet]] to be members of the state church is [[Discrimination|discriminatory]], and that Norway cannot criticise countries advocating [[sharia]] law when the constitution favours Lutheran members of society.<ref>''Visionary or missionary?'' - Jens Brun-Pedersen, [[Dagbladet]] July 9, 2006</ref>

The Norwegian Humanist Association hosted the 18th [[World Humanist Congress]] of the IHEU. The Congress was held at the Oslo Congress Center in Oslo, Norway, on the 12–14 August 2011. The theme was Humanism and Peace. HEF also hosted the 3rd in 1962 and the 9th in 1986.

Although raising public awareness of scepticism is not a primary goal of the Norwegian Humanist Association, an online campaign was organized in 2011 called {{Lang|no|Ingen liker å bli lurt}} (No one likes to be fooled),<ref>{{cite web |title=Begynner du a fa nok? |url=http://ingenlikerablilurt.no |website=Ingen Lider A Bli Lurt |access-date=25 July 2018|language=no}}</ref> which led to media debate of the issues.  The campaign was kicked off by three appearances in Norway by [[James Randi]], a Canadian-American retired stage magician and a scientific skeptic who has extensively challenged paranormal and pseudo scientific claims.

A [[youth wing]] of the HEF, Norwegian Humanist Youth ({{Lang|no|Humanistisk Ungdom}}), was founded in August 2007. The current president of the board is Sina Inngjerdingen.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bergh |first=Kirsti |date=2021-05-27 |title=Sina blir ny leder i Humanistisk Ungdom: Vil styrke organisasjonen etter korona |url=https://fritanke.no/vil-styrke-organisasjonen-etter-korona/19.11494 |access-date=2022-12-22 |website=Fri tanke - nettavis for livssyn og livssynspolitikk |language=no}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Norwegian Heathen Society]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website}}
* [https://fritanke.no/ Member magazine - Fri tanke]
* [https://humanistiskungdom.no/ Norwegian Humanist Youth]

{{European Humanist Federation}}
{{Skeptic organizations}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Humanist associations|Norway]]
[[Category:Secularist organizations]]
[[Category:Secularism in Norway]]
[[Category:Church–state separation advocacy organizations]]
[[Category:Skeptic organisations in Norway]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1956]]
[[Category:1956 establishments in Norway]]
[[Category:European Humanist Federation]]
[[Category:Secular humanism]]