Sometimes, what you really need is a map.
Life is like a maze.
We all have to make decisions about which way to go
and we can sometimes feel a bit lost.
Religious people have their holy books and leaders to support and guide them.
Almost like a map,
which gives them a path to follow throughout their lives.
But what if you don’t believe in God?
How do you know which direction to take?
How do you know right from wrong?
Most people on earth believe in a god
that created us and guides us through life.
People who don't believe in God are called "atheists",
and they look to science alone to explain how the world was made,
and look to each other for guidance.
Religious people often meet together to pray and learn more about God.
But I've come to Brighton to visit a church with a difference.
It's where an event called The Sunday Assembly is held.
It is for non-religious people.
It's a group of people who get together on a Sunday morning.
It's not related to being of a specific religious denomination.
It's just about getting together to hear an interesting talk,
sing and generally meet people.
We're inside one of the country's largest atheist congregations.
It looks like a Christian service,
but instead of worshipping God, they're celebrating humanity and community.
In the service, there is singing, times of quiet reflection,
and a short talk about life, philosophy or science given by a member of the congregation.
Before I heard about the Sunday Assembly,
I was one of those people who liked going to church when I was younger,
I liked the feeling of congregating and being amongst friendly people,
I enjoy having a bit of a sing-along and I enjoy the tea and cake afterwards.
I thought about going to my local church,
but not believing in God, it doesn’t feel comfortable
for me to sing hymns or to say the words of a prayer.
I liked all of the other aspects.
There are good talks, and good moral issues come in,
so there are themes that are pursued.
Last month, for instance, I've been talking about ever since.
People come along and add their ha'porth,
like the local vicar or local bishop would come and add something to it,
it's great to be able to quote your local scientist or local philosopher.
I am an atheist.
Atheism is a faith.
You have to believe that there is no god.
People make moral decisions by talking to each other in groups,
by looking out there to see what's happened before, by looking at precedent,
by looking at what happens in other places,
and after a lot of discussion and getting together, they come up with a conclusion.
But not everyone who comes here is an atheist...
No, definitely not an atheist. I'd say the closest term for me is an "agnostic".
I don't know, and don't believe I ever will know.
My personal belief is that everyone intrinsically knows what is good and bad.
Even people who do bad things, they know they’re bad.
They make them feel bad when they do them.
So the people at the Sunday Assembly might not be sure about God or religion,
but they do believe in the power of human beings to look after each other
and make the world a happier place.
But when it comes to the big decisions, how do they know what is right and wrong?
I'm off to London, to the British Humanist Association,
to speak to Sara Passmore to find out more.
A Humanist is someone who is non-religious,
who wishes to lead an ethical and fulfilling life for humanity.
A Humanist believes that there is not necessarily one right or wrong answer to things,
but that our understanding of right and wrong can develop over time, with new information.
The question about whether a Humanist thinks there is a "right" and "wrong" is a difficult one.
In a situation like stealing a chocolate bar in a shop,
why wouldn’t a Humanist steal a chocolate bar in a shop?
The bigger question really is...
for some people the rule is we don't steal
because we've been told this by an authority figure,
it's in a holy book or commandment.
Humanists don't have those rules.
We have to make these rules up as we go along.
We believe these are shared human values
and if we want to live in a good community,
then there are certain actions that we wouldn't take.
Some Humanists might talk about the "Greatest Happiness Principle" -
the greatest good for the greatest number.
Others may think it's limiting and it leaves a lot of people out.
It's not necessarily the best way to live a life, but it's certainly one principle to be considered.
The best thing for me about being a Humanist
is being able to define myself by having a good and positive world view.
Rather than being an atheist, where I just don't believe in a god,
I have a set of beliefs and values that reflect how I want to live my life and what I hope for it.
Some people might rely on a text or a particular person to find guidance.
Humanists will not limit themselves to one particular place.
We might find inspiration through meaningful works of art,
through literature, music and we might have particular people we rely on to give us guidance.
But not necessarily one source.
There's not necessarily one right or wrong answer,
there may be many different answers to how we live our lives.
One of the criticisms of Humanism is that we can live life in isolation,
not being part of a community.
The rise of these assemblies shows that humans want to gather together
and they want to discuss these ethical things
with a group of people who share the same values and outlook on life.
What do you think?
Do we need God to guide us through the maze, or can we find our own way?