▁of ▁Human ists ▁UK ▁and ▁an ▁Honor ary ▁Associ ate ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁Sec ular ▁Society . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁he ▁was ▁given ▁a ▁services ▁to ▁Human ism ▁award ▁by ▁the ▁British ▁Human ist ▁Association ▁for ▁his ▁contribution ▁as ▁a ▁long standing ▁supp orter . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 5 ▁September ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁P ull man , ▁along ▁with ▁ 5 4 ▁other ▁public ▁figures ▁( including ▁Stephen ▁F ry , ▁Professor ▁Richard ▁Daw kins , ▁Terry ▁Pr atch ett , ▁Jonathan ▁Miller ▁and ▁Ken ▁Fol lett ), ▁signed ▁an ▁open ▁letter ▁published ▁in ▁The ▁Guardian ▁stating ▁their ▁opposition ▁to ▁Pope ▁Bened ict ▁XVI ▁being ▁given ▁" the ▁honour ▁of ▁a ▁state ▁visit " ▁to ▁the ▁UK ; ▁the ▁letter ▁argued ▁that ▁the ▁Pope ▁had ▁led ▁and ▁cond oned ▁global ▁ab uses ▁of ▁human ▁rights , ▁leading ▁a ▁state ▁which ▁has ▁" res isted ▁signing ▁many ▁major ▁human ▁rights ▁treat ies ▁and ▁has ▁formed ▁its ▁own ▁treat ies ▁(" con cord ats ") ▁with ▁many ▁states ▁which ▁neg atively ▁affect ▁the ▁human ▁rights ▁of ▁citizens ▁of ▁those ▁states ". ▁ ▁New ▁York er ▁journalist ▁Laura ▁Miller ▁described ▁P ull man ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁England ' s ▁most ▁out sp oken ▁at he ists . ▁He ▁has ▁character ised ▁at he ist ▁total itar ian ▁reg imes ▁as ▁relig ions . ▁ ▁Alan ▁Jacob s ▁( of ▁Whe aton ▁College ) ▁said ▁that ▁in ▁His ▁Dark ▁Material s ▁P ull man ▁replaced ▁the ▁the ist ▁world -