With news that the tickets to the final day of the Global Atheist Conference will soon be sold out, I thought it pertinent to try and stir up discussion on what Australian Atheists believe they should be doing in the lead up to and the aftermath of, the conference.
I tweeted that great oracle, the twitter-verse and have compiled and modified some suggestions in a poll below. If I have missed anything vitally important please feel free to select the option other and explain in the comments.
I have set the poll to enable you three votes (they can’t be stacked on the same option). So pick what you think are the three most important issues for Australian Atheists.
International visitors, feel free to comment in the comments section.
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I voted for the three options that address directly the harms caused by religion: get religious influence out of state activities. These are where we can have the most impact, I believe, because we have numerous allies even among the religious.
Secular issues, and issues of state/church separation, are easily appreciated by religious people. Those who have known the prejudice of being in a minority w.r.t. their religious belief will have their own (good) reasons for wanting state/church separation. We don't even need to make atheism a particular focus when arguing for these changes, which should make it an easier alliance to foster.
These are also the issues I find most pressing, since they are the more direct harms done on a continuous basis in Australian society. So even without religious organisations as allies, I think these issues are the ones to address immediately.
If there were an option to press for removing tax exemptions for religious organisations, I would have chosen that.
There has been a suggestion for some Atheists that as Australian Atheists we should be obliged to do nothing under the banner of Atheism as all Atheism encapsulates is an absence of belief in god(s).
Comments?
atheists need to point out what harm religion causes.
highlighting how much religion costs, in dollar terms, to the average person is IMHO of significant importance.
my "other" vote was for the obligatory "pzmyers" option.
I'm not voting. I'm not Australian. I'm American and we have our own crazy religious shit to fight.
But you could offer an opinion
Ok done. I voted for the Cleanfeed. Censorship is always a slippery slope into oppression.
All three levels of governments should cease all tax and rates exemptions for churches, religious charities, faith-based schools and etc.
I have no problem with comparative religious studies being taught in State schools. Provided critical thinking / logic are compulsory subjects. Then who in their right mind would fall for the indoctrination?
Tried to select pretty much all of them but it only allowed three. Doh.
I was concerned that the cleanfeed option might skew everything. I wanted to give you a little freedom to select are range of important issues.
I ticked Other as an option: Push for removal of religion-based exemptions and perks from tax, anti-discrimination and other laws.
Yes that point is a massive over site on my part, hould have been in the original poll
oversight even
PZ Myers!!!
We should be doing PZ Myers?
No wait I get it
Sean, there have been a lot of GOOD suggestions so far, and you don't need me to add to them.
So let me canvas some novel suggestions:
1. Adopt / borrow / copy / devise our own / etc philosophical "educative function(s)" – as exemplified at the website "The Philosophers Magazine", which allows users to examine how rational & consistent their own views are, before joining in the (necessarily) complicated discussions that erupt when discussing theology and / or theogeny (let alone all the OTHER topics).
2. Perhaps have a thread in the AFA forum that permits membership to the thread only to ppl who have attained a high enough score in the previous test at TPM.
This is not really being "elitist".
But there is an awful lot of time wasted going over & over elementary philosophy in many fora.
I rather think that Jeremy STANGROOM (a chief wallah at TPM) would be assist in this kind of initiative.
Perhaps it could be made compulsory that all members have read, and passed an exam based upon, the books:
1. <Philosophy – Key Themes>, Julian BAGGINI, Palgrave-Macmillan, NY, 2002;
2. <What Philosophers Think>, Julina BAGGINI & Jeremy STANGROOM, Continuum, NY, 2003;
3. <The Philosopher's Toolkit>, BAGGINI and Peter FOSL, Blackwell, Australia, 2002.
4. <Making Sense – Philosophy behind the Headlines>, Oxford, UK, 2003;
Not the only books to choose, but a starter !
Nah, not really elitism.
Just trying to cancel the enormous amount of shit that is repetively wasted over discussions we like.
And yeah, I would have to do quite a bit of exam cramming to pass such an exam.
Regards to all,
'im.
Ozogg,
Just took the consistency test on the site. It looks like a good resource. The discussions were very heavy (to be expected) but worthwhile for brain training purposes.
i think atheists should focus and promote more sex and free love. It's what makes the world go round.
Sounds like a great idea. lol