The Rise of Atheism – Global Atheist Convention

[phobos (John)]

Hi all, just a heads up that there will be a Global Atheist Convention held in Melbourne next year. It's a three day event and we have some fantastic presenters lined up including Richard Dawkins, PZ Myers, Dan Barker and Peter Singer.

http://www.atheistconvention.org.au

Interest is very high and tickets are selling fast.

Official media release here.

[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

Darnit - no Sydney event. Dawkins as a very interesting fellow.

[Saturnine (Jeff)]

Thanks for the heads up, Dawkins, Singer et al are some of the great thinkers of our time and it would be an experience to attend the convention, long live rationality and reason .

Jeff

ps Saw Singers interview on the ABC a few Sunday nights back and would love to hear more.

[Darth Wader (Wade)]

Originally Posted by Omaroo

Darnit - no Sydney event.

Took the words right out of my mouth... a shame really as this really does look like an interesting event.

[JimmyH155]

I won't be in Melbourne that week - thank God

[astronut (John)]

I don't believe in Atheists

[Miaplacidus (Brian)]

Enough already. Just give them a homeland in Palestine. That should keep the neighbours happy.

[Robh (Rob)]

An atheist convention. Don't bother. God exists!

However, it is a democratic society so atheists can meet and air their beliefs just like any other group.

Regards, Rob

[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

Originally Posted by Robh

An atheist convention. Don't bother. God exists!

However, it is a democratic society so atheists can meet and air their beliefs just like any other group.

Regards, Rob

Thanks for your permission Rob. LOL!

[Waxing_Gibbous (Peter)]

Personally, I'm with the God squad. I believe in creation, salvation etc etc. But only a half-wit would deny the evidence for evolution. And only half a half-wit would believe the Earth is 6000 years old.
I see no problem with a creator that sort of sets the rules and gets the ball rolling (makes as much sense as a "Quantum Fluctuation") and just gives it a nudge here and there. But ultimately we'll never know until its over.

Like Dawkins I have a strong aversion to organised religion. To me, the first priest was the first rogue who met the first fool, but Dawkins rather slavering attacks on beliefs smack of a Hezbollah-like attitude that leads down an equally bad road. Hyper-rationality has as many pitfalls religious zealotry.
My 2 cents.

[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

A nicely rounded post Peter.

[barx1963 (Malcolm)]

[QUOTE=Waxing_Gibbous;501439]I see no problem with a creator that sort of sets the rules and gets the ball rolling (makes as much sense as a "Quantum Fluctuation") and just gives it a nudge here and there. But ultimately we'll never know until its over.

Sounds easy doesn't it? The problem with a God that just "sets the rules and gets the ball rolling" is that such a God has to be unbelieveably complex in the first place to be capable of being able to do such a thing and religion, whether organised or not, is incapable of answering the question of where did this God come from? To use a God as a creator simply puts off the questions of how or by whom was God created and so answers nothing.
Personally I prefer people who believe in the full on God rather than this rather wimpy version, if you are going to believe in fairy stories, at least believe in interesting ones!
Lastly, "hyper-rationality" is an interesting term. Rationality is attempting to understand events based on evidence, and refusing to invoke "unknowables" based on simple faith to explain away difficulties. As such you cannot be hyper rational, you are either rational or you are not. I cannot accept science can explain 99.9% of the universe and reserve the rest to God and still call myself a rationalist. Remembering of course that a rationalist should never say that science explains everything, only that everything is open to scientific rational enquiry. There may be some things that we cannot hope to explain, it doesn't mean we shouldn't try or worse, simply invoke "faith" and a God to avoid the question.
My 2 cents worth!

[GrahamL]

This'll end in tears like all the other threads .

whatever your beliefs are may they keep you happy .
That dark night sky has it all , where we are , have been ,and are going
so make of it what you will , nothing wrong with differant takes on the same plan

just enjoy the ride and leave chest thumping at the door guys imo

[PeterM]

Originally Posted by nightstalker

This'll end in tears like all the other threads .

Had to have a chuckle at this quote.

Nightstalker, you have foreseen and phrophesised something that will indeed happen and probably soon.
I wonder if the building will survive the lightning strike and tidal wave?
PeterM.

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

I thought it would be locked by 8pm.
Religion... Atheism....
What ever get's you through the night.

[Fossil (Jonathan)]

I find religion to be the highest form of hypocrisy. They all go around preaching love, peace, goodwill, tolerance etc. and then go to war to kill anyone who doesn't believe them or their version.
Why should Man, to the exclusion of all other forms of life, and in all the vastness of the universe, be the only ones to have a 'God'?
Religions are continually being proved wrong in their beliefs, and are continually scrambling to align their beliefs with fact; i.e. when it was proven that the Earth is not the centre of the universe, when it was proven that the Earth is not flat, when it was proven that the Sun does not revolve around the Earth, etc.
Religion is a crutch for the feeble-minded to explain everything they don't understand. It is too easy to give God credit for anything that is not fully understood, rather than just admit that it is not yet understood.
When the time arrives for me to turn up my toes, I will do it with the belief that there is no heaven or hell, no afterlife or re-incarnation, no God or Devil, or any of the other fairy tales used by religious leaders to try and control us. We don't have a soul or spirit or any of that nonsense, and when the lights go out that is it, the end, finished.
My wish is for my carcass to be disposed of in the most environmentally friendly way possible (maybe even something useful like being turned into fertiliser) as monuments and graveyards are an obscene waste of space and just another leftover from a superstitious past.
Life is not a rehearsal, and we only get one crack at it, make the most of it
so that when your time comes you can go knowing that you did your best and spent your life chasing science fact and not science fiction.

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

Regardless of belief systems lets keep it polite, civil and respectful of others beliefs.

This far from being locked.

[FredSnerd (Claude)]

Most liberating experience I ever had was the day I decided I didn’t believe in God anymore. That was many many years ago now and I haven’t looked back. I recommend it to anyone

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

Onwards and upwards hey Claude?

[Rhino1980 (Ryan)]

I wouldn't say I'm a Nihlist or an Aethiest. I beleive in a grand design, but also believe religions and churches are as corrupt as governments and oil companies.

One of my favourite songs:

I have no consideration
Zero mutual respect
For billions who suffer from rational thought neglect
I don’t wanna waste a sentence
I don’t want a conversation
That’s gonna end in disdain disbelief and aggravation

And I find it’s getting harder to hang out
With grown adults who actually believe
In Santa Clause and Noah’s Ark, and Their god is the best
My distaste has turned into detest

Who would read a 2000-year-old medical journal?
Techniques for blood-letting
Advice on trichinosis
Would you navigate the globe
With a map of a flat Earth?
Without DNA testing would you believe virgin birth?

And I find it’s getting painful to put up
With grown adults who actually believe
In unicorns and creation and god always takes their side
That’s when my innocent jabbing turns snide

Thank god for the Grammy
Thank god for the touchdown
Thank god for blowing up the enemy’s sacred ground
So how am I supposed to take anything you say seriously
When you swap free will for faith, hope and pre-destiny?

And it’s getting agonizing to hang out
With grown adults who actually believe
Mythology and history trump physics and science
My aversion has turned to aberrance