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Issue Number 32 March — April 2012

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Issue Number 32 March — April 2012 ISSUE NUMBER 32 MARCH — APRIL 2012 Phone: (08) 8835 2269 International: +61 8 8835 2269 Private Mail Bag 6 Email: [email protected] Maitland SA 5573 Web: www.atheistfoundation.org.au ATHEISM: is the acceptance that there is no credible scientific or factually reliable evidence for the existence of a god, gods or the supernatural . Atheist Foundation of Australia Inc is a member of Atheist Alliance International IInn thisthis IIssue…ssue… From the Editor 3 From the Inbox 4 Interview - Beat Magazine 5 Easter Explained by Peter W. Sperlich 7 The Unknown Knowns of Islam by John L. Perkins 11 The Inaugural Christopher Hitchens Memorial Lecture 13 Friday Night Comedy at the GAC 14 Religion and Politics Panel Discussion at the GAC 15 2012 Global Atheist Convention Program 16 Posters and Postcards 18 One Flew Into The Cuckoo’s Nest by Barry Duke 19 Book Review by E. Black 20 The Faithful Must Learn to Respect those who Question their Beliefs by Lawrence M. Krauss 21 Interview - Keith Lowell Jensen: The Atheist Comedian by Richard Silverwood 22 Equivalent Opposites Between Science & Christianity by Bob Irwin 25 Membership Form / Philosophy / Aims 27 PRESIDENT David Nicholls | VICE PRESIDENT Michael Boyd | HON. SECRETARY Karen Joyce | TREASURER Lee Holmes COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT John Amadio | Rebecca Barnes | Eustace Black | Bob Creek | Jac Dittmar | Dean Dowling | Donna Ettrick | Grant Ettrick | Dave Fregon | Janine Gébert | Mark Gilroy | Julian Jordan | Joel Kilgour | Luke Murtagh | Dennis Southam PUBLIC RELATIONS TEAM Jason Ball | Rebecca Barnes | Eustace Black | Michael Boyd | Annie Chant | Sorelle Cook | Jac Dittmar | Mike Downes | Harry Edwards | Lee Holmes | Robert Hunter | Kerry Maloney | Matthew McArthur | Michael McGrath | Luke Murtagh | David Nicholls | Voula Papas | John Perkins | Donovan Sharp | Nigel Sinnott | Tanya Smith | Dennis Southam | David Vaughan | Michelle Wheatley EDITORS The Australian Atheist – Lee Holmes | Co-Editor – Tom Melchiorre | Websites – Grant Ettrick | Dave Fregon | Lee Holmes | Julian Jordan FORUM MODERATORS Protium | The Irreverent Mr Black | Davo | Fearless | Praxis | wolty | atheist_angel | Logic Please PROOF READERS Nigel Sinnott | Tom Melchiorre 276 Keira Street ATHEISTS PROVIDING FOR ATHEISTS WOLLONGONG NSW 2500 AFA Member Anthony Pickham Email: [email protected] Managing Partner of the firm Web: www.ajbca.com.au ‘AJBartlettCachia’ Chartered Accountants can assist with all your Phone: (02) 4226 1000 accountancy, taxation, business and management needs. Fax: (02) 4228 0907 The Australian Atheist 2 MARCH – APRIL 2012 FFromrom thethe EEditorditor B usy? Us? Let me count the ways. Honestly, I can’t even do that because we are too busy! As I am sure you are aware (if not where have you been?) there is now only one month until the 2012 Global Atheist Convention. The planning of an event of this size and with the calibre of speakers is, to put it mildly, a bloody nightmare. Organising people from the other side of the planet to come together on one weekend is a mammoth undertaking and the GAC Committee can be mighty pleased with what in anyone’s opinion is a brilliant line-up of speakers. The next issue of The Australia Atheist will be a special edition on the Convention. It is due out in the middle of May but that will only allow me two weeks to prepare. That isn’t long enough! I hope to have it to your computers and letter boxes by early June. Trust me, it will be worth the wait. Sunday ---Only Balcony Passes Now Available Due to unprecedented demand, the organisers of the 2012 Global Atheist Convention have released single day balcony tickets for Sunday only. “It is our goal to make Atheism and the Convention as accessible to the public as possible, ” David Nicholls, President of the Atheist Foundation, said. “We understand that many young people, especially students, cannot a&ord a threethree----dayday pass. “These people are the future of atheism and attending the Convention will cement in them the ideas of rationalism and the values of the enlightenment for the future benefit of humanity. ” The Australian Atheist 3 MARCH – APRIL 2012 FFromrom thethe IInboxnbox T o whom it may concern, Approaches to suicide and death changed with I am currently researching secular opinions of Christianity. In ancient Greek and Roman times, suicide Euthanasia for a year 12 Religion assignment I am currently was considered a right of a responsible person, and the doing. I am just enquiring about your perspectives on word euthanasia comes from the Greek meaning Euthanasia, and was wondering if I could use your opinion “dignified death”. With Christianity came the belief that within my assignment. only “God” has the power to give and take life. Atheists I can assure you that you will be properly referenced fundamentally disagree with this position. and your opinion will not be put out of context. If you do Also, the medicalisation of death, and the not want to explain, a mere “agree’’ or “disagree” will prolonging of the dying process with sophisticated suffice. technologies, is not always in the patient’s best interests, Thank you very much! but currently this decision is made by the doctor. There Kind regards, is also increasing evidence to support that where a Rene person knows they have access to a peaceful death at a time of their choosing, they are able to lead a life with Hi Rene, quality for longer. This is particularly true of people Thank you for your query about the very with degenerative diseases such as Motor Neurone important issue of Voluntary Euthanasia (VE). It is Disease. Currently, many people with this condition feel important to always include the word “voluntary,” or we compelled to take their lives earlier than they wish to, are in fact talking about murder, no matter how merciful whilst they still have capacity, for if they wait until they it may appear, rather than the act of assisting a person to need help to end their lives their loved ones face the real die at their request. possibility of a lengthy imprisonment. The only thing that unites atheists, Rene, is the The AFA is passionately committed to a secular acceptance that there is no credible evidence for the society, where personal choices should be free of existence of “God”. Therefore, atheists will have a range religious or other ideological control. of views about voluntary euthanasia and end of life Currently, the belief of some religious groups is choices, as do Christians, many of whom support VE. being imposed on everyone. Atheists would never However, the official position of the Atheist presume to tell Christians or others how they should die, Foundation of Australia (AFA) is one of support for VE, and would passionately defend their right to the death both in terms of legislation; and in terms of a belief in they desire (prolonged suffering, with last rights, etc.) the fundamental right of adults of sound mind to make Currently, those opposed to VE get the death they decisions affecting their own body, free of legal and want. Those in favour of it do not. A particular moral medical interference. This includes the right to decide concept of sin should not be the basis of legislation in a when they want to die and the manner in which they secular society. That is unreasonable, undemocratic and die. Currently, the most common way for elderly people indefensible in our view. We can all have a say in how we in Australia to kill themselves is by hanging, a grim and live. We believe everyone is entitled to have a say in how horrible death, but rope is cheap and available. We they die. believe this is a totally unacceptable situation. Hope this is of some help with your assignment. Repeated research indicates that over eighty percent of the Australian population supports VE, which Janine is legal in Belgium, Luxemburg, Switzerland, The Committee Member Netherlands and in the states of Oregon, Washington Atheist Foundation of Australia Inc and Montana in the United States of America. However, extreme opposition from right-wing religious groups has resulted in assisted suicide being illegal in Australia, with prison sentences of up to twelve years; and life sentences in two states. In 2006, the Suicide Related Materials Act made it a crime in Australia for adults to talk openly about end of life issues using the telephone, email, fax or internet. This is a law without parallel anywhere else in the world, and one to which we are strongly opposed. The Australian Atheist 4 MARCH – APRIL 2012 IInterviewnterview Beat Magazine’s Nick Taras talks with David Nicholls about the upcoming Global Atheist Convention. “There’s a need in civilisation that we have to try a new paradigm because the paradigm that has got us to this stage is also threatening to destroy us,” observes David Nicholls, President of the Atheist Foundation of Australia and one of the key organisers, of the upcoming Global Atheist Convention to be hosted by Melbourne in April. From producing the first Global Atheist Convention in 2010 to representing the atheist viewpoint at a Federal Senate hearing on funding for religion, as well as campaigning the “Mark No religion” movement on the Census question of religion, Nicholls is a prominent atheist figure in Australia. David Nicholls: “I was brought up in a very that spanned out quite rapidly to us thinking we might Irish-Catholic religious atmosphere where priests and get 200 people, because nobody knew, this was new nuns and brothers taught me as a child and my relatives, ground, to eventually getting over 2,500 people to that friends, acquaintances were all from the Catholic convention. And everybody enjoyed that immensely. It persuasion, and I was very hooked into it when I was was just such an incredible time that after that young and not knowing how to think correctly.
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