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The Global Atheist Convention was mentioned in Peter Kirkwood' column on Eureka Street discussing Christopher Hitchens’ appearance on ABC TV's Q&A.
For those seeking a barometer of current thinking on important questions of meaning and values, ABC TV's Q&A is a good place to start.
Chaired by genial but incisive host Tony Jones, every Thursday at 9.30pm it lines up a panel of five opinion makers, usually including a few politicians. They field questions on current events from ordinary members of the public, both in the studio audience, and from viewers at home. This interactivity is a large part of its appeal.
Last Thursday's edition was a treat. Its panel was a bit different to normal, as it eschewed the usual politicians, and instead featured people representing different perspectives on belief. These included one of the leading new atheists, British author of God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything, Christopher Hitchens.
And he didn't disappoint. As much as I disagree with his point of view, I have to concede he was an able and sharp debater, relentless in nailing the other panelists, pointing out flaws and inconsistencies in their arguments, and he was master of the witty and cutting riposte.
But the other panelists proved to be worthy opponents. They included Jesuit priest and social activist, Fr Frank Brennan; lecturer in politics and former spokesperson for the Islamic Council of Victoria, Waleed Aly; academic, and former editor of The Monthly, Sally Warhaft; and deputy director of the Sydney Institute, Anne Henderson.
The overarching theme, atheism versus religion, was timely. The new atheists seem to be riding a wave of popularity. I'm beginning to view them as a religious movement, in that there is a consistency in their message that deals with big questions of meaning and values, they are producing a stream of literature that is being actively promulgated and promoted, and they are carrying this out with evangelical, if not fundamentalist zeal.
To show I'm not alone in this view, this week the Atheist Foundation of Australia announced that in March 2010 it will host a Global Atheist Convention in Melbourne whose theme is 'The Rise of Atheism'. The keynote speaker will be Richard Dawkins. The Age's report on the convention carried the headline, 'High-priest of atheism on his way'. Sounds like it will rival the Hillsong Convention held every year in Sydney.
This view was reflected in a question to Hitchens from a member of the Q&A audience: 'You typically stereotype religious people as dogmatic and fundamentalist ... How is this when people who listen to you feel as if you are the one being dogmatic and fundamentalist in your evangelical pursuit to convert the world to atheism?'
In a nutshell, he rejected the view that this is 'what I do, or what I'm like', and he even went on to concede that religion has some worth, that 'religion is ineradicable ... it was our first attempt at philosophy, just as it was our first attempt at health care, cosmology, astronomy and so on'.
Brennan then made the sensible point to Hitchens that 'you do concede that religion is ineradicable, so given that reality ... why not drop the bagging and smearing, and let's say the solution is respectful public discourse? We judge things by their fruits, and if there be arguments which are put which are misconceived, then we talk that out.'
Notwithstanding some grimaces, groans and sharp words, and an entertaining little spat between Hitchens and Henderson, this edition of Q&A is an example of this sort of respectful discourse. I think it's fair to say it shed more light than heat on the subjects it traversed.
The final question from the audience formed a neat conclusion: 'Many non-believers facing death change their minds about religion. Is that fear or comfort?'
All the panelists answered the question, but Hitchens was given the final word, and he held implacably to his atheist position: 'It's a religious falsification that people like myself scream for a priest at the end ... Most of us go to our ends with dignity. If we don't and if it is the wish for fear or comfort, then both of these things are equally delusory, as religion is itself.'
Hitchens was fantastic on Q&A and the quality of the line-up for the Global Atheist Convention is just as high. There will be brilliant speakers from around the world at the Convention - can't wait!
I found both Brennan and Aly artful dodgers. A religious movement, christ can't Peter be original?
Hitchens was great, but from what I hear, Waseed Aly got a LOT of respect amongst the tv audience.
I'm not surprised. He spoke well - but only as a spokesman for the culture, certainly NOT as a spokesman for the religion. In debates with leading atheists, the representatives of the churches never seem to admit to, or defend the beliefs that they apparently devote their lives to. "God" suddenly becomes a mystical force, the desperate need for salvation becomes a lifestyle choice, and "WE know God's mind and NOBODY ELSE does", as is found in their very own scriptures, becomes "let's all just have a civilised dialogue" - as if the atheists aren't the ones arguing for that and ONLY that.