By Michael Bachelard
May 15, 2011
via The Sunday Age
THE ”four horsemen of the anti-apocalypse”, the world’s most prominent atheists, will share a public platform for the first time in Melbourne next year in an event partly funded by the state government.
The Global Atheist Convention, ”A Celebration of Reason”, will host authors Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Daniel Dennett and Sam Harris, the four champions of the so-called ”new atheism”.
The Melbourne Convention and Visitors Bureau has confirmed that state government funding will be provided to the convention, which they expect to attract 2500 people.
Tourism Minister Louise Asher said this was the result of a decision of the Brumby government in June last year. She toldThe Sunday Age that the topics of conventions was not relevant to the decision about whether to fund them: ”It’s how many delegates are coming and will it have an economic impact.”
The Atheist Foundation of Australia complained in 2010 because their first convention, held that year, received no funding, while the Parliament of the World’s Religions, held the same year, received $2 million.
Atheist foundation president David Nicholls said the ”four horsemen” would ”attract people from everywhere on the planet” to the April 2012 convention. ”It will be the biggest global event for atheism ever, and it probably won’t be repeated,” he said.
One of the four, American author and academic Daniel Dennett, told The Sunday Age that the horsemen theme was ”amusing” and confirmed that, apart from one videotaped meeting in Christopher Hitchens’s apartment about five years ago, they had ”never shared a podium before”.
Mr Dennett said that their collective message was getting through because ”no-religion” is the fastest growing category worldwide.
”What is particularly important is that the number of public, unapologetic, atheists is growing. The visibility of today’s atheists is a new feature, and we urge everybody who agrees to ‘come out’,” he said.
The Australian Christian Lobby’s Victorian director, Rob Ward, said that ”people are free to gather if they wish,” but that the debate should be civil.
He would ”love to see a cost-benefit analysis” of the funding, asking whether the convention would bring in any tourists ”apart from the ‘four horsemen’ ”.
Melbourne Convention and Visitors Bureau chief executive Sue Chipchase said the convention would deliver an economic boost to the state of $7.6 million.
Love the cartoon!
Fabulous that we are at last getting equal rights and recognition. There is no shame to being reasonable and questioning the effects organised religion has on the world. Time for a fresh start with free thought and analysis without the influence of unseen and highly unlikely gods (or “the market” and its financial influence which has supported religion).
Go on, Come out and shout.
I’m thrilled to get an opportunity to participate (if I can get a ticket this time). Why not ask for expressions of interest (pre-bookings) and book venues accordingly. I very much expect more than 2,500 will want to attend.
Pre-bookings are a fantastic idea! I missed this event in 2010 and hence will fight tooth and nail to be there in April 2012 – especially if the Hitch can make it, plus Nicholls said it may be the last convention… NEED early tickets offers!
Apparently AFA members will get a two week window to purchase tickets before they are opened up to the public so, go sign up for a year ($25).
Im there…and I truly hope the ‘Hitch’ is there too!
Well, there it is ! I guess I will be coming to Melbourne next year ! Hopefully Chris will recover enough to be there !
Tremendous news! I really hope Christopher is well enough to attend. It really wouldn’t be the same without him. As for those of you lucky enough to attend (i’m in the UK so its a bit much) please buy as much tat and junk as you can, because it rather seems as if the event itself (being massively significant for the future of reason and science) is not enough to attract government help. No, they want paying in taxes and I hate to say it but the faithful have us there, they have all the tat in the world to peddle. So please Sam, Dan, Christoper and Richard, bring your old junk and flog it on for whatever its worth and placate these short-sighted money driven suits. My best to all, religious and non religious included.
I will be travelling from interstate for this one, and bringing a friend. Certainly, I won’t be the only one. Hopefully Hitch is well enough to attend!
Was the Parliament of the World’s Religions subjected to a cost-benefit analysis prior to funding approval? The Global Atheist Convention should be held to the same standard. If they got a pass, why shouldn’t we? If not, it seems fair to undergo the same scrutiny. It is public money, after all. Although I’m sure we secular humanist types are the last that need reminding of the implications of that fact.
I concur with Ray Leigh with regard to rights and being reasonable. I do hope that the conference will be questioning the effects that organised atheism has had on the world. It hasn’t always been pretty.
Fantastic! My partner and I will definitely be attending from Central Queensland – that’s a round trip of around 4000km! Looking forward to seeing some of the leading lights in reason – you are my rock stars and hollywood actors, forgive me if I scream just a little
Wonderful! I hope can get a ticket to that. I’m gonna travel 11.000km from Brazil to Australia to see that and I will be very satisfied. Well, hope see you all there! Cya! =)
I’ll be there, hope Hitch makes it too
Can’t wait.
<~Canadian.
I hope i can come to this year too!!!
I attended the 2010 Melbourne Convention. Simply the most stimulating convention I’ve ever attended, and I’m in my seventies and have two degrees.
Can’t wait for this also! Hubby and I are coming from Brissie and hoping to get tickets! (Good idea about joining the AFA Stephen!)
“The Australian Christian Lobby’s Victorian director, Rob Ward, said that ”people are free to gather if they wish,” but that the debate should be civil.”
And don’t worry Rob Ward, we won’t be telling people that do not enjoy this event with us that they will be burning in hell for eternity when they die, I’m sure we will be civil enough…
This comment section is very hard to read (blue on top of dark blue?). Have you considered changing the background colour?
I feel the need for Jesus in this world!
HEAR HEAR !!!!!!! GOD IS KING !!!
Hey, Petra…I’m god, and I just want to say…calm the fuck down please…
“because ”no-religion” is the fastest growing category worldwide.”
That’s not saying much, atheism is – and probably always will be – a statistically small group of people in the world and there are quite a few reasons for that.
GOD IS ALIVE AND GOD IS REAL … IF YOU DONT’ BELIEVE IN HIM, WHY DOES IT BOTHER YOU THAT THERE ARE BIBLES IN HOTELLS AND MOTELLS ?? IF HE DOESNT EXIST WHY DO U CALL HIM WHEN YOU ARE SICK OR YOUR CHILD DIES OR WHEN YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ARE IN A CAR ACCIDENT .. YESSSSS I HEARD IT SO MANY TIMES, THE SO CALLED ANTI CHRISTS CALL HIM ” OH GOD PLEASE HELP ME” … YOU SHOULD GO ON YOUR KNEES AND ASK FOR GOD’S FORGIVENESS … ONLY THEN U WILL BE HAPPY AND FREE !!! FOR YEARS AND YEARS 1000S OF YEARS YOU PPL TRIED YOUR BEST TO DESTROY THE CHRISTENS, YOU CAN NEVER EVER DO THAT, U TRIED BUT FAILED !!!!!!!!!! LETS SEE IF U HAVE THE GUTS TO POST THIS !! ***I PRAY FOR YOUR SOULS, GOD FORGIVE THEM, THEY DONT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING” BLESSED ARE YOU BY THE LORD’S LOVE ….
I dislike having propaganda that I do not wish to be exposed to, or have my children exposed to, in a facility that I am paying for! Consider how you would feel if the information left were the korah, or perhaps a pamphlet advocating the wonders of the local brothels, or the benefits that a life led in the glorification of anything else that you may abhor! (Perhaps I’ll replace the bible with a good Hitchens!)
No-one I know of calls on your god/jesus when in difficulty! What an absurd thing to say!!
…and by the way…please don’t shout! It’s rude!!!
@ Petra,
Right on brother, praise Allah!
Which god?
Zeus?
Krishna?
Mithra?
Odin?
Oh, right you mean the christian god. Do you have any evidence to prove that god exists? Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.
@Petra 1/10
I’m truly Petra-fied.
LoL @ Petra-fied, hehehe thanks sweets for making my day, i hadda a ble one
))
Behind the name
ABRAHAM אַבְרָהָם m English, Hebrew, Dutch, Biblical, Biblical Latin
This name may be viewed either as meaning “father of many” in Hebrew or else as a contraction of ABRAM (1) and הָמוֹן (hamon) “many, multitude”…
DANIEL Δανιηλ m English, Hebrew, French, German, Scandinavian, Polish, Czech, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovene, Croatian, Macedonian, Armenian, Biblical, Biblical Greek
From the Hebrew name דָּנִיֵּאל (Daniyyel) meaning “God is my judge”…
DAVID דָּוִד m English, Hebrew, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Scandinavian, Dutch, Czech, Slovene, Russian, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Biblical, Biblical Latin
From the Hebrew name דָּוִד (Dawid), which was probably derived from Hebrew דוד (dwd) meaning “beloved”…
JOSEPH יוֹסֵף m English, French, German, Biblical
From Ioseph, the Latin form of Greek Ιωσηφ (Ioseph), which was from the Hebrew name יוֹסֵף (Yosef) meaning “he will add”…
MOSES מֹשֶׁה m English, Biblical, Biblical Latin
From the Hebrew name מֹשֶׁה (Mosheh) which is most likely derived from Egyptian mes meaning “son”, but could also possibly mean “deliver” in Hebrew…
NOAH (1) נוֹחַ m English, Biblical
Derived from the Hebrew name נוֹחַ (Noach) meaning “rest, comfort”… [more]
NOAH (2) נוֹעָה f Biblical
Derived from the Hebrew name נוֹעָה (No’ah) meaning “motion”…
PETER m English, German, Dutch, Scandinavian, Slovene, Slovak, Biblical
Derived from the Greek Πετρος (Petros) meaning “stone”…
Petra ……. english meaning To be truly Petra-fied.
Carefull what you say from your mouth God is listening
Bless you all
Too bad Ken means delusional asshole…
HEAR HEAR Ken !!!! 10/10 …