Atheism is a broad church - Catherine Deveny - Opinion - The Age 17/3

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/atheism-is-a-broad-church-20100316-qclu.html

No faith in their hatred - Andrew Bolt - Opinion - Herald Sun 17/3

http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/column_no_faith_in_their_hatred/

A carnival of unbelief - Nick Moodie - On-line Opinion 17/3

http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=10185

Bad, bad media - PZ Myers - Pharyngula - 16/3

http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/03/bad_bad_media.php

Fielding goes to ground after being likened to earthworm - Damien Murphy - Opinion - National Times - 16/3

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/contributors/fielding-goes-to-ground-after-being-likened-to-a-worm-20100315-q9pb.html

The weekend of non-belivers - Ian Robinson - On-line Opinion - 16/3

http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=10184

Atheist ridicule won't win friends and influence people - Barney Zwartz - Opinion - The Age - 16/3

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/blogs/the-religious-write/atheists-ridicule-wont-win-friends-and-influence-people/20100315-q9wj.html

Dawkins preaches to the deluded against the divine - Melanie Phillips - Opinion - The Australian - 16/3

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/dawkins-preaches-to-the-deluded-against-the-divine/story-e6frg6zo-1225841086925

Catherine Deveny on ABC's Q&A - 15/3

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/qanda/txt/s2840015.htm

The rise and rise of atheism - Rachel Holkner - Opinion - The Guardian - 15/3

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2010/mar/15/global-atheist-convention-melbourne

Atheistic and Christian faiths - a contest of delusions? - Rowan Forster - On-line Opinion 15/3

http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=10176&page=0

Mysterious rituals of the atheists - Stephen Bullivant and Lois Lee - Opinion - The Age 15/3

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/mysterious-rituals-of-the-atheists-20100314-q60k.html

Jason Ball interviewed on 'Breakie with Tom and Alex' - triple j - 15/3

http://www.umss.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Breakfast-with-Tom-Alex.mp3 [right click, save as]

Creating saints 'Pure Monty Python' says Richard Dawkins- Herald Sun - 15/3

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/creating-saints-pure-monty-python-says-richard-dawkins-about-mary-mackillop-at-the-global-atheist-convention/story-e6frf7kx-1225840868449

Dawkins derides sainthood as pythonesque - Sydney Morning Herald - 15/3

http://www.smh.com.au/national/dawkins-derides-sainthood-as-pythonesque-20100314-q676.html

Dawkins delivers the sermon they came to sear - The Age - 15/3

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/dawkins-delivers-the-sermon-they-came-to-hear-20100314-q63g.html

Celebrating life beyond belief - Miriam Cosic - The Australian - 15/3

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/celebrating-life-beyond-belief/story-e6frg6z6-1225840634149

Richard Dawkins on Sunday Night Safran - triple j - 14/3

http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/triplej/safran/safran_2010_03_14.mp3 (10 minutes in)

Melbourne hosts atheist convention - ABC News - 14/3

http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2010/03/14/2845398.htm

Hardcore and Hard - PZ Myers - Pharyngula 14/3

http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/03/hardcore_and_hard.php

Q: What to these MPs have in common? A: They are out and proud atheists - The Age - 14/3

http://www.theage.com.au/national/q-what-do-these-mps-have-in-common-a-they-are-out-and-proud-atheists-20100313-q59i.html

Path to loosing his religion - Peter Munro - The Age 14/3

http://www.theage.com.au/national/path-to-losing-his-religion-20100313-q59j.html

Atheists, walk this way - David Horton - Opinion - Huffington Post - 14/3

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-horton/atheists-walk-this-way_b_498474.html

Religion needs atheism - Samir Selmanovic - Opinion - Huffington Post - 13/3

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/samir-selmanovic/religion-needs-atheism_b_498051.html

Govt urged to back Scientology inquiry - Nine News - 13/3

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/1026890/xenophon-says-scientology-a-cult

Wild times laughing with the godless - PZ Myers - Pharyngula - 13/3

http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/03/wild_times_with_the_laughing_g.php

Opening night of the Global Atheist Conference - Natasha Mitchell - All in the Mind Blog - ABC - 13/3

http://blogs.abc.net.au/allinthemind/2010/03/opening-night-global-atheism-conference-2010-atheistcon.html

Atheist convention's first secular success - The Age - 13/3

http://www.theage.com.au/national/atheist-conventions-first-secular-success-20100312-q499.html

Uh oh, we aren't being nice and respectful - PZ Myers - Pharyngula - 12/3

http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/03/uh-ohwe_arent_being_nice_and_r.php

Atheists meet in Melbourne to celebrate lack of faith - BBC - 12/3

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8563583.stm

2,500 atheists gather in Melbourne - Newser - 12/3

http://www.newser.com/story/83113/2500-atheists-gather-in-melbourne.html

Atheism - a fizzer or fantastic - Dick Gross - Opinion - National Times

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/blogs/godless-gross/atheism--a-fizzer-or-fantastic/20100311-pzwu.html

Faith falls down under - BBC - 9/3

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8555953.stm

Richard Dawkins on ABC's Q&A - 8/3

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/qanda/txt/s2831712.htm

ABC Religion Blog - Global Atheist Convention - 4/3

http://blogs.radionational.net.au/atheistconvention/

[3.4M MP3]

ATHEISTS have begun an advertising campaign on Melbourne buses, proclaiming ''Atheism - celebrate reason'', the first time they have entered the fray in such a public way.

The signs are on the backs of 24 buses until March 29, when the number will rise to 40 and the advertisements will be included on the sides as well, according to Atheist Foundation of Australia president David Nicholls.

''This is the first time we have advertised in public in such a big way - it's a very significant move forward for atheists,'' Mr Nicholls said.

Read more

The Freethought University Alliance, a coalition of atheist, humanist, secular and skeptic campus groups from universities across Australia, will be launched at The Rise of Atheism, 2010 Global Atheist Convention.

The Alliance will connect student leaders and help them work together and grow as a collective student movement dedicated to furthering science, reason and secular values in Australian society. The Alliance will provide students with useful advice, resources and networking opportunities, and also support students planning to start new aligned groups on university campuses.

The 2010 Global Atheist Convention is pleased to be sponsoring the launch event of the Freethought University Alliance, to be held at 12:30PM on Friday 12 March 2010 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Special guest PZ Myers, famous atheist and science blogger, will be a guest speaker at the event, which is open exclusively to university students and includes a free lunch.

To register, send an email to jason@umss.org with your name, university and student number.

Places are strictly limited and are filling fast.

http://ausfreethought.org

AN ATHEIST convention in Melbourne has sold out six weeks before it opens despite no aid from any level of government, organisers said yesterday.

Convention organiser and Atheist Foundation of Australia president David Nicholls said the state government had ''stabbed the people of Victoria in the back'' by not helping, forcing organisers to hire smaller venues.

The Global Atheist Convention, at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on March 12-14, features a stellar line-up of presenters, including the world's best-known atheist, Richard Dawkins.

Read more ...

Tickets for The Rise of Atheism, 2010 Global Atheist Convention are now sold out! The Convention, to be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre 12 - 14 March 2010, has attracted substantial Australian and international interest and tickets have sold out more than five weeks before the Convention starts.

David Nicholls, President of the Atheist Foundation of Australia said "We are thrilled with the support for the Convention, from the presenters, the attendees and the many people who have volunteered their time and expertise. With over 2,500 attendees, the Global Atheist Convention will be the largest gathering of freethinkers in Australia's history, and may be the largest atheist convention ever! The Convention will be a celebration of global atheism, a wonderful opportunity to hear the thoughts of scientists, philosophers, writers, comedians and many others, and a statement to political leaders of our concern about the negative effects of religion on society."

Even though tickets have sold out we are still receiving a substantial number of enquiries about sales and we are sorry that many people who would like to attend will miss out on this unique event. Given the strong interest in the Global Atheist Convention we are investigating filming options for a DVD of the event and hope one will be on sale shortly after the Convention" Nicholls continued.

Stuart Bechman, President of Atheist Alliance International, co-host of the Global Atheist Convention added, "The response to The Rise of Atheism Convention has been absolutely fantastic! This will be the largest convention AAI has been involved with and we're excited that atheism and secularism are so well supported in Australia. With such a high level of interest we will have to consider returning to Australia for future conventions."

Presenters at the Global Atheist Convention include Richard Dawkins, Peter Singer, Phillip Adams, PZ Myers, AC Grayling, Taslima Nasrin, Catherine Deveny, Dan Barker, Robyn Williams, Julian Morrow, Craig Reucassel, Maggie Millar, Lyn Allison, Tanya Levin, Leslie Cannold, Jane Caro and many more!

For further information on the Global Atheist Convention visit www.atheistconvention.org.au.

We'll see you in Melbourne!

In today's Sunday Age, Michael Bachelard has a feature article on the world-wide trend towards outspoken atheism (the so-called New Atheism that we hear so much about), which he relates to the forthcoming Global Atheist Convention in Melbourne. (I am scheduled to speak at the Melbourne Convention along with far more celebrated writers and thinkers such as A.C. Grayling and Richard Dawkins ... and many others from Australia and elsewhere.)

Read more

The application was made in June 2009 through the Premier’s Department. It was then passed like a ball of flaming brimstone to the Convention and Visitors Bureau and, from there, to the Victorian Multicultural Commission where it has remained, smouldering, for months.

The AFA was advised that the basic criteria for funding was over one thousand ticket sales, including purchases from interstate and overseas. That goal was accomplished in October.

Also in October, the Atheist Foundation received a letter of rejection from the Premier’s Department. But, when AFA President, David Nicholls, questioned the decision he was told the letter had been sent in error, because the application was now being handled elsewhere.

This week, the Convention & Visitors Bureau advised that it was rejecting the AFA’s application because the Convention was already ‘secured’. This was a surprise to the AFA, who believed their application was being handled through the Multicultural Commission and had never been told that securing a venue would disqualify the Convention from funding. In fact, the venue was secured months ago prompting no comment from any government department until now.

"One has to ask," says Nicholls, "how you can confirm 1,000 ticket sales before having a venue secured."

"And," Nicholls continues, "if our application didn’t meet the government criteria, why did they hold on to our application for five months without once mentioning that fact?"

The Global Atheist Convention is a major international event, involving an impressive line-up of world-class speakers. The Convention has been promoted world-wide and will be the largest gathering of freethinkers in Australia’s history. At least 2,000 people are expected to attend the event, bringing considerable publicity and revenue to Victoria. While applications were made to federal, state and municipal authorities with careful attention to meeting funding criteria, not one application has yet been approved.

Conversely, The Parliament of the World’s Religions which is hosting 5,000 people at the same venue (the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre) has attracted $4.5 million in government support – 16 times the amount requested by the AFA.

"The atheist community is large, well-educated and well-connected," said Nicholls. "It’s not going to take long for word to get out internationally that Victoria does not welcome non-theists."

Still, Nicholls is hopeful the situation can be resolved.

"Either this is an ideological and bigoted decision on the part of the Brumby government or a serious bureaucratic bungle. We’re very hopeful that it’s the latter and that Mr Brumby will step in quickly and put things right."

Contact:

David Nicholls
President
Atheist Foundation of Australia Inc
Private Mail Bag 6
Maitland SA 5573

Email: info@atheistfoundation.org.au
Phone: (08) 8835 2269
International +61 8 8835 2269

Web: http://www.atheistfoundation.org.au

Forum: http://atheistfoundation.org.au/forums/

Convention: http://www.atheistconvention.org.au

A plague of atheists has descended, and Catholics are the target
GREG CRAVEN
November 4, 2009

Attacking Christians is not really clever, witty or funny.

FROM time immemorial, this world has been troubled by plagues. From bogong moths in Canberra to frogs in biblical Egypt, unwelcome and unlovely creatures have the awkward habit of turning up in bulk.

Just now, we are facing one of our largest and least appealing infestations. Somewhat in advance of summer's blowflies, we are beset by atheists. Worse, they are not traditional atheists. These tended to be quiet blokes called Algie with ancillary interests in nudist ceramics, who were perfectly happy as long as you pretended to accept a pamphlet in Flinders Lane.

Read more ...