I am an Atheist and I live in Australia.
Like many rational thinking people, I have been concerned with the apparent rise of religion’s influence on politics and policies, not only here in Australia, but also in many other countries. America in particular.
Like a lot of others, I have jumped on the recent bandwagon of speaking out about atheism. Whilst I have been an atheist for many years (see “Where I Come From” below) it is only recently that various TV shows (“The Root of All Evil?”) and books (“The God Delusion” “God is NOT Great”) have sparked my interest in being vocal about it.
As many other people have said ‘organising atheists is like herding cats’. This may be true, but if more atheists are outspoken then, whilst we might be disorganised, at least there will be a lot of us.
Has anyone ever been in a room with a lot of cats in it? They may appear chaotic or disinterested but you certainly can’t avoid knowing they are there!
There are a few campaigns trying to get people to be more open about their atheism such as Richard Dawkin’s ‘Out Campaign’ and ‘The Bright’s’ movement. Hopefully this will add to those.
Where I come from
I was born in England into a Church of England family. As a young child our family emigrated to Australia and we joined the local Baptist church. I remember going to church on Sundays and going to the Sunday School. During my early teens I rebelled against everything (as most teenagers do) including going to church. However I eventually went back to the church and even got baptised! As an older teen I got quite into it, attending bible classes, going to Billy Graham concerts, bible bashing on the street corner, door knocking (way before I’d ever heard of the Mormons) etc.
Then I left home to start work (had to move interstate) and all that religious stuff went out the window. Though I had already started to have doubts, mostly because of the bible study. The more I studied the bible the more questions I had that couldn’t be answered. After several years I counted myself as not-religious, but I was still putting Baptist on forms. I even got married in a Baptist church.
For many years I had no interest in religion of any sort but didn’t actually identify as an atheist. Thankfully the ABC showed “The Root of all Evil?” and shortly after I bought, and read the book (“The God Delusion” by Richard Dawkins). I have since read several other books, and hope to purchase a few more soon.
update – it seems I can’t post links to Amazon etc, so I’ll just list them in the sidebar .
I now fully identify as an atheist and wonder why I never did years ago (it is hard to break free from years of indoctrination). I have read / still read many of the atheist sites on the net to get useful information, and some of these are in my blogroll.
I like the Bright’s description:
a naturalistic worldview free of supernatural and mystical elements
What’s Next?
I’ll keep updating this ‘About’ page as I remember details and get the time to do the editing. Meanwhile feel free to read my blogs and make comments.
Update 18 September 2007
OK, it seems like there’s two of us.
Over on YouTube there is another ozatheist, he also has a MySpace account, please note that this is NOT me. I Don’t have either a youtube or myspace account, and until I get broadband (about as likely as hell freezing over – thanks for nothing Telstra) I probably won’t bother getting one.
Update 20 September 2007
Make that three of us.
I went to post a comment on a blogger.com site and found I needed a Google and/or Blogger account, so I went to set one up. However, when I tried to use the URL ozatheist I found that name was already in use. So I used this one instead ozatheitsweblog.
Note on Copyright
Occasionally I will copy small sections of other peoples writings and post them on my blog. I will always try and place a link back to the original document and note the author. I will also attempt to make sure nothing is taken out of context or make the author appear to be stating something they didn’t.
I hope all authors will take my copying to be within ‘fair use’, however if you see something on my blog for which you are the original author and would like me to remove, please let me know.
Note on Comments
To post comments you have to enter a name and email address, this is done in order to reduce the number of spammers I might receive. However, feel free to use a fake name and email address. The first post from a particular email address has to be moderated by me, which may sometimes take a day or two (hey, I have to work sometimes, and I do have a life). However, if you use the same name and email address, subsequent comments will be automatically posted.
atheism
atheist
15 November 2007 at 10:27 pm
I have a blog entry on how to put your amazon wish list on wordpress
http://thinkerspodium.wordpress.com/2007/05/16/how-to-add-an-amazoncom-wishlist-to-your-wordpress-sidebar-with-rsstalkercom/
21 December 2007 at 2:05 pm
The links to your two stories at http://www.ozatheist.org/ don’t function.
1 January 2008 at 5:09 pm
I would just like to let you know about an Australian website that is dedicated to exposing the agenda of the religious Right in Australia:
http://www.unbelief.org
1 January 2008 at 5:24 pm
Thanks Bronwyn, I have that site in my Bookmarks.
24 January 2008 at 1:35 am
You have a very interesting blog and I look forward to reading more of your posts.
I am not an aethist myself, I do believe in a higher power or ‘God’ if you like. But I can fully understand why people are aethist. There is just so much wrong with many relgions today. Or maybe it’s not actually the core messages of the religions but the way people use and abuse them…I understand your concern with the rise of religion in politics, and what is happening in the US is very disturbing I think. If it continues it will not take the country forward, but backwards. Some religions preach and say they practice compassion and freedom…but only if you agree with them. The world might actually be better off if the majority were aethist, and no I don’t believe society would crumble as a result. Society only works if we work together, thus there would still be moral codes and ethics, just as there were before Christianity (for example).
26 February 2008 at 2:23 pm
Stumbled upon your blog, and its pretty interesting (but Im a theist). I’m an evolutionary biologist, I think you may find my youtube channel helpful in your debates (http://www.youtube.com/user/DonExodus2).
Check out my vids- especially the ones regarding creationist dishonest, as well as transitional fossils / proof of evolution.
Regards,
Whit
Err- here are some direct links for you-
Creationst Dishonesty- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoZW7-3YSns&feature=PlayList&p=6818DF8C6AB4A0DF&index=0&playnext=1
Proof of Evolution- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1fGkFuHIu0&feature=PlayList&p=0FB1F085BD950D0F&index=0&playnext=1
Transitional Fossils- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4GdZOlPrX8&feature=PlayList&p=F9729F67CD4034C9&index=0&playnext=1
10 April 2008 at 3:07 pm
Hi there
you may want to add my recently published book, The Purple Economy, to your list. See website above. Also, we’re organising a conference ‘Secular Twins: Australia and New Zealand’s Secular Heritage and Its Future’ to be held in the Theatrette of the NSW Parliament on 9 July 2008.
regards
Max
10 April 2008 at 4:19 pm
Thx Max
As if I don’t have enough to read already. I’ve still got 5 books yet to read from the current list!
The conference sounds interesting, I’ll post a blog promoting it once there are more details.
10 April 2008 at 10:13 pm
Max:
Will there be audio of the conference available?
30 April 2008 at 8:31 am
Oz:
Hey, pal. Just writing to see if I could trouble you for a link on the just-posted CarnivUL of The fraudless. It was a pretty big undertaking and so I really want it to get read rather than immediately diving into obscurity.
http://theframeproblem.wordpress.com/2008/04/29/carnivul-of-the-fraudless-exposing-the-cult/
Any linkage would be much appreciated.
Best,
Ron
9 September 2008 at 6:34 am
Ron,
I found your website/blogs in the process of searching for this great picture of a kitten sleeping on a keyboard. On your other site it was here: http://www.ozatheist.org/images/cat_laptop.jpg
I’d appreciate the fullsize image, my wife loves cats, and she saw a smaller rendition of the image but the quality suffered (too few pixels).
In the meantime, I read some of your posts, and go back and forth on whether science or philosophy is more influential on belief systems. Many people can compartmentalize views (like those against air pollution taking a puff on a cigarette between paragraphs) or those against tree cutting while they plan their energy efficient log home in the woods.
Anyway, I lean toward science, but a lot of theories in science require faith, where religion has a lot of problems that are not supported by science, which itself is heavily dependent on faith. It’s a moibus strip with perhaps only one side. Today it’s science, but the more we learn the more we realize we don’t know, so science fails to fully explain what we can observe in nature and in the universe, but it seems more logical even to those who may not fully understand the science involved in explaining the unprovable beliefs in religions.
Anyway, aside from all that, back to something more mundane — how about that kitty on the keyboard, do you still have it and can you send it to me?
Thanks
Hank, Orange County, CA (USA and someone who dreams about coming to Australia for vacation one of these days).
11 September 2008 at 8:04 am
You write sincerely and thats what matters in the end.. take care..
We might just meet in heaven for all you know..
A shia muslim
5 October 2008 at 2:22 pm
Another lifelong athiest here and living in Australia, your blog has some interesting contributions. My concern is about the recent so called “World Youth Day” in Sydney, why did taxpayers have fund this Catholic recruitment crusade to the tune of $90 million give or take 10 mil? George Pell (the highest ranking catholic in Australia) should be required to answer to the non catholic taxpayers where did the cash go!
Will the government consider funding Athiest day, I won’t hold my breath on that one.
As for religion generally Pat Condell is correct it’s a mental illness, just because a billion people might believe in some invisible thing, that doesn’t make it real.
Whatever happened to separation of church and state?
PS nice shot of Cronulla at the top of the page I lived there many years ago..
5 October 2008 at 6:45 pm
Welcome Jimmy, thanks for reminding me about the government funding – see the post dated 5 Oct about funding to the Gay Mardi Gras.
There is no separation of church and state in Australia, a post on this is in the works.
1 November 2008 at 3:05 am
So you’re a fellow Pom? Where from, mate? Anywhere near saaf London?
2 November 2008 at 2:36 pm
No, I was a scouse git. Born just outside Liverpool then raised in Liverpool until emigration to Australia
26 November 2008 at 10:31 am
TAG!!!
http://iambilly.wordpress.com/2008/11/25/the-6-things-meme/
11 December 2008 at 3:48 pm
I love your work here! Check out our cute little Anti-Christian (slightly) Offensive (to sum) T-Shirt Biz and get a free shirt to wear to Xmas dinner.
Zeno
http://www.obscenitease.com
24 December 2008 at 9:53 am
Sad website…. don’t even know how i blundered on here…… maybe just to let you know that God loves you and sent His only son to die for you….. yes you….. you were on His mind as Jesus hung on the cross to die. I believe in freedom of speech so don’t take this is a sarcatic comment….. i truly love everyone and hope that you can feel Gods love for you someday and have Him touch you as powerfully as He has touched me. Be blessed my friend……
9 January 2009 at 10:53 am
I just finished reading the book Awake Amongst The Sleeping – Confessions of a Cult Leader. I experienced something that I have never felt before as a reader, and that is that I could not find one person in the book that I could feel any empathy for. This bunch of self serving, self proclaimed searches of enlightenment are the most egocentric people that I have read about since the Hilter Diaries. Interesting as it was to read about their descent into mind control, I could not help feeling appalled by the end of the tale of this self gratification of Hamiliton’s character as he exposes the cult and credits God with guiding him towards writing the book. I googled him recently to find he is now involved in alternative health products. Like they say, Christians make the best Amway dealers.
Has anyone else read this book and what did they think?
PS JesusfreakMT: Thanks but I just don’t feel the same about you… it’s nothing personal…it’s me, not you..truly…maybe we can just be friends and see other people.
13 January 2009 at 11:45 am
Duffy ~
No worries…… nothing personal…..I believe that God gave everyone the free will to choose their path of life and use their brain where needed…. by the way…. never sold Amway…. be blessed!
29 January 2009 at 12:32 am
can you blog the questions you could not find answers to when you were a baptist?
29 January 2009 at 2:42 pm
Hello! I run a science website with an atheist attitude, called Machines Like Us (machineslikeus.com). I would like to invite you to review Machines Like Us, and if you think it worthy, would you mind adding it to your blogroll?
Thanks, and all the best,
Norm Nason
6 February 2009 at 9:10 pm
I am writing from South Africa – where the cricketers come from. This email is not in response to any particular issue but a general point that you may wish to invite comment upon.
The more I read atheist blogs, xian and muslim hate mail, fundie statements on fstdt or the idiocy of attempts to promote creationism over science the more certain I have become that many of the loudest and stupidest statements are made not by credulous victims of religion but by some very smart operators who not only exploit religion for financial gain but who themselves do not believe any of crap they sprout. To my knowledge we do not have a short descriptive term to identify the Roy Comforts, AIG’s, Farwells and Robertsons. Words like poe and xian (xtian) have wide currency and understanding. I suggest that we need an additional term in the atheist armoury to clearly identify and denigrate these slimeballs – a term which even the religious will come to recognise.
Here are some initial suggestions.
Xploitian
Godsucker
Quacksaviour
Tithegobbler
I am sure your contributors can do better.
6 February 2009 at 10:22 pm
@ Les, welcome. I almost didn’t allow your comment through, after all you are from South Africa and they recently thrashed us Aussies in the cricket. Then again the Kiwis just did too. If I start banning all the countries that beat Australia in cricket I’ll end up with no one to talk to. big LOL
I’m going to re-post your comment as a new blog, lets see how many ideas we get.
fellow readers please reply to Les on the new post: http://ozatheist.wordpress.com/2009/02/06/looking-for-a-new-wordlooking-for-a-new-word/
28 May 2009 at 4:41 pm
Hey OzAtheist,
Loving the site. I too am from Oz and its nice to see someone being vocal about this.
I’ll be following closely!
Michael
30 June 2009 at 11:03 pm
There are heretics in Australia as well, shunned by all good believers in fairies working away in Melbourne to battle against the forces of ignorance and the domineering Christians in the Australian parliament, especially Senator Conroy’s internet censorship agenda.
http://www.hereticpress.com/Dogstar/Religion/Vilification.html#censorship
Tim Anderson
9 November 2009 at 6:42 pm
I used to be Baptist, too. My deepest condolences.