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Aussie, Kiwi & South Pacific Atheists

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A group for networking and friendship between atheists in the Australian/New Zealand/South Pacific region, and for discussion of political and religious topics relevant to these regions.

Members: 352
Latest Activity: Apr 18

5 members like this

Aussie, Kiwi and South Pacific Atheists

This group is hosted by Richard J and Chrys Stevenson

Another High Court Challenge Against the National School Chaplaincy Program
Website: http://www.highcourtchallenge.com

Breaking News! After successfully challenging the Commonwealth government in the High Court of Australia over funding for the National School Chaplaincy Scheme, Ron Williams is to take them on again. In an attempt to circumvent the High Court ruling, the government has passed some extremely questionable legislation which tears at the heart of parliamentary democracy and public accountability. Williams has consulted with his crack legal team and the decision has been made today (Saturday, 7 July) to mount another challenge.

For more information see here:

http://thatsmyphilosophy.wordpress.com/2012/07/07/its-on-williams-to-return-to-the-high-court-on-chaplaincy-issue/

Mounting a High Court challenge is extremely expensive and Ron Williams is just an average, suburban Dad. If all of us who care about a secular, democratic Australia can chip in as much as we can, it will help enormously. Please consider donating at:

http://www.highcourtchallenge.com/

This is your chance to be a part of making Australian Constitutional history!

Embiggen Books - Your Australian Atheist/Skeptical Bookshop

Embiggen Books, an Australian bookstore devoted to promoting science, philosophy, rationalism and skepticism is now on Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. Warren Bonett and Kirsty Bruce of Embiggen are also passionate and active members of the atheist and skeptical communities.

Australian Atheist Issues

For new members, if you want to get a grasp of some of the issues effecting atheists in Australia, you might like to take a look at the Atheist Nexus (Australia) submission on "Freedom of Religion and Belief in the 21st Century" made to the Australian Human Rights Commission early last year. It's long, but easy reading, and worth spending some time on. A report, using information compiled from submissions, should be released later this year.

Atheist Meetup Groups - Australia

If you'd like to meet up with some local atheists, there's no better way than joining your local Atheist Meetup, Skeptics, or Freethought Groups:

Adelaide Atheists
Ballarat Atheists
Brisbane Atheists
Canberra Social Skeptics
Melbourne Atheists
Launceston Skeptics
Macarthur Atheists (Macarthur Region, Sydney (NSW)
Perth Atheists
Perth Skeptics
Sunshine Coast Atheists
Sydney Atheists
Sydney Freethinkers
Western Sydney Freethinkers
Wollongong Skeptics Society

Have we missed your meetup group? Just let me know and I'll add it in.

Discussion Forum

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Comment by Gila Guerilla on February 22, 2010 at 6:00pm: Hello everybody. I just joined, so I thought I'd introduce myself. I live in Adelaide, Sth. Australia, (but don't hold that against me). I'll be 59 this year, and I'm a guy, (a Guy Gila Guerilla). I chose to name myself guerilla, because it is my habit to drop a comment and then skedaddle. Sad I know, but here I go. Tata for now.

Comment by Chrys Stevenson on February 22, 2010 at 4:42pm: A very warm welcome to all our new members!

Comment by Deanna on February 21, 2010 at 3:46am: Sorry, i just need to squee a little bit about finding this group. *is happy*

Comment by Chrys Stevenson on February 19, 2010 at 10:00pm: In fairness to the Catholic Church, they don't recognize this guy and have advised people not to accept sacraments from him. He appears to be 'ordained' by some lunatic fringe.

Comment by Rosemary LYNDALL WEMM on February 19, 2010 at 9:38pm: I think we should reserve judgement on the farting bishop until he makes his "unexpected" statement. On what little has come out so far I suspect the poor guy has an impaired frontal lobe. He looks quite old enough to have had a stroke or be suffering from a cerebral tumor. He may deserve compassion rather than ridicule. Let's not be distracted by the fact that he has shares some of the area's socially accepted delusions and a penchant for hanging efigies of near naked tortured Jews on the wall.

Comment by Robert Tobin on February 19, 2010 at 9:08pm: 'Naked bishop' angers Victorian town

Residents of a small town in rural Victoria are seeking an intervention order against their local bishop, claiming he has been regularly appearing naked on his verandah and making prank phone calls to his neighbours.

Bishop Roderick Gow — who is known to locals as the ‘bare-bottom bishop’ — was videotaped walking naked outside his house in the town of Elaine, near Ballarat in a report to be aired on A Current Affair tonight.

Locals have applied for intervention orders against Bishop Gow, citing regular morning nude appearances in which the bishop allegedly powders his backside with talcum powder in full view of his neighbours.

"What bishop would powder his bum out on the verandah?" one neighbour asked ACA reporter Martin King.

"It makes me want to vomit," another resident said.

The bishop has also been accused of making prank phone calls to neighbours in which he offers good wishes, followed by “farting” sounds and insults.

Elaine resident Jimmy Connell, who has lived in the house across the road from bishop Gow for 79 years, said the nude appearances have become a regular occurrence. "A couple times I've seen him with nothing on [but] he's generally got the pyjama top on and that's it," Mr Connell said.

Bishop Gow runs his own church in the town, but the Roman Catholic bishop in nearby Ballarat claims the alleged nudist has been shunned by the Catholic Church.

When A Current Affair approached Bishop Gow, he said he would not speak to the press until the intervention order was settled in court, adding: "The story I will give you will not be quite what you think it is."

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/1013624/naked-bishop-angers-vic...

Note the Tea Cosy on "His Lorship's" head, and the dead Jew on a stick behind(?) him.

Comment by Jake Farr-Wharton on February 19, 2010 at 12:11am: Great article from a really awesome atheist - http://www.rustylime.com/show_article.php?id=4034

Comment by Chrys Stevenson on February 18, 2010 at 11:53pm: Yes, please put a vote in for Russell as well!

Comment by Russell Blackford on February 18, 2010 at 11:38pm: I'd certainly be pleased to speak at TAM, and I only live a two-hour drive away, so ...

Comment by Chrys Stevenson on February 18, 2010 at 3:42pm: There's a new facebook group asking which speakers we'd like to see at the James Randi Education Foundation's "The Amazing Meeting" (TAM) to be held in Sydney in November.

I've nominated Richard Haynes (aka Brother Richard) the Executive Director of Atheist Nexus. As there will be many atheists there, I think it would be great to have a former evangelical minister talk on religious skepticism.

If you'd like to see Richard in Australia, please join the group and add your request.