Category Archives: Religion

Australian Skeptics National Convention 2012

Posted in Alternative "medicine" scams, Denialism, General, Religion, Science by

The Australian Skeptics National Convention for 2012 is set to run from Friday November 30th to Sunday December 2nd.

You can check out the ticketing situation here, and digest evolving details on a great line up of presenters. There’s a run down on a bunch of events and a look at the awesome Spot Theatre. So, it’s just as well that’s also where the Convention will be I guess.

Head over to Facebook, do the Like thing and keep up to date. The theme is Active Skepticism. So if you’ve an interest in how reason and evidence makes a positive dent from prophylaxis to progressive politics this may just be your gig.

Follow @auskepcon on Twitter.

According to the Victorian Skeptics promotion page speakers include, James “The Amazing” Randi, DJ Grothe (President of the James Randi Foundation), Brian Thompson (Outreach Coordinator of JREF), Rebecca Watson (SGU blogger), Lawrence “Unbelievable” Leung (as seen on TV!), Dr. Rachael Dunlop, Richard Saunders, Lynne Kelly, Dr. Krissy Wilson, Dr. Ken Harvey (Choice Magazine Consumer of the Year Award), Adam vanLangenberg, Dr Cameron Martin (from Friends of Science in Medicine), Meredith Doig, Stephen Mayne (media commentator and shareholder activist), plus many others.

Sounds like there will be some impressive appearances and the opportunity to meet interesting people.

Of course, if you don’t come you can make do with this video.

Scott Hedges from FIRIS chats on ABC Ballarat

Posted in ACCESS Minintries, Education, Human Rights, Religion by

Thurs. March 15th, 2012: Scott Hedges chats with Steve Martin during Mornings on ABC Ballarat about the Fairness In Religions In School campaign.

Catch up on the VCAT hearing.

  1. What’s going on at VCAT? – Dr. Meredith Doig, President of the Rationalist Society of Australia.
  2. Mike Stuchbery, Live Blogging – The Final Showdown
  3. Christians pray for VCAT ruling – Amber Wilson
  4. Trust kids when it comes to religious teaching – Dick Gross
  5. Victorian Humanists – Test case on religious discrimination
  6. Mail from Belfast
  7. ABC Law Report [MP3]:

QUOTES

“The one we serve (Jesus) is the same yesterday, today and forever. And his purposes (converting humanity) will not be thwarted!” (Forward Together Rally 2011)

“What really matters is seizing the God-given opportunity we have to reach kids in schools. Without Jesus, our students are lost”.

“It’s important that the church recognize its commission is to make disciples. Our young people need Christ”.

“What a commandment, make disciples (of school children). What a responsibility. What a privilege we have been given. Let’s go for it!“

Scott Hedges Interview – ABC Ballarat

Part of the crowd outside VCAT on March 1st

Software for indoctrination

Posted in Atheism, Australian Christian Lobby, General, Religion by

The following indoctrination programme will install Christianity into your life. Please select “Continue” to begin.

CANCEL     CONTINUE

Please read and agree to this BIBLE before indoctrinating yourself with Christianity. Christianity is not liable for any doctrinal adversity, whether temporary, permanent, marital, financial, intellectual, morbid or mortal, provided it is covered within or can be explained by THE BIBLE, no matter how convoluted, improbable, impossible, absurd, offensive or hilarious. By clicking “AGREE” you accept the above terms and indicate you have read and understood THE BIBLE.

CANCEL     GO BACK     DISAGREE     AGREE

Please select the destination of your indoctrination:

  • Entire Ontology
  • Belief System
  • Pseudoscience
  • Pascal’s Wager
  • Guilt
  • Fear
  • Parental Pressure
  • Non-critical Thought
  • I am under 10 years old

CANCEL     GO BACK     INDOCTRINATE

Please wait while Christianity is being indoctrinated into the selected destination. This may take a while. Please be patient. Do not ask questions of a probing nature or disconnect yourself from the source of your indoctrination during this process. If indoctrination is interrupted at any time you must select “CANCEL” > “GO BACK” and run the programme again from the beginning. To stop indoctrination simply click “CANCEL”.

CANCEL (ARE YOU SURE?)     GO BACK

Congratulations! The indoctrination was successful. You must restart your life for all features of the programme to take effect. It is recommended you check frequently with your indoctrinator for updates and regularly run full reality scans. Christianity regularly issues automatic updates to guard against secularism, critical thought or non theism. It is recommended you set your life to receive these updates automatically. Christianity takes no responsibility should your life become infected with malware such as multi-faith tolerance, secularism, equal rights, humanism, rationalism or atheism. Instructions on how to repair your life from infection can be found by re-reading and accepting THE BIBLE.

CLOSE

Religious Instruction brings no Joy to Victorian public schools

Posted in ACCESS Minintries, Atheism, Australian Christian Lobby, Religion by

What really matters is seizing the God-given opportunity to reach kids in schools. Without Jesus, our students are lost… What a commandment: Make disciples… Let’s go for it!

Evonne Paddison, CEO of ACCESS Ministries

Scott Hedges of Fairness In Religions In School chats to Doug Pollard from Joy FM’s Rainbow Report.

In a comprehensive chat they cover the FIRIS campaign, Special Religious Instruction (SRI), legislation, indoctrination in public schools, religious discrimination and the upcoming VCAT challenge. This alleges that the Education Minister’s interpretation of legislation is a violation of the Equal Opportunity Act leading to compulsory segregation based on attendance to SRI.

Scott touches on a point close to one of my own issues with government funding of religious organisations. That faith based welfare is vastly different to faith based practices. The former poised to benefit all, the latter designed to expand a belief system.

In this case we can compare the altruistic work done by religious welfare organisations to the intentional, calculated conversion of primary school children, both at taxpayer expense.

FIRIS parent Scott Hedges interviewed on Joy FM

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