Speakers and crowd at the Equal Love National Day of Action
Yesterday I attended the Equal Love National Day of Action in Brisbane. I estimate that around 200-300 people attended, although I’m prone to overestimating when counting people. (For the record, I’m also prone to overestimating when catering for a party, so you’ll never go hungry at my place.) A number of my friends from Twitter were these as well and it was great to be involved in something that is very important and very now.
Something I feel needs to be shouted from the rooftop is that despite some media reports, the protesters were not all gay and lesbian people. Australians everywhere need to realise that straight Australians also support this movement and the right for same sex couples to get married.
Either: marriage is a religious rite, held exclusively by clergy; or: marriage is between two consenting adults. That is all.
I had never really thought about it this way until I read it yesterday. If it is the former, then as an Atheist my marriage is a sham and a fraud. If marriage is a religious rite, as the churches and other interest groups are quick to proclaim, then we shouldn’t have gotten married.
Natalie and I got married because we love each other and we wanted to proclaim that love to the world. We also wanted to officially record that we were committed to each other. We had a civil ceremony held by a marriage celebrant (Natalie’s godmother actually) and it was beautiful. It had nothing to do with God, Allah, Jehovah or any other deity.
If we are allowed to have a wedding and be atheists, then why can’t same sex couples (regardless of their religious beliefs) have this option too. We live in a secular world. Marriage must be between two consenting adults of any sex, any race, and any creed.
It’s a shame Kevin Rudd doesn’t see it that way, but there is something you can to do help.
There is currently a Senate Enquiry into the Marriage Equality Amendment Bill 2009, the bill being recently introduced into the Senate by Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young. (Readers will know that I don’t agree with the Greens on everything, but this is something I can get behind.) Make a submission to the enquiry and make your voice heard. Tell other people you know about this.
Let the rest of Australia know that this isn’t fair and cannot stand the way it is. Let those who think they are alone in their support know that they are not, so that we can all come together as one voice. Together, we can beat this oppression and bring about a monumental change to the rights of all Australians.
Let’s do this now. It’s the 21st century after all!
At work the other day, we were discussing a colleague’s new man. He has told her he is an atheist, and so my interest piques. Another one pipes up, declaring that you have to believe there is something out there, even if you don’t call it God. I reply that I’m quite happy believing that there is nothing else but science involved. Again I’m rebuffed, and reminded that our moral conscious is derived from the Ten Commandments.
For those playing along at home, the Ten Commandments are (from Wikipedia, accessed 22-02-2009):
a list of religious and moral imperatives that, according to Judeo-Christian tradition, were authored by God and given to Moses on the mountain referred to as “Mount Sinai” (Exodus 19:23) or “Horeb” (Deuteronomy 5:2) in the form of two stone tablets. They feature prominently in Judaism and Christianity.
Obviously I’m wrong! How could there possibility be no God since Moses came down from a mountain and brought two stone tablets bearing His inscription? So I countered with the argument that perhaps the Ten Commandments were written with the current moral code of the time with additional items for religious reasons. They wondered about this and thought it might be so. But there was still definitely something there!
So to this end I left the conversation as they started to talk about the first person’s man and his beliefs. I think she is probably agnostic anyway so it should work out if he doesn’t mind. At least he might have a chance to give her the facts as he seems them.
I also find it strange that just because I don’t believe in there being a creator and a omnipotent God, people don’t understand that I can enjoy reading of the pomp and ceremony that is found in religions. Religions are very fascinating to me and provide an insight into the human mind unlike any other.
I don’t begrudge someone having their belief system. You may choose to be a Christian, Jew, Muslim, Buddist, Hindu, Hare Krishna, Jehovah’s Witness or whatever it is you wish to believe in. I guess I’d even say that if you want to be a Scientologist, I can’t stop you – although I would recommend it. Just don’t try to paint me with the same brush.
I believe in science and I have belief in human beings. I know that in each of us is a moral fibre, handed down from generation to generation. We can’t leave it up to another being or higher power (or even politicians and priests) to tell us what is right and wrong. It is up to all of us, the entire community, to teach kids the right way to live. You can differ on the finer points but still know what is wrong and what is right. That is where morals come from, not religion or stone tablets.
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) – A group of atheists has filed a lawsuit in
Kentucky seeking to remove God from the state’s homeland security
detail.
American Atheists Inc. filed the lawsuit in Frankfort on Tuesday, claiming Kentucky violated the Constitution by enacting a law in 2006 that stresses God’s role in protecting the state.
Of particular concern to American Atheists is a clause that requires the Office of Homeland Security to post a plaque that says the safety of the state “cannot be achieved apart from reliance upon Almighty God.”
…
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Read the comments. It’ll make you chuckle. I particularly liked this one:
Posted by: shelia Location: pikeville,ky on Dec 5, 2008 at 05:18 AM People better WAKE UP . When We remove GOD from our lifes There is no life left .. Wake up AMERICA who you think made this place we call AMERICA …GOD did and you want to throw him out of it .. Who do you think you are .. We better run this person out of AMERICA cause …. THIS person is fron the devil for sure
I’ve been reading Richard Dawkins’ book The God Delusion. And no, I don’t make no money from that link. The book has really opened my eyes to the world. I come from a Christian background but have been a “non-believer” for a while now.
The God Delusion is taking me in another direction. It shows you the arguements that have been used throughout the ages to defend religion. It gives you thinks to think about while giving referenced facts balanced against the opinion of an emminent Atheist.
It’s Christian-view focus worked well for me due to my background. My wife has said previously it helped her see that she wasn’t alone in the world view. It certainly opened my eyes. Wide open.
