Australia Elected An Athiest Prime Minister

[Roll the Bones 74]

Gillard won't play religion cardABC June 29, 2010, 12:40 pm Prime Minister Julia Gillard says she has no intention of pretending to believe in God to attract religiously-inclined voters.Former prime minister Kevin Rudd was a regular at Canberra church services and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott is known as a devout Catholic.In contrast, Ms Gillard says that while she greatly respects other people's religious views, she does not believe in God.Ms Gillard has been quizzed on personal topics including her attitude to religion and her relationship with her partner during interviews this morning.She says does not go through religious rituals for the sake of appearance."I am not going to pretend a faith I don't feel," she said."I am what I am and people will judge that."For people of faith, I think the greatest compliment I could pay to them is to respect their genuinely held beliefs and not to engage in some pretence about mine.""I grew up in the Christian church, a Christian background. I won prizes for catechism, for being able to remember Bible verses. I am steeped in that tradition, but I've made decisions in my adult life about my own views."I'm worried about the national interest. About doing the right thing by Australians. And I'll allow people to form their own views about whatever is going to drive their views."What I can say to Australians broadly of course is I believe you can be a person of strong principle and values from a variety of perspectives."Meanwhile Ms Gillard has rejected claims that she is soft on Israel.Former ambassador to Israel Ross Burns made the accusation in a letter to the Sydney Morning Herald, the Fairfax press reported.Ms Gillard's partner Tim Mathieson works for prominent pro-Israel lobbyist Albert Dadon's real estate company Urbertas Group."I've seen that letter to the newspapers, that's not right," Ms Gillard said today."I've made up my own views about Israel and made them known publicly well before there was any suggestion that my partner would work in a property group associated with Mr Dadon."Source: http://au.news.yahoo...-religion-card/

[CaneBrain 95]

Chaos will reign within 3 years, obv.

[Roll the Bones 74]

Chaos will reign within 3 years, obv.

haha, obviously.I do think this is huge step in the right direction finally. My anti-religon arguement would probably go something like this...1) There exists a strong human predisposition to achieve societal dominance over others.2) There are a number of "tools" that can be used to manipulate others into joining such efforts at Mass Subjugation and justifying the torture and murder of those who don't join and submit.3) Religion, because of its effect of creating the delusion of moral superiority, is one of the most powerful tools in the Mass-Subjugation Tool Kit. (The most powerful, IMO.)4) As a result, religion has been used repeatedly throughout human history as the cause and justification for wars and purges and genocides and oppressions that have killed and subjugated untold millions.5) Thus, we should get rid of religion and embrace our morality as a natural, non-religious and cherished human quality that fosters creation, progress and harmony for us and our future generations. I agree that racism and territorial nationality are huge sources of wars and bloodshed. However, we can't escape the fact that in most race-based and territorial disputes, religion has played an insidious behind-the-scenes role in giving warmaking leaders the delusion of the "moral high ground" in their campaigns of violence.I don't go so far as to proclaim that I'm absolutely right, but I think, ultimately, there would be less violence without religion.If we're left to the pure pragmatic problem of how to survive and prosper and further the species without the delusional and fictitious illusion that we can assume some sort of absolute righteousness over others because "god" is on our side, then I tend to think rationality has a better chance of growing and spreading and allowing peace to prevail.A world of superstition fosters irrational violence.

[vbnautilus 48]

I don't go so far as to proclaim that I'm absolutely right, but I think, ultimately, there would be less violence without religion.If we're left to the pure pragmatic problem of how to survive and prosper and further the species without the delusional and fictitious illusion that we can assume some sort of absolute righteousness over others because "god" is on our side, then I tend to think rationality has a better chance of growing and spreading and allowing peace to prevail.A world of superstition fosters irrational violence.

Even if religion reduces violence, it is still false.

[brvheart 1,752]

Even if religion reduces violence, it is still false.

allegedly

[colonel Feathers 5]

haha, obviously.I do think this is huge step in the right direction finally. My anti-religon arguement would probably go something like this...1) There exists a strong human predisposition to achieve societal dominance over others.2) There are a number of "tools" that can be used to manipulate others into joining such efforts at Mass Subjugation and justifying the torture and murder of those who don't join and submit.3) Religion, because of its effect of creating the delusion of moral superiority, is one of the most powerful tools in the Mass-Subjugation Tool Kit. (The most powerful, IMO.)4) As a result, religion has been used repeatedly throughout human history as the cause and justification for wars and purges and genocides and oppressions that have killed and subjugated untold millions.5) Thus, we should get rid of religion and embrace our morality as a natural, non-religious and cherished human quality that fosters creation, progress and harmony for us and our future generations. I agree that racism and territorial nationality are huge sources of wars and bloodshed. However, we can't escape the fact that in most race-based and territorial disputes, religion has played an insidious behind-the-scenes role in giving warmaking leaders the delusion of the "moral high ground" in their campaigns of violence.I don't go so far as to proclaim that I'm absolutely right, but I think, ultimately, there would be less violence without religion.If we're left to the pure pragmatic problem of how to survive and prosper and further the species without the delusional and fictitious illusion that we can assume some sort of absolute righteousness over others because "god" is on our side, then I tend to think rationality has a better chance of growing and spreading and allowing peace to prevail.A world of superstition fosters irrational violence.

hAHA he said Subjugation more than once. bwahaa