Proof of concept: it went well.
You can make a random selection of garden variety atheists and hear substantive, humanitarian ideas expressed sincerely. No book burning rhetoric, no anti-theistic sentiments, just five voices speaking to desires for the future of Australian society.
With one speaker ill and one a no-show, I read two pieces. One from Marnie Simpson, who couldn't attend, being crook, and one from an anonymous contributor who is unwilling to make their atheism public due to concerns reagrding their employment. Both were well written and thoughtful, and even had the evening been a complete dud, getting these people's ideas crystalised to that extent would seem worthwhile to me. I recommend the exercise to anyone who wants to see a change in the way religion affects their community in their lifetime, as it makes the verbs show up clearly.
Four of the presentations covered very similar ground, and while this redundancy of message could be considered dull for an audience, I came away from the evening with the message that average atheists are independently able to come to the same central conclusion and to express it well - people are free to believe what they like, but not to impose the outcomes of those beliefs on those who do not share them.
The hardest part of getting this event together was sourcing the audience. The size of the venue had me concerned that an open invitation could see us swamped, so I sent out invitations asking for a handful of representatives from each major religion and denomination represented in the Melbourne community. In spite of lip service given to a desire for dialogue, few theists were eager to hear from average atheists. Some of those I approached have written or spoken at length about what atheists are and what they want, but did not even return emails or phone calls about an event which could offer them direct access to the people their words attempt to characterise. Accounting for apologies given for illness and other hurdles to attendance, only a third of those who agreed to attend actually turned up, leaving the theists in the audience outnumbered by the atheist speakers and their friends. Happily, the presentations led to discussions I would like to see carried forward with the congregations represented. Sadly, the congregations represented are probably those least likely to be surprised by what they heard on the night, but it's a start, and I'm happy with that.
Events in other cities? An event in a larger venue with an openly advertised invitation? Events with different religions, or denominations within a religion? I'm open to ideas from all comers.
You can make a random selection of garden variety atheists and hear substantive, humanitarian ideas expressed sincerely. No book burning rhetoric, no anti-theistic sentiments, just five voices speaking to desires for the future of Australian society.
With one speaker ill and one a no-show, I read two pieces. One from Marnie Simpson, who couldn't attend, being crook, and one from an anonymous contributor who is unwilling to make their atheism public due to concerns reagrding their employment. Both were well written and thoughtful, and even had the evening been a complete dud, getting these people's ideas crystalised to that extent would seem worthwhile to me. I recommend the exercise to anyone who wants to see a change in the way religion affects their community in their lifetime, as it makes the verbs show up clearly.
Four of the presentations covered very similar ground, and while this redundancy of message could be considered dull for an audience, I came away from the evening with the message that average atheists are independently able to come to the same central conclusion and to express it well - people are free to believe what they like, but not to impose the outcomes of those beliefs on those who do not share them.
The hardest part of getting this event together was sourcing the audience. The size of the venue had me concerned that an open invitation could see us swamped, so I sent out invitations asking for a handful of representatives from each major religion and denomination represented in the Melbourne community. In spite of lip service given to a desire for dialogue, few theists were eager to hear from average atheists. Some of those I approached have written or spoken at length about what atheists are and what they want, but did not even return emails or phone calls about an event which could offer them direct access to the people their words attempt to characterise. Accounting for apologies given for illness and other hurdles to attendance, only a third of those who agreed to attend actually turned up, leaving the theists in the audience outnumbered by the atheist speakers and their friends. Happily, the presentations led to discussions I would like to see carried forward with the congregations represented. Sadly, the congregations represented are probably those least likely to be surprised by what they heard on the night, but it's a start, and I'm happy with that.
Events in other cities? An event in a larger venue with an openly advertised invitation? Events with different religions, or denominations within a religion? I'm open to ideas from all comers.
