Jesus wept.(if you'll forgive the expression)

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

Australia has one National newspaper,'The Australian'. I buy the special week end edition for the column by their token atheist lefty, Philip Adams,the reviews and the TV guide. Sometimes there are some entertaining American bashing articles.

I always begin with the letters section. Today there were three attacks on a letter by David Nicholls,president of the Australian Atheist Foundation.

The first attacked atheists for their lack of reason and refusal to accept that some things are 'beyond nature' (huh?)

The next declared atheism is a religion.

The last letter was apoplectic about "brutal atheist regimes"

All I can say in response is that it is letters such as those which reinforce my misanthropy.


PS I'm tempted to write a rebuttal, including "Hitler was a Catholic", but they never publish my letters.

[Azazylix]

They're hypocrites, but I don't think there's much we can do about these (quote Richard Dawkins) "above all, well-financed ignoramuses". Perhaps we should look forward to the day we could look into their sorry eyes and told them they had it coming?

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

It seems like the Australian Atheist Foundation needs to get their facts straight. They seem to have their head up their asses.

Not sure what you mean. Was I ambiguous or are you taking the piss? In any case, I urge you not to judge the foundation on the basis of anything I say;I merely express my opinion.

Overall I think the foundation is very much on the ball,and certainly has lot more influence than any American equivalent. Recently the foundation forced both local and Federal governments to defend their decisions not to fund the upcoming atheist conference in Sydney as they funded that appalling multi church circus recently.

I'm confident all levels of governments in Australia will soon be forced to fund a range of atheist and humanist events.One public school here has already introduced ethics classes instead of RE as a choice..The Australian Atheist Foundation is a major lobbyist for important social changes and in human rights in this country. Like the US, Australia does not have a functioning political left. We have the right and the centre, just like the US,except our extreme right occasionally has lucid moments.

[chatpilot]

Actually, I am sorry about that padraic I misunderstood your post. I thought that they had made the following statements:

The first attacked atheists for their lack of reason and refusal to accept that some things are 'beyond nature' (huh?)

The next declared atheism is a religion.

The last letter was apoplectic about "brutal atheist regimes"

I did not realize that the foundation was being attacked by someone else. I therefore retract my last post and agree with you wholeheartedly. I have deleted that last post because I think that I read your post too fast and came to those erroneous conclusions.

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

Actually, I am sorry about that padraic I misunderstood your post. I thought that they had made the following statements:

The first attacked atheists for their lack of reason and refusal to accept that some things are 'beyond nature' (huh?)

The next declared atheism is a religion.

The last letter was apoplectic about "brutal atheist regimes"

I did not realize that the foundation was being attacked by someone else. I therefore retract my last post and agree with you wholeheartedly. I have deleted that last post because I think that I read your post too fast and came to those erroneous conclusions.

Oh good, although not a member,I respect Nicholls and many of the members.

[ib.me.ub]

Australia has one National newspaper,'The Australian'. I buy the special week end edition for the column by their token atheist lefty, Philip Adams,the reviews and the TV guide. Sometimes there are some entertaining American bashing articles.
I always begin with the letters section. Today there were three attacks on a letter by David Nicholls,president of the Australian Atheist Foundation.
The first attacked atheists for their lack of reason and refusal to accept that some things are 'beyond nature' (huh?)
The next declared atheism is a religion.
The last letter was apoplectic about "brutal atheist regimes"
All I can say in response is that it is letters such as those which reinforce my misanthropy.
PS I'm tempted to write a rebuttal, including "Hitler was a Catholic", but they never publish my letters.

I wonder why they don't publish your letters?

[LEDO]

Australia has one National newspaper,'The Australian'. I buy the special week end edition for the column by their token atheist lefty, Philip Adams,the reviews and the TV guide. Sometimes there are some entertaining American bashing articles.
I always begin with the letters section. Today there were three attacks on a letter by David Nicholls,president of the Australian Atheist Foundation.
The first attacked atheists for their lack of reason and refusal to accept that some things are 'beyond nature' (huh?)
The next declared atheism is a religion.
The last letter was apoplectic about "brutal atheist regimes"
All I can say in response is that it is letters such as those which reinforce my misanthropy.
PS I'm tempted to write a rebuttal, including "Hitler was a Catholic", but they never publish my letters.

I wonder why they don't publish your letters?

As someone who has written hundreds of letters to various newspapers, let me give you some advice. First, the shorter the letter, the easier it is to get published. The second thing that helps is a lack of personal attacks. You might not even mention the other letter.

Short and sweet and to the point. Science knows of nothing beyond nature, there is no frame of reference in Quantum Physics for such a thing. Atheism is derived from the greek a-theism. The prefix "A" means "not" or "no." By definition and construction of the very word atheism precludes it from being a religion, but is a lack of religion. However, atheists are not dumb. They conduct themselves as a relligion to enjoy the same tax free status. Only by a legal definition are they a "religion." Also consider using "em dash" to connect thoughts. It is typically considered bad writing style, but it saves space. Editorial writers are in love with it.

Atheists had Stalin and Mao. Christians had Hitler and Nixon. Which is worse? You wouldn't stop using light bulbs because they were invented by an atheist (Edison) would you? Would you stop reading Mark Twain because he was an atheist? Would you stop voting for conservatives becasue Ayn Rand was an atheist?

Keep the letter short, factual, and a bit humerous. People will want to read your letters if they entertain as well as inform. And try to do it in about 200 words or less. If you go beyond 300 words, trash it and start over. (Also good advice for long winded forum posters.)

[Tiberius]

Actually the greek word it stems from is 'atheos', not 'a-theism'. The prefix 'a' means 'without', the 'theos' meaning God.

So by definition, the word atheism does not make it a "lack of religion". Atheists can be religious (some Buddhists spring to mind), but what the word means is literally "without God". A person "without God". A religion, of course, requires more than just that. A religion requires a specific dogma to follow, and usually a metaphysical explanation for the state of things in the universe (and the universe itself).

That is why atheism (and theism) is not a religion.

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

@LEDO

Thanks.

I have never written more than 100 words or attacked others in letters. I also keep the language simple. The paper regularly prints rebuttals of letters. I can't accuse the letters editor of excessive biased as they print all views. I suspect wit and more brevity is called for,they like puns and 25 words.

You have encourage me,I will keep trying.

[Edwardo Piet]

Encouragement FTW!

EvF