For those concerned at atheists organising: I would like to explain my position on the matter in hope it might allay your fears of being burnt at the stake for postasy.

I joined the AFA a couple of years ago because they are working toward goals I share. Collective effort can achieve more than the sum effort of the individuals, so it makes sense to add my resources and energy to a larger entity headed my way.

The reason I don't see a parallel between my joinging the AFA and joining a religion is that I can leave at any time without penalty. If the AFA adopts a policy I am not happy with or its members begin to behave in a way I find reprehensible, I can reprehend them with impunity and rescind my membership without threats of temporal discrimination, or of eternal damnation, being made against me. I do not rely on the AFA for my ethics. The AFA doesn't try to tell me how to feel about issues or how to act toward women or gay people, or that I should try to make converts. Again, if they start up with any such nonsense, I and my support are gone in short order.
Many people who subscribe to religions are told how to act and what to think and they lack the freedom to simply walk away. So long as they believe, the dual threats of punishment for disobedience and the withholding of rewards alleged to stem from acquiescence hang over them.

You have nothing to fear from this convention unless you are indulging in unjustified prejudice or soaking up tax payer's money as part of your religious practices.

On the matter of prejudice: someone asked if atheists would seek to control whether or not people can be prejudiced. This, besides being impossible, is not desirable. You have a right to be a bigoted jerk if you choose. Be as prejudiced as you like. You just shouldn't expect tax breaks or government grants to help you in your discrimination, and you shouldn't expect respect for your efforts.

If theists are so certain and self-assured about how right their beliefs are, then why do they seem so threatened by the very mention of atheists.

I would imagine that any true-believers would just laugh it off and move on but nothing seems to rile them more than somebody else daring to disagree with them - as if that would have any affect on their lives whatsoever.

Since there are no arguments for the conversion of atheists in these discussions then maybe the constant assertion and declaration of belief really is an indication of personal fear and doubt.

I don't see the need for a convention however. It's like a gathering of people whose hobby is "not collecting stamps".

I do see the need for a convention. I see it in the myriad of people that discuss the issues their family are confronting in the education system and social circles (and this extends into economical circles especially in rural towns, as has been my experience)

The numbers of atheists speaking out, coming out and getting together to discuss issues is why there is a convention.

Of course the religious and those not influenced by religion go 'what are you going to talk about?' because of exactly that. The convention is simply a reflection of the huge amount of people that are sick of religious influence and privilege, and (as we have seen in the previous posts) sick of the arrogant, misinformed and bigoted approaches those that hold faith positions present as soon as people organise that do not hold their convictions.

wobbles,

Unless that gathering had a problem with people who do collect stamps, and organised themselves to stop the collecting of stamps - or to argue against the practice.

I'm an atheist/agnostic/whatever, yet I'm wondering why the need for a convention?

It's not to stop people from collecting stamps, it's to discuss the issues regarding stamp collectors (religious) having rights above and beyond others in our society.

There are myriads of issues, one of them is the estimated 35 billion given in tax exemptions (outside of their charity arms) given to religious organisations simply because of their belief.

If stamp collectors had tax exemptions, exemptions from many of the anti-discrimination laws, stamp collectors in our schools to offer 'support' to children where it was advertised that one had to be affiliated to a local stamp club, undoubtably I would be going to a non stamp collecting convention as well, to discusss these issues and point out how it is totally unfair that simply having a belief in a super stamp gives people privilege over others.

So I think it ridiculous the arguments that somehow pointing out such beliefs do not warrant privilege over others is approached with mainly theists whining that 'those non stamp collectors want to wipe out stamp collecting!'

It's ridiculous, if the stamp collectors in the analogy didn't intrude into decision making, didn't claim rights above and beyond others, there would be no convention. No one would care what stamp collectors do in the privacy of their stamp collecting club.

<I joined the AFA a couple of years ago because they are working toward goals I share>.

Diver Matt,
this sounds promising. Can I ask you to expand a little on what these goals are?