pelican,

There is nothing in any Act in Australia covering this type of discrimination. If a company does not wish to advertise, they do not even have to give reasons. The laws and regulation that do exist are more to do with discrimination on the grounds of ethnicity, gender and religious vilification.

As ‘human interest’ has pointed out there is an investigation into ‘Freedom of belief and religion in the 21st Century in Australia’. http://www.hreoc.gov.au/frb/index.html Nowhere in the accompanying literature is it mentioned about ‘freedom from religion’ or the rights of those with no beliefs.

The AFA has sent a submission encompassing those thoughts, as have others. The call for submissions is for anyone and I would urge those interested to send, even a small letter, pointing out this serious ‘oversight’. The commission has four people of religious persuasion in place but there is no representation from the secular side of society.

It would appear that religion has so blinded the population that even people of faith are accepting this situation as being OK. It is not. It is a demonstration of the power of religion. It can lull its adherents into accepting the unacceptable.

If we had a decent Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Act, giving religion no special favours and privileges, the AFA advertisement would encounter no problems. The British have one and that is why they are not encumbered by the same trouble we have in Australia.

david f,

I do realise that this is all tongue in cheek stuff. ;)

David the beloved

"‘Atheism – Celebrate reason!’"
I like that! This short slogan would look great on car bumper stickers, too.

On my way to the train station this morning, there was a car in front of me displaying an Catch the Fire bumper sticker, reading:
"Australia for Jesus"

I think car stickers are a great idea and I'll look out for an atheist one.
I found a few stickers on a US site. I'll have another look if something like these are available in Australia, otherwise perhaps with this bus campaign, the AFA could have some stickers made if funding allows it, and sell them from your website. I'd buy one!
I don't think they cost that much to have them made especially when you buy bulk.

A few sticker slogans I took from US sites:
Can I teach evolution in your church?
Dare to think for yourself.
Darwin Day- February 12.
Don't believe everything you think.
Don't pray in our school and I won't think in your church.
Evolution: From hunter-gatherer to browser-purchaser.
Faith is believing what you know ain't so.
Born Again Atheist.
Born OK the first time.
What schools need is a moment of science.
Atheism is: Myth Understood.
Atheism cures religious terrorism.
When religion ruled the world they called it The Dark Ages.

"I would urge those interested to send, even a small letter, pointing out this serious ‘oversight’."
Great suggestion, I've just send them an email.

Good idea Celivia.

I wouldn't put one on my car in the US, you would probably find your car defaced pretty quickly at best and at worst shot at. :)

"I wouldn't put one on my car in the US, you would probably find your car defaced pretty quickly at best and at worst shot at. :)"

... Yes, I had my car defaced in Roma, as a result of displaying criticism of the election of the Howard government - religious zealots are likely to react even more dramatically than those of the self-centred right ... yet, isn't that the very reason that we have to become increasingly public? Someone has to do something to combat the normalised acceptance of irrationality as a basis for our social institutions, law, and culture.

Pelican wrote:

"I wouldn't put one on my car in the US, you would probably find your car defaced pretty quickly at best and at worst shot at. :)"

Dear Pelican,

Look at a map of the US with the counties coloured according to their votes in the recent election. The counties coloured the reddest are those voting most heavily for McCain. The red is a scar in the southeastern United States. It is there where your car is in most danger if it has an atheist bumper sticker. A New York Times story reported an inhabitant of that area stating that it was not Christian to have a black man in the White House. In many areas of the US your car would be quite safe. The US is a large and diverse country where the religious right was repudiated in this month's election.

"I wouldn't put one on my car in the US, you would probably find your car defaced pretty quickly at best and at worst shot at. :)"

LOL, Pelican.
But I have a solution.
Right next to the atheist sticker, stick a second sticker that reads:

"GOD IS WATCHING YOU!"