Polycarp wrote:

No David..your 'celebrate reason' is NOT a positive slogan.
It vilifies Believers in God... suggesting they are not reasonable.

Dear Polycarp:

Christianity regards faith as a virtue. This opposes reason. You want to have it both ways. Believers in God have put faith above reason. The slogan is not vilification any more than my calling the Holocaust applied Christianity made possible by the centuries of hate promoted by Christianity is vilification.

Unfortunately you seem to regard an inconvenient truth as vilification.

However, I do appreciate your regard for the environment.

There you go, Mr Nicholls.

>>If you don't want such outcomes.. then support me, and other Christians to get RID OF the "Racial and Religious Vilification Act".<<

Now you have Boaz fighting in your corner.

His approach is matched by Greg Clark of the Macquarie Institute of Christian Studies who followed you in your abc interview. Greg supported your campaign on the basis that it prompted religious thoughts in the public - "if you can stop and contemplate God for a moment as a bus whizzes past, your day's all the better for it."

Does this not suggest that maybe - just maybe - the entire campaign has not been thought through very carefully?

I know you get horribly sulky when anyone suggests this to you...

>>The armchair reaction to the intended bus slogans is understandable, expected and frankly, dismissed as irrelevant<<

But might it not be worth it, if you were to take time out to don the waistcoat of humility, wrap around your neck the cravat of objectivity, and take a good look at yourself in the mirror of real life?

Forlorn hope, I know.

David,

I would have thought the action unconstitutional. Why don't you request an ajudidacion from the Commonwealth Attorney General's Department?

Under separation of Church and State, it seems strange, that the State is acting in loco parentis for Religion.

I assume there was no offensive wording or imagery.

Very shicking news, with implications, beyond the religiosity debate.

- Oly.

Poly,

If the State can intervene against Bus adventising, that action, is not far removed from the State stopping Churches placing verses from the Bible on outside, Billboards, which many do.

Both Atheists and Religionists have the right to free speech in a democracy.

- Ol

Hi Folks,

Thanks for the kind words and other comment. The claim that 68% percentage of Australians is Christian is spurious. This should be obvious even to those whose reasoning ability is somewhat hampered by pre-ordained beliefs. If one were advocating a proposition under the banner of some moral high ground, then one would be irresponsible to use patently incorrect information.

Using figures obtained from a leading question in the census and disregarding that many people fill that question out robotically with religion of baptism when that may not hold true presently, and taking into account that 20% (4 million) of that figure is from children under the age of 14 who are not mentally equipped to even understand the question beyond parental influence, does not reflect good ethical behaviour.

Yes, the company in question may be lulled into thinking the 68% figure is correct, but Christianity ought to get its act together and stop using, what is tantamount to lying, false figures that unwarrantedly enhance their actual numerical numbers.

David

david f,

"Christianity regards faith as a virtue. This opposes reason."

Are you saying that vilification for the purpose of anti-discrimination legislation allows a defence of establishing that there is some evidence which could have led to you having an honest belief? In other words if you attributed stupidity to a group and could establish a lower average IQ for the group you'd be fine or if you said that a religion promotes violence and supported it with a literal interpretation of their religious book you'd be fine?

Also, can you also please explain your comment further. Why does regarding faith as a virtue oppose reason? Does this include reasonable faith? If not then is it reasonable to exclude reasonable faith in such an assertion? What if your belief (or belief system if applicable) lacks a fundamental requirement that you to consider your faith a virtue but you take the initiative and demonstrate that you consider it a virtue? Would you comment apply?

David,

Does the Foundation have the resources to lease a Bus or buy an old bus paint a message on its and drive around the capital cities?

Why find out the advertising company for World Youth Day and approach them. If you are turned, see a lawyer.

O.