The Atheist Foundation of Australia Inc is to complain to the Tasmanian Anti-discrimination Commissioner following the refusal of Metro Tasmania, a State owned bus company, to display its advertisements.

President of the Foundation, David Nicholls said: “Following legal advice we have decided to lodge the complaint. It is unfortunate the AFA has to go down this path to achieve justice. However, there is no grudge involved here, just a simple matter of what is right.”

David Nicholls said atheists worldwide have an important message for humanity and one that is quite urgent. He said the denial of an opportunity to express that message on Public Transport had possibly resulted from unfounded concerns in executive decision making. Mr Nicholls said he expected a good outcome to the complaint and envisaged the slogan, “Atheism - Celebrate reason! Sleep in on Sunday mornings” to soon be on a bus near you.

Hobart lawyer James Crotty has been retained to advise on the complaint.

www.atheistfoundation.org.au

oh dear
you poor athiests
discriminated because you tried to discriminate thiests beliefs as being un-reaonable
of course you need lawyers
you got no case

please if your going to keep producing these puff pieces
put up some points that prove your athiesm,
at least try to make a point
put up some proof of your disbelief

law isnt proof
law judges facts
you got no facts

being refused seems be be your talking point
but athiesism is your belief
god is mine

lets debate who's be;lief has made who a better person
#
#because you got no real reason ,no fact ,only the ones you are trying yo push that your being disciminated against for not allowing your mess-age ,to call all believers 'unreasonable]

you do know the other athiest court case [about being allowed to point out error [gaps] in evolution was not tested by the gaps in this theory called a science[but ruled as a violation of the rules forbiding the teaching of religion in public schoold[evolution or creastionism wasnt'on trial' teaching about god in public schools was

and now its discrimination[when athiest would ban god all together [talk about descrima-tory]

the teachers didnt talk about god[only the gaps revealed in ya theory]

you guys 'seem to be' winning[yet still feel discriminated AGAINST?
LOL

Dear David,

Good Luck with your case.

It will be interesting to see whether
individual Australians are indeed free and
equal, and can enjoy basic freedoms -
such as belief, speech, or not to follow
a religion.

After all citizens are supposed to be equal
regardless of their beliefs.

Let's just wait and see whether this is in
fact the case...

Foxy,

Thanks for your support. I always appreciate your slant on the OLO forums. Unfortunately, all citizens are not equal, as this case demonstrates.

I thought ‘under one god’ stating that “you guys ‘seem to be’ winning” has missed the whole point. What is winning, if we have to use that language, is that with broad based education and decreasing amounts of religious indoctrination, children are ‘winning’ in that they mature into adults with the probability heightened of reaching their full and non-impeded potential in greater numbers than ever before in the history of humanity.

This can only be good for people and the planet.

David

It will be interesting to see the outcome David. I can't see how it wouldn't be supported under the current discrimination legislation but stranger things have happened.

Surely if all manner of religious banners are allowed then anyone else with a different viewpoint should be able to do likewise.

My guess would be the bus authority does not want to face the inevitable barrage of criticism from religious groups and there might be a perceived risk of legal action no matter how dubious the claims.

As much as I agree with the AFA'a position, I think the bus advert campaign is needlessly provocative and reeks of arrogance. People pursue religion out of fear, not reason. An aggressive advertising campaign will make even the agnostic worried that the AFA is out to rob them of their comforting beliefs. A subtler approach is needed.

Also, the AFA does itself no favours by engaging in arguments in forums like this one. Policy statements are one thing, but for the organisation to get involved in tit-for-tat s--tfights degrades its credibility.