Oddly enough, it's the same one you live in, Mr Nichols.

>>Pericles, You certainly live in you own little world.<<

To understand the degree to which your evangelizing of atheism has succeeded, here's a comment referring to the Ddos attack, following the Age's article.

"This is religious persecution, and should be prosecuted as such"

Whether you like it or not, that is the effect you are having. And I for one do not regard it as healthy. Even if I am a minority of one, you will not change my opinion on the way you promote the public face of atheism through your organization.

>>What do you consider is the best method for Atheists who are aware that religion is restricting human rights in society, to advance that knowledge to other Atheists and to the wider public?<<

You see, that's where we have a problem, right there.

Everybody in this country, of whatever religion or none, has identical voting rights. The relevance of atheism to this objective is therefore moot.

Your objection, fundamentally, is to preferential treatment for organized religion.

All avenues of redress are open to you, including using your Association to lobby the appropriate politicians.

But the religions did not get their preferential treatment from either i) advertising on the sides of buses or ii) holding seminars.

You believe that you can have a greater impact by using the label capital-A-Atheism to justify your political stances. My own view is that it has the exact opposite effect.

It is possible to make a perfectly reasonable case for the scrapping of tax breaks, or the revision of school curricila. By identifying yourself up front as an atheist, you allow your enemies to take free shots - not at the proposal itself, but at the "belief system" behind it.

Look, it is clear we are never going to agree on this, so I will now leave you with a clear field - you and your disciples have "won", Mr Nicholls, and I hope the "victory" makes you feel very good inside.

Although I will continue to respond to insults.

Oh Pericles, poor thing being victimised for standing up for what you think is right are you? But Pericles! You are being political doing so! Can't have that now can we? It's people responding to your ignorance regarding the facts and pointing at exactly where your conclusions are based on false information, with links and specifics. Most of all of it has not been opinion, but documented fact with opinion about it, pointed out over and over again to yourself. Your in denial.

But, as you say, the vast majority appear to not side with your opinion on the matter, and thus the call for equality grows.

Any stance on any topic is political Pericles, by the very nature of it. Unless you define political only within the tiny scope of party politics.

The fact is, atheists are having a large impact, and folk such as yourself and the theists find this very confronting, it shakes up their world views as they don't really think to deeply about their convictions. They aren't prepared to change their position on things given enough evidence, and fall back to denying it, and name calling.

So your approach is very religious in this regard I must say, hence you continue sticking to your point that 'atheism is turning religious'

lol :) sigh, your not alone unfortunately .. read any fundie site for the same view.

Pericles,

I hope you realise my position does not allow me to insult you in a manner you deserve.

Atheism is doing OK without your negativity about nothing. Tilting at windmills seems to overtaken you psyche to the point of obsession.

You really should read your own stuff; it’s quite embarrassing. I am reasonably sure that not many Atheists or religious folk would think your style of Atheism is one of your more attractive attributes.

Something that is nothing is always hard to define or classify.

David

Thanks for your entirely fatuous contribution, Gee Suss, which matches perfectly your entirely fatuous pseudonym.

I don't feel at all victimized, thank you for your concern.

I feel sorry for people who cannot see how they are driving a perfectly serviceable bus over a cliff. But that's just me.

>>It's people responding to your ignorance regarding the facts and pointing at exactly where your conclusions are based on false information, with links and specifics.<<

As I said before, without contradiction, the "facts" here are not at issue. I certainly haven't taken issue with any facts. Only the opinions of some people on the relevance of those facts.

>>atheists are having a large impact, and folk such as yourself and the theists find this very confronting<<

You see, that's just illogical, as well as inaccurate.

It stems from your assumption - and that of Mr Nicholls - that anything you do or say in the name of atheism must by definition be right.

I do not find the "impact of atheism" as you describe it at all confronting. It does cause dome people to do and say stupid things sometimes, but that's not confronting. Merely deserving of sympathy.

>>So your approach is very religious in this regard I must say, hence you continue sticking to your point that 'atheism is turning religious<<

Well of course you must say that.

Your default position is that if I don't agree with you, I must be a closet christian, by definition, eh? Did you think of that one all on your own?

And Mr Nicholls himself is back. Hi.

>>I hope you realise my position does not allow me to insult you in a manner you deserve<<

That's really funny, given your previous remarks on this thread.

Insults, combined with a somewhat clumsy line in personal denigration, seem to be your primary defence against dissent.

No Pericles,

Against stupidity!

David

Update on the convention, websites have been attacked and taken offline:

http://www.theage.com.au/technology/security/cyber-attacks-smite-atheist-websites-20091021-h7ul.html?autostart=1