the god deniers pathetic attempts to explain origins shows what blind faith people they really are. With numerous posts on the topic of evolution the best they can come up with is a big bang. These ego driven men and women that meet in the name of atheism are no different from the numerous other times in history where arrogant self righteous men wave puny fists at their Maker. Soon they will be no longer and our Creator will still be on His throne. Their religion continues to produce false prophecies and has recently been shown to be corrupt yet again. Why should we be surprised?

It's not a rise in atheism, it's just a relative decline in superstition due to the recognition of it's negative effects on humanity.

I have to quote you runner ..."the god deniers pathetic attempts to explain origins shows what blind faith people they really are."

I would have thought that exactly fits the description afforded to those who believe in some spurious man-made interpretation of our origins. There is absolutely no evidence at all of any supernatural deity unless you believe a book that was written nearly two thousand years ago by ignorant men who said Jesus was the Son of God. People who believed that the Earth was the centre of the universe rationalised their ideas and wrote down their beliefs based on these assumptions.

Of course the Big Bang theory is just that, but it is at least based on science and could well be proved in the course of time. I wonder how many of the things we take for granted now such as Television had been postulated as conceivable even 150 years ago or a flight to the moon. They would have been laughed at. Scientists search for truth. Religious people who believe in something divine accept truth from mythology and superstition. But of course they "know" they are right because their individual god speaks to them.

As I have asked before on OLO, who do the devout pray to and what for ? I wonder how many people in Haiti prayed to their interventionist god.

"a tax exempt status would be welcome" Democritis
Funny man! We can't have every unbeliever getting a tax exemption - there would be no official believers left, and no taxes . Faith is a fickle thing at the best of times.
On the question of the "rise" I tend to agree with King Hazza that it may be that , in Australia more and more people are cynical about God and any power HSe may have.But does this coorelate with cynicism in general though ?
Numbers mean what -esp in such large and diverse congregations ? Historically religions grow in persecution, or by reaction - maybe thats what the numbers mean?
Numbers mean little . How much do you discount the fact ( and multiply the basic stats) to adjust for the fact that prominent atheists now often get free membership and a free meal ticket to sell , wheras the others ( despite the tax breaks for leaders ) have to rely on other taxed already types who give 10% (often less) of their income year after year to keep the leadership and the institutions going. Stats to test commitment? or is the plate a good test?
Never forget that our first media magnate and many of our Labor forefathers were fearlesly opposed to following the anglican, european and other traditions into state aid - we should celebrate such sound freedom of expression traditions together and root out rorts for one group or another; Let alone unfair advantages to sit and stand where they like, making as much noise as they like and telling the visitors when to "move on " .

Hanrahan..as your name suggests, you are worried that we'll all be rooned.

I doubt it.

Have a look at the ABC interview with AC Grayling last night:
http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2010/s2833713.htm

Hardly a 'religious' cry from this character, one of the major speakers at the convention. He sounded quite rational, and sympathetic to those who wish to believe. Hardly an intolerant person who is determined to fill the world with overthrowing governments and driving out demons, unlike this mob of cutsnakes:
http://www.truthout.org/prayer-warriors-and-palin-organizing-spiritual-warfare-take-over-america57276

You also are a bit loose with the word 'secular' I feel.

Australia really needs to be a 'secular' nation if Christians hope to co-exist with other faiths, those who Christians actually believe are liars, Satanists and wrong.

Christians need a secular Australia to prevent AC Grayling and Richard Dawkins, and the 2500 seat holders at the convention from banning religion from the Australian community.

In fact, we all need Australia to be 'secular' in order to co-exist.

As for blaming the ABC....oh dear.

The alternative world view is best seen in that dirge of rubbish every morning, hosted by MelonKoshie. Gasping 'WOW' at every factoid presented on the program, these two clowns represent the pinnacle of non-ABC TV, that which so influences the Hansonite world of renewalist Christians.

Personally, I think the title of the convention is ill-advised, but then again, when we are bombarded with utter nonsense from religions of all hues, and under threat of having either the 'right hand of God', Tony Abbott, or the 'Left hand of God', Kevin Rudd fill our lives with politicised religious claptrap from now til whenever, I see the humour in thrusting the 'rise of atheism' under the noses of these equally horrible goons.

Unfortunately, he High Court has already decided that there really is no 'wall of separation' here between church and state.

We all need that 'wall' to be built as quickly as possible.

Snake

Excellent points in your post.

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
Arthur C. Clarke

Our communications system and as you say television and other technologies would appear to be magic by those who wrote the bible.

As for "the rise of atheism", atheists have simply decided 'enough is enough' when faced with Ku Klux Klan, 9/11, suicide bombings, subjugation of women, the denial of rational thought (teaching creationism in schools), indoctrination of children, tax breaks. To name a few.

About time atheists started to speak out.