There was an atheist convention in Melbourne a couple of years ago; it was the theme to a thread on the Randy Skeptics Forum.

Personally I find atheism a senseless notion (at present) given the position is intractable. To proclaim yourself agnostic makes sense, to proclaim yourself atheist is a self satisfying cause, akin to I have a flag to wave but no basis for empirical discussion in exactly the same manner as the theists.

Until we know everything we know nothing, I will give just one example as to why contemplation of a “supreme being” should still be in play, Dark Matter.

Dark Matter has a gravitational pull, if we did not have Dark Matter our universe would not have evolved if it had to rely on the gravity available from the matter we can see and measure, planets and stars would not have formed. We have just dicovered by reason something we cannot detect other than the gravitational pull it exerts, and without it the big bang would simply be a dispersal of the components of matter, how can we rule out any scenario.

That some feel confident enough at this stage of our evolution to dismiss the concept of a creator is of itself a statement on their reasoning capacity.

As an atheist I don’t hate God(s). To hate one would firstly have to believe in the existence of God(s). Hatred of God as a being is no more possible than hatred of the Tooth Fairy. Then there are those that say, “It’s not God you hate, but what God represents.” My answer to that is what God represents. God is no more that the representation of mans imagination, and there are countless representations. The Roman Gods, the Hindu Gods of today are not the Christian God. Nor is the Christian God of today the same representation of their God of 1000 years ago.
Religions say they are ‘good’; to take that at face value is dangerous religions are not ‘good’ their historical record is testimony to that. Then there are those that say “That may have been true in the past but the ‘leopard has changed his spots’, we don’t burn people at the stake anymore, Nazi’s don’t gas people anymore but does that make Nazism okay. Children are still being indoctrinated without choice, woman are 2nd class in religions (religions are so macho).
I could say so much more about hatred, bigotry etc. Before someone jumps in to tell me, yes Vinnie’s and the Salvos do a good job

its true..that science has no clue re darkmatter[s]
and im sure the enlightenment at the meeting wont offer any real advances in knowledge[as such]..just more GUESSING/hope and name calling

there will no doudt be
much more of the same

ie the ARDENT hope[belief]..
that there is no god [ie delusion]

lets egsamin pauls initial quote..""It’s time we all cast off
the superstitions of religion""

ant tghinker can only agree with that generalisation
the time of superstition is long past

but those who call superstitions claims
fast held beliefs of the faithfull...are spinning deciete

no where does the bible say the earth id flat
or that the sun goes arround the earth
[thuis any raising such absurdities does so as an agenda]
[why?..to get you feeling clever enough to buy into the rest of the spin]

what superstitions can any athiest cast believers to hold
so they can subvert the suseptable.>""and move forward to bring justice and equality into this World."'

so now its justice and equality
[unless your obne of them ignorants that believe in 'fables']
as noted last time..we are going to get forced RE-educated][see the blurb from the last con-vent-ion

""This can never happen
while ever religions are allowed to poison the minds of people,""

hear?
know the real adgenda it to stop ANY
other than what..THEY hold as believable

ie

its us who hold true
to the promise inherant of love god
by loving neighbour..ie..US*..""..inciting hate,
fear and bigotry as they...[WE*]..invariably do.""'

are you..with 'they'
WHO ARE THEY?
am i THEY?

""We must learn from history
and move forward into more enlightened times.""

yes sane words in INSANE Times
so throw away all love of neighbour?

thats how we get to these EN=lightened mind/times
let them think for you..

but back to about the only intelligent thought..[glion esq/quote]

""Dark Matter has a gravitational pull,
if we did not have Dark Matter our universe would not have evolved""

so is dorkings going to explain that
no he only has some new holy text for the unholy
who's beginning involves destrying all that came bwefore his enlightend brain proved nothing

""We have just dicovered by reason
something we cannot detect other than the gravitational pull it exerts...""

the world is fll of unseen unknowns
to dismiss higher reason..higher cause
without good reason..is insane

again i agree with sonofglion..""That some feel confident enough
at this stage of our evolution to dismiss the concept of a creator is of itself a statement on their reasoning capacity.""

well spoken sonof

Sonofgoin what is the point? “Until we know everything we know nothing” “That some feel confident enough at this stage of our evolution to dismiss the concept of a creator is of itself a statement on their reasoning capacity.” This is blind acceptance, due to one’s ignorance one must accept, as there are greater minds than ours at work! Why isn’t Dark Matter mentioned in the bible?

@sonofgloin : Atheism is simply a lack of belief in a god or gods. It is not the claim there is not a god, tho some atheists may claim that.

Whereas atheism is lack of theism, agnosticism is lack of gnosticism, or the claim that one can know that a god exists.

One deals with knowledge, the other belief, so you have agnostic atheists, gnostic atheists, agnostic theists and gnostic theists.

Agnosticism is not a middle ground between belief and lack of belief, it is a different logical sphere. Either you believe the claim of a god is true, or you don't. If you do not hold or do not know if the claim of a god is true, you lack belief that it is, you are atheist.

This explains it well : http://freethinker.co.uk/2009/09/25/8419/

I do not have a belief in a god or gods, therefore I am atheist. And looking forward to the convention next year! :)