- A report, a review, highlights and a personal resume -
It is always amazing and a feeling of remarkable human coherency, when we can observe dozens of nations meeting peacefully under one roof. IHEU and its this years host, The British Humanist Association, whose Vice President is the well known Evolutionary Biologist Richard Dawkins, invited to the 19th Humanist Convention in Oxford, a city of 1000 years history in education and preserved buildings of up to the same age. The main location, the Sheldonian Theater is 350 years of age, and offered an appealing venue representing the history of the past hundreds of years, regarding education, skeptical thought, development and the decline of religious influence and dominance. A convention as the present one, would have lead to the imprisonment and maybe execution of fellow Humanists and Atheists, those few hundred years ago. A period that seems long to us, but not looking at the entire scale of human kind.
As all 1000 delegates were seated, a musical opening quartet marked the start of the convention. Classical music with a swing of pleasant entertainment and humor.
The opening speeches were held by The CEO and President Andrew Copson and Prof. Jim Al-Khaliki, presenting the theme of the convention “Freedom of thought and expression”. ( Taken from the web site www.humanism.org- Jim Al-Khalili is an Iraqi born theoretical physicist, author and broadcaster. He is a professor at the University of Surrey where he teaches and carries out his research in quantum physics. Andrew studied Classics and Ancient and Modern History at the University of Oxford and was a member of the winning team of the 2005 Young Educational Thinker of the Year Programme. )
John Stuard Mill (1806 – 1873) did for politics what Darwin did for biology. He introduced the idea if the living democracy “Freedom of speech through debate”, as we can nowadays observe in democratic parliaments. A great example of a man who has been called "the most influential English-speaking philosopher of the nineteenth century". Mill's conception of libertyjustified the freedom of the individual in opposition to unlimited state control.
Chair Pavel Dhaliwal was the person to head the first official panel. He is the head of Public Affairs in the British Humanist Association. ( Taken from the BHA web site https://humanism.org.uk/about/our-people/staff/- Pavel heads the BHA’s public affairs team, and is responsible for the BHA’s campaigns covering a wide range of issues including public services, equality law, ethical issues, religion and schools, and social cohesion. )
First official guest was A.C. Grayling, who is also the Vice President of the BHA. He is a known writer, philosopher, distinguished supporter of Humanism, and Vice-President of the BHA, born 1949
Anthony C. Grayling started explaining about the world and the problems of minorities in Africa specially.
“Freedom if speech is vital in the different spheres, in the loss of humanity in hate of the world.”
Where people are reduced in their rights is seen in the lack of access to fair trials, no democratic order and in an education not giving the chance for full research. Also where there is no chance to write what one thinks and wants to express.
Limitations of freedom of expression yet must be observed, even when we have that privileged, hence the misuse of such, giving as following example:
- Shouting “fire” when there is no fire
- Speech leading to violence
- Advocacy of illegal action
- Commercial speech, like making great claims on the product of interest (Personal remark - This would of course also include the faith healing products of religions. In a way, it is still a freedom of expression, but when it results in harm of minors receiving such “treatments” as with “holy water”, leaving the doctors behind, limitations are reached. Faith treatment clashes with reason and also with the opinion of youth. The question is: How far can we go to defend the offended?)
- Obsessed without alternative.
Hate speech is definitely not protected, promoting religion to destroy in small or large scale. Yet opposing religion in its claims should not be excluded.
Coming to the point of sex and sexual orientation. It is clear that ones sex is not a matter of choice, but on closer observation, and in our present times, sex can be a matter of choice, as it can be changed through operation. Yet although this is the case, as one sex is basically something a person comes with through birth, it is still considered as not a choice.
Religion however, is a choice, and even most people have or practice the religion of their parents, (Personal remark - but we can also observe religion being without alternative in Saudi Arabia for example); nobody was born with it and we have generally the freedom to change, keep, trash or embrace it.
Hence, one short and crispy statement can't be stated better:
“Nobody is born anything rather than a being – a human being”
There was once an advert campaign in the UK featuring babies faces with sub titles, such as, communist, democrat, liberal .... and so on. When we label a child catholic or protestant, Muslim or Buddhist, nobody seems to bother, yet labeling a child other than religious, triggers outrage or at least questioning. And so we observe people still stating that they are born Christians or Muslims.
Offense is a quick taken position, specially by the religious, who are aimed to defend their faith with more or less all means. In result we can find so called “trolls”, and in excess nowadays, through the usage of the Internet. Hiding behind fake pictures, anonymous registrations and changed IP addresses, who find a platform for their verbal activity, a powerful tool, in which they can mock and verbally destroy others without consequences.
The use of the phrase “Freedom of religion” is not the freedom of religion being able to do what it wants, but it includes the fine tune we tend to overhear, the free of, the freedom of embracing or not embracing it.
Society is at risk by tolerating the intolerant; one example is and was Adolf Hitler. It is hence important to clean up the extreme part in society, not buy shutting up, like the hate speeches, but by being better in exercising the freedom of speech.
After the first official panel the convention participants moved on to the daily recurring coffee and lunch brakes, where the delegates had chance to exchange and know each other better, exchange complimentary cards, flyer's or take a glance at the several stands representing other Humanist and Non Religious groups and organizations. Even a small book store was set in place.
The next part of the convention was of a work shop character. Participants were divided into several rooms, with specific topics and lectures of their interest. This was chosen before people even traveled to Oxford, making the entire convention a bit Taylor made in a sense.
“Building a Humanist Community”; how more in place can that workshop have been. And although PATAS is already 3 years old, we are still at the beginning of what needs to be achieved. More precise: Building a Humanist Community and a 21st Century Enlightenment.
One of the key aspects in the continuous acting is to not silence ones opponents, as that would be rather difficult, like running ones head against the concrete walls of more established opposition parties. The key is simply to “just argue better”.
What does it take to build a Humanist Community, and what are the key moments in life when this kind of community is well and best placed, where for example the religions have hijacked exactly those moments for a reason.
Those key time lines are: Childhood, Education, Sickness, Death and finding oneself one of the Minorities
Chapters and groups are more than a place to listen and talk. Social engagement and community is what people expect and what needs to be offered. Of course people want entertainment and activities that help them.
And when building a community, specially when there are members and leaders from different backgrounds and nationalities. We must acknowledge the difference between developed countries and developing countries.
Humanism and Atheism are experiencing a rapid growth world wide. Even though we can observe the increase of Islam through an increasing birth toll. So, in observing the increase of the non religious, we must look at the entire earth.
Important differences in approach are set and needed due to different situations people find themselves in. One would be the political situation, where Atheism or religious critique may fall under certain laws as Apostasy and Blasphemy. One must also consider the personal life condition and living situation, hence the surrounding traditions, community setting and family findings.
How far can Humanists and Atheists work with the religious, to ally for certain goals:
How far can offenses be tolerated, and how far can the diversity and contradiction of religions be ignored, for example when it comes to human rights? Who would feel the impact of a temporal, situation based coalition?
A humanist and non religious community can only gain respect by being outright and doing what it is doing by heart; live and work by example and make no false compromises. (Personal remark – One of those organizations would be the Metropolitan Church, supporting LGBT rights in despite there bases being the bible.)
Generally spoken, more people join or approach an organization when it is sociable, hence inviting to its participants. In short; and its the simple truth, they like joining when certain things are free and in place:
Food, drinks, fun activities, a real community, “non theistic” activities.
And now one could even go a step further to be a real support bases:
Generate funds for Micro Funding to support poor people in building a tiny business, so that, on the longer run, they can sustain themselves in life. A true business approach without any religion.
For all this the leaders of the organization must survey to find the fields of interest within its members and supporters. This can be achieved through real written surveys or questions during a meet up. One important task for the Public Relations Officer.
There is nothing wrong in being “hostage or ridicule” towards the religions, yet embracing and understanding towards the religious people.
Further, and very important, is an accessible and available outlet for the organization. The place should reflect a progressive and active base for and with the people involved or who are looking for enlightenment. It may include the library, a corner to sit and drink coffee, space for meet ups and a place for officers meetings. It should contain info materials and ongoing videos. A place for the youth to seek guidance and to exchange on a safe ground. A place for curious parents and allies in schools and government.
Outlets and its volunteers fill what on the other side priests, pastors, rabies and imams are. Marketing or giving offerings from the community is not an exclusive hub of things theists or religions posses, as these simple offers to community have been existing long before the established religions have existed.
Human being are naturally social, even though we often observe the opposite in developed countries. Our mortal being is hence defined by being caring, loving and wanting us to remain well known, not in a sense of celebrity, but within our families and communities. Technology has given us that cutting edge, in where we have the unique chance to leave digital footsteps and be productive in our community work. Of course some people sadly exercise “trial and error” through social media, as we all have observed since months. It is our inspiration to form a meaningful world, as our life is only one and here. When certain people derail, we may have the “duty” to help them back on track.
Comfort is another human aspect to take into consideration:
We gain comfort by talking to a like minded person. It’s the same like the believers feeling comforted by their priests or pastors. (Personal remark - Many actions we engage in are quite similar to religious offers, just that the non religious remain within and without the “god add on”. The religious have yet formed a system, making their set look unique and originated by them.)
And I need to conclude: Bringing our Atheism and Agnosticism through the bridge of Humanism is definitely all that it needs for a healthy society. There are some questionable approaches, and maybe even disagreements in how far, or in what field we may engage. How much good can be done by lending an ear, by visiting hospitals, prisons and the elderly. These are evidentially gestures being done by us humans, with no need for any superstition or even false claims and lies, such as the afterlife or the so called blessings from the invisible and unproven. The praise of a community lies not in the praise of a god, but even removing the divine faculty of the bodies of the people who gave birth. What an insult to just lay the symbols of religion onto the heads of the sick, the dying or the unfortunate; setting a “full stop” there, promising all to be better when they have diseased.
The topic discrimination is broad, but one model of discrimination is outstanding. There are 49 percent men and 51 percent women, whereby the LGBT community forms roughly 10 percent of all. So roughly 44 percent of the men discriminate 56 percent of the population, hence a minority discrimination. In the human rights movements, threats are answered with promises of hope and solutions. In some countries that comes easy and in others the burden is high as the following examples show:
Pakistan: Abuse of women rights and LGBT rights and the enforcement of a State Islam.
Uganda: The spread of Christianity through paying money, like the Born Again Church with funds from the US. Enforced laws as the “Anti gay law”, “The anti porn law”, “The public and order management law”
Basically in Uganda there is a freedom of speech, but no freedom after speech.
Bangladesh: Asif Mohiuddin is a famous blogger who is now living in Germany due to his criticism towards the countries government. Blogging is a problem in his country, as Islamic laws and the government running hand in hand. Mr. Mohiuddin was jailed in 2011 because of one of his blogs for 18 days and was tortured on top of all. The A57 Act prohibits writing against the Koran and one can face a jail term of 7 to 14 years. He was even attacked in public and when in jail, he met his attackers where he engaged in a debate within prison walls, sharing food with his attackers.
Africa: Religion is used as a “need”, which shows in education, jobs, the community, food and health care. Humanism is slow in Africa, due to its lack of satisfying the peoples “needs”.
All in all, religion has made a successful penetration into peoples lives, because of catering to the needs and primer necessities of the people. When Humanism and so non religion wants to succeed, the movement has to give first before expecting results.
This leads to the next topic, which is: “Key challenges to freedom of religion or belief”
Speakers of the panel were Roy Brown (A UM representative for IHEU), Heiner Bielefeld (A member of the Human Rights Council and United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, ), Paran Dhaliwal and Pierre-Arnoud Perrouty from Belgium who heads the international team of the Centre d’Action Laïque (Belgium) and serves as Executive Director of the European Humanist Federation. heads the international team of the Centre d’Action Laïque (Belgium) and serves as Executive Director of the European Humanist Federation.
Freedom of religion or belief belongs to the freedom of expression
We may see these as liberal values or rights, but there are full liberal rights and less liberal rights, hence the counter right, which is a miss-perception of the liberal values.
Again certain countries can be shown as examples:
Pakistan: This is the country of the strongest anti blasphemy laws, restricting the freedom of speech through a death penalty, and all in the name of religion.
Saudi Arabia: This country states the religious position totally different; it expresses it as “The right to religion”; which of course is wrong, as it gives the right to have your religion, and only Islam, but not the right to have no religion. Hence – The right to religion is not the freedom of religion. It's the end of Human Rights.
The “right holders” are not religious but humans. (We tend to forget that)
It's never a homo-religion in the world (A god clearing up all disputes and directions); we just have to look at the more than 200 religions with no basic line.
Freedom of speech and expression can be misused for hate speeches or hate acts, resulting in the “excommunication” of humans from the human race or species.
Freedom of speech should not expect politeness, but the exclusion of hate and violence, hence restrictive measures taken.
To counter hate and violence we need “better speech”, education; verbally well armed instead of lethal weapons and forces.
It is all about neighborhood, and it really is. 15 hours flight and one is in UK. In Oxford dozens of nation met and united in exchange and dialog. We are no longer far away from each other, not in the position to say its too far, it doesn't affect us, we don't care. Our global world has shrunk together, and still some nations feel they would rather isolate themselves and their citizens. It is over and over the same problem resulting into wars – believers against non-believers; Atheism against Theism; Religion against Non-Religion.
What therefore are the perspectives of an Activist?
Activist and open Non-Religious be it Atheists, Agnostics, Humanists or Anti-Theists need and require POWERFULL TESTIMONIES. They need to always “Point Out” and “Speak Out”!
In response Christians now overrate the entire situation dramatizing their entire defense on arguments, that they, with this, may now no longer be allowed to carry religious symbols, which they have to “serve” the sinful gays having such a disgusting sexuality. This of course is a wrong use of the freedom of expression.
In many parts of the world we can observe certain religious lobby groups growing as a reaction to the decline of religion.
Yet Humanists, Atheists and the religious stand under the same rights. False narrative can't take over the freedom of speech and expression.
Pierre-Arnoud Perrout is an activist within the UN. He says that language for example leaves space to interpretation and can be dangerous to Human Rights. A less dangerous but with consequences left language example presents as followed:
“Let's meet tomorrow at 10 at the bank.”
This can lead to the following misinterpretations. Is it 10 am or pm, and is it the bank building or the river bank? The people who have agreed may now run into totally different directions.
Christians use Christian-phobia, whilst in fact they just fear the fact that they are losing privileges out of the choice of people who are leaving them. A very strong evidence for the religion of choice and not by birth. Working together in the communities, offering the community these transforming population groups are undergoing will smoothen the change and realization to the better.
Now when we attack the blasphemy laws of certain countries like Pakistan or Saudi Arabia, we often forget that the most developed countries also still poses such laws, with one difference; they don't enforce them. But when talking to a representative of such country we oppose, they won't mind the enforcement or interpretation, they will just point out the law in the countries criminal code, like in Germany the criminal law 1.6.6, which is an anti blasphemy law. So one has to do ones homework first, before attempting to change others. These are dangerous laws, and they lead to tragedy and death.
Censorship is another issue going hand in hand with dangerous laws, and censorship has no space in the freedom of speech and expression. Yet we can still ask ourselves if in some cases it is legitimate. It may have to do with how certain things may harm our fellow beings, or we just don't want a very deep cutting past to repeat itself.
Every organization should therefore draft a personal declaration on how and with what methods it would like to promote these aspects of freedom.
And again:
Activist and open Non-Religious be it Atheists, Agnostics, Humanists or Anti-Theists need and require POWERFULL TESTIMONIES. They need to always “Point Out” and “Speak Out”!
Islamic violence and threats are often not brought to book. That is of course wrong, and it fits exactly into the channel of results Islamic violence wants people to conclude. It intimidates freedom, and as result people enforce self censorship. Critical writers, painters, cartoonists, actors may just stop acting on what they are doing when criticizing religion, especially Islam, out of the fear of violence. This shows how venerable our freedom is, and how much it needs to be protected and acted upon.
Moving further to the children and the freedom for freedom of children, the rights of the parents and of the minors.
Freedom of the children of religion.
There is definitely a need and right set by society, to protect the children from the imposing of religion.
One example is circumcision, as it is irreversible, and so it makes religious freedom questionable. As there is no medical need for male circumcision and certainly not for female circumcision, it reduces the “choice for religion” drastically. Even one distances oneself from the religion one was forced in to, the scares of the marking will never fade away. And even one could defend the male circumcision from the time the religion rose in the desert region, where sand may have flown under the lose gowns of the desert population, creeping underneath the foreskins and causing infections or just cause irritation. We are no longer in the desert, and even if some are, our clothes and hygienic understanding and measures have changed.
Now as leaders of an organization and as active open members we must be clear of our position and our self being a role model and an example. When one brainstorms with other people from anywhere in the world, as it was done at the World Humanist Convention 2014 in Oxford, we all conclude the same. What does it take to be a leader, a horseman? Here is a united list:
Inspiring, role model, organizing a peaceful movement as accurate as people organize war, empowering, the ability to listen and gather, open to ideas and impulses, knowing where to go, embracing diversity, mentoring, connecting, overseeing, change making, knowledge or knowing where to find it in others, a clear vision, a mission, character and to help and uplift others.
Next to all these expressions, efficient communication is a key tool. This is a communication of sample, role modeling with charm and charisma even. To avoid contradiction and keeping the integrity of the organization and oneself. Being trustworthy and yet being open towards one owns flaws and errors. Knowledge, as mentioned before, does not mean that one has to know all. That of course is impossible. It is to see certain knowledge in other members and leaders, and then to unite them for a needed outcome or result. Leaders are not and will never be perfect, and to show that, is a part of honesty. Leaders should be open about their past and history, their personal journey and about where they want to go.
Strength and weakness as a combined force to a trustworthy figure, which is transparent and is open to continuous learning. The organization however, is in the service of the idea, the mission and vision, which the leaders only represent.
The leader must be open to criticism, and should be again open to adopt new ideas when being approached, yet still keeping the balance of the mission and vision and his own personal role. A leader is not the one with the wipe in the hand, but takes his or her time to gather, research and then convince.
As a leader, one has the right to point out the policies and the mission and vision at all times, and so challenges the other leaders and the followers and members of the organization. It is important to not confuse the identity of the organization and not to let other leaders confuse it too.
But again, a leader may not agree with the present mission and vision of the organization. In that case he or she is obliged to state the reasons in a formal way; and until these proposed changed have been agreed and voted into, the present policies apply.
One good example of knowing if ones leadership is appreciated was given at one of the conventions workshops:
A elderly woman, a doctor, wanted to go and help people in the middle of a war zone. Her followers all said that she should not go, and that they also would not go, as it is too dangerous. She yet persisted and boarded the van that was already prepared for the tour. As the others saw that she was not to move from her position, one by one they also boarded the van, saying that they could not leave her alone to go.
Their personal interests and fears were put aside suddenly, in favor of the leading position the woman took, to serve a needed community.
The movement is always larger than the group. We may have 10000 followers but only 20 active people forming a small group doing all that is needed to drive the movement forward.
A good way to define if all members of that small group are on the same track is to find the overlapping factors of each of them. An easy practice can be to let each and everyone write their 3 main wishes and goals they want to achieve within the organization, collect these papers and then compare.
Even if the entire core of the organization is on-line, there are now factors from outside that may occur, damaging the thick membership layer forming the organization. So what is the danger of hostile people approaching the organization, and who are they?
From outside – The religious opposition
From outside – The non religious opposition
From inside – The non religious opposition
Freighting enough we can see, that the non religious opposition can form a 66.66 percent threat to the organization.
To narrow those threats down, we need to know the motivation of the leaders and the members to be a part of the organization. There is a simple solution to that, and those is to socialize and mingle to know who one is dealing with; grasp moods and opinions, hear changes and even rumors.
Again, to be able to be formed of authentic followers and people with the accordingly needed reason, the organization needs to serve and cater the primer needs, and surprise with additional give always and comforts.
This now brings up the question: How do we make sure that what the organizations wants, its members and leaders also want, and what may also be taken under consideration?
Here is a list of considerations an organization and its leaders may have to think about:
Social pressures; Family pressures; Youth limitations; Knowledge limitations; Personality limitations; Political limitations; Recourse limitations (Human Recourses and transportation and others); Financial limitations and Creativity limitations.
So with all our differences and limitation, it is now to bring all these different individuals together. And as the organization has it's clear position, it's policies, mission and vision, each individual may have a personal vision and a personal definition of freedom. For some freedom is simply a free ticked to do whatever one wants. But that is truly not the case. Freedom is, taking the freedom to find an consensus to agree on standards and guide lines.
We plant seeds and not flags. Growing seeds change society, not flags.
Our aim, and we often don't even talk about it directly, is to have a better way of living. One of the important values in life is the one and only life we have, hence to protect it and the one of the others.
As a Humanist, Atheist and Agnostics organization one has to get the attention of the people, and that is one, by feeding the needs, be it the known or even unknown needs, and secondly, as a strong organization, standing as an example, there is no need to talk to one opponent, but to talk to the thousands of ears waiting to be fed with enlightenment and alternative.
Richard Dawkins said one important thing in his on stage interview. - He has stopped debating with creationists, as it leads to nothing. It is the same as talking to a “flat earthianist”. -
Anywhere reason can't reach is a waste of time and energy.
When talking about threats, we must acknowledge that systems of threat and hate are after better organized than we think. One can bang his or her head against the thick concrete and metal bunker walls, just laming and weakening one self, or one can turn away from the bad, by reaching out to the society, putting the threats and bad systems aside like an empty bottle. The grounds and fiends to turn to are bigger and welcoming more than the bunker we oppose. We need to raise within our surrounding and speak now; because what would we be waiting for?
Leadership in Humanism and of course as non religious is an ideology and should not lead to professionalism. This does not mean, that the organization shouldn't be run professional, but it means that our drive to lead and participate in a movement is not out of the motivation to earn money. It is enough to observe that in politics and worse in the religions.
There is always a need to live and live healthy and that all needs money, but there is also a need for ideology, a motivation and reason.
Transparency again can assure the best defense from claims made by outside forces or rotten apples within the organizations basket. Money should never be the reason for activism. We must always be aware of discreditation from mostly anonymous people.
As the organization grows, it may be advisable to form a “Fraud committee”, because as a serious organization, we must be able to look into the donors eyes. Accountability and transparency and staying with ones mission and vision and also embracing the wishes of the ones who give. The set agenda towards donors should look like the following:
We want you to do! - No
What do you want to do? - Yes
The support granted will be on the grounds of what unites, and what unites are principles and ideas on different grounds.
If it comes to money, all Humanist and Non Religious organizations work with far less money than the opposed do. The Catholic Church is calculated to have total assets of around 2 Trillion Dollars and Saudi Arabia has spent roughly 120 Billion Dollars on its extreme Islam promotion and enforcement. How many people in need could have been helped through those means, and how many poor have been made even poorer by giving in hope for immortality. And the worse of all, money is even called evil in the bible, placing the church in an even more absurd position.
IHEU has helped other organizations in developing countries as Africa and Asia and runs on a 200000 Pounds yearly budget only.
Manifestations of Hate
The Chair David Pollock of the podium spoke about the negative outcome of technology.
Hate speech is widely used through this media, and it offends and threatens and insults groups based on their race, sex, sexual orientation and traits.
Excluding a group from the Human race is the wanted outcome of such speech.
Even the death penalty may fall under this manifesto and one can find more under the domain www.50yearswithoutdeath.com
Hate speeches in Facebook mostly happens in comments, as research has found out, rather than directly in posts. It can therefore mingle and spread on and with the help of other peoples walls, and yet stay undetected to the observing eyes of people running this or similar web sites.
Hate speech again calls mainly for violence and dangerous speech is basically a tool to spread rumors, misleading and misinforming people, which can lead to false decisions as consequence.
Technology can be a political architecture, dictators use to engage in Hate Speech, and it is not free, hence not meant for that.
Homophily
Homophily (i.e., "love of the same") is the tendency of individuals to associate and bondwith similar others. The presence of homophily has been discovered in a vast array of networkstudies. More than 100 studies that have observed homophily in some form or another and they establish that similarity breeds connection. These include age, gender, class, and organizational role.
Individuals in homophilic relationships share common characteristics (beliefs, values, education, etc.) that make communication and relationship formation easier. Homophily often leads to homogamy—marriage between people with similar characteristics.
Confirmation Bios
Confirmation Bios, also my side Bios is in favor of information that confirms ones beliefs and hypotheses.
Atheism is still a crime in some countries, and so it falls under the thought crimes punishable by death.
One latest example are the Maldives where a man called Mohammed Nazim just stated and asked: “What if I can't believe?”
He was given only one option: Chose to believe in Islam or die
These terrible conditions are backed by laws called “Apostasy laws” and “Blasphemy laws”
These are purely religious categories and abuse Human Rights and the Freedom of speech and expression, as it furthermore not only stays in its own rows, hence with the people who subscribe to the certain religion, but it enforces the laws on all people in the country.
Freedom of thought and its limitations set by laws reach even further than within the political religions. Lets take North Korea for instance. If one would be caught saying or expressing that the leader Kim Yun un would better be dead, that person would be treated the same way as under a religious blasphemy law.
Sadly, violence against Atheists if often ignored. One example is the murder of Dr. Narendra Dabholkar, who was killed in India. Dabholkar had faced several threats and assaults since 1983 but had rejected police protection. Murdered on 20 August 2013, while out on a morning walk, Dabholkar was shot down by two unidentified gunmen near Omkareshwartemple. Dabholkar started focusing on eradication of superstition, and joined the Akhil Bharatiya Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (ABANS). In 1989, he founded the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti(MANS, "Committee for Eradication of Superstition in Maharashtra" or "Maharashtra Committee for Eradication of Blind Faith"), and campaigned against superstitions, confronting dubious tantriksand claimed holy men who promised 'miracle cures' for ailments. He criticized the country's "godmen", self-styled Hindu ascetics who claim to perform miracles and have many followers.
What can we conclude after this new global input?
The road is long and the goals are far. But we are not walking on a scattered field, with no way, no vision or mission, nor without people. Our movement is not just a fictive idea, a philosophy tickling our brain cells and getting drowned in some drunken nights behind closed doors. We are people, different and from different backgrounds; we are all represented and represent the others. We have opponents within and from the outside, but we reach out. Like the vulnerable plant breaking its way through the concrete covering of nature, and we can observe it, when the roads and walls crack and the gentle green flower seeks its way to the sun. How dare we stand up against the traditions and divine laws – but how dare those elements of tyranny, destruction, suppression, lies and human abuse still want to continue the line of claims that have been proven outdated and false!? We, in the combination of Atheists, Agnostics and Humanists, can do better, following science that has already proven, day in and day out, that there is better than just making claims. Faith is called faith for a reason, and that is because it is not knowledge. But knowledge and the ones following reason don't take the arrogant stance of knowing all and claiming to be the ultimate being. We know and we don't know, both embrace knowledge. The known and the unknown to become known one day. Let us never be silenced again, let us stand for the simple thing we are – Humans. Our time is limited, and we have the duty to pass on truth and honesty to the ones that follow, the generation after us. As leaders we have the duty to live as example and uplift who ever we can and who ever reaches out to us or whoever we reach by reaching out. Our youth is eager to learn, and we must not discourage them to be critical and we must encourage them to keep on asking questions. We must be there at the critical times, yes, be a replacement for superstitious gap fillings. From birth to death, in all these points and key moments where religion has hijacked the humans, humans must return as Humanists.
Finally I want to thank IHEU, in behalf of The Philippine Atheists and Agnostics Society, for giving PATAS the opportunity to be represented in Oxford. It was enriching, enlightening, door opening and enjoying.
If the world could gather in a way the nations did in Oxford, at the 19th World Humanist Convention 2014, this peace and yet discussion, would lead to a world we would all want to live in.
Thomas Fleckner (PATAS inc. CEO)
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