Not religious? Don't give religions cause to take chunk of your tax

[SecularMotion]

ALMOST 15,000 people have joined an Atheist Foundation of Australia push to mark "no religion" on the August 9 census.

The foundation has begun unveiling billboards across the country urging people to join their campaign to take the religion out of politics.

In Queensland there are two billboards - on Breakfast Creek Rd, Newstead and Fairfield Rd, Yeerongpilly.

Thousands have also pledged to mark "no religion" in a Facebook campaign asking Australians to question whether they hold religious beliefs.

http://www.news.com.au/national/atheists-assert-themselves-in-census/story-e6frfkvr-1226101012120

[KurtNYC]

1. Religion and spirituality are 2 different things

Just bc someone does not like or find religion to be useful does NOT mean they are an atheist.

If atheist means "does not believe in god(s)" then perhaps there should be a word for "does not believe in religion."

I am suspicious of all of these ad campaigns and lawsuits by 4 people (against the WTC cross) -- it would be easy for forces on the Right to exploit high profile "atheists" in a false flag operation. You can't take the "religion out of politics" so their stated goal is bogus. High profile atheists create more backlash than results, perhaps by design.

[darkstar3]

2. You can't take the religion out of politics?

Who says?

[KurtNYC]

4. Voters organize in sub groups around issues or candidates

many of those sub groups form along general or specifically religious boundaries. It doesn't take much for religion to become an issue -- Kennedy was perceived by non-Catholics as being too catholic, Carter was too Jesus-y for some. Romney's religion is already an issue. Fantasies of Obama have him paradoxically too influenced by 15 words from Rev Wright AND a super double secret wink wink say no more know what I mean Muslim.

Politics is saturated with religion perhaps because religion IS politics.

[darkstar3]

5. The fact that idiots gather together to make political decisions based entirely on their religion

does not mean that they must be pandered to. Politicians need not allow religion to dictate their behavior.

Politics is saturated with religion because some right-wing fucktards saw it as a means to power.

[KurtNYC]

7. the Crusades, every other war, the Irish rebellion, Hitler, Ghandi, MLK

-- religion in politics is nothing new.

There are 800,000,000 Catholics in the world -- if they have power as a group it isn't because anyone is pandering to them it is because they can turn out 800 million people.

[darkstar3]

9. Which is exactly why we built a government entirely secular in nature.

A government in which there could never be a religious test for office. A government which could never officially endorse one religion over another. A government where everyone, regardless of their individual faith or the religious group they belonged to, could have an equal voice.

Just because religious people have done everything they can to entangle their faith with politics doesn't mean it has to be that way.

[KurtNYC]

10. the government is religion neutral but certainly religion friendly

with a stated preference for monotheism -- "In God We Trust" and tax breaks and subsidies for religious entities. Freedom of religion.

For the Western World religion and politics (government) were nearly one in the same until maybe the French Revolution or Martin Luther. I think it is natural in a democracy that people want to have fundamental commonalities with their elected leaders and religion is one of those. Groups influence policy; that's democracy. Seems like groups of atheists are trying to influence policy too and I don't see others calling foul on them for working within the system as a group.

[darkstar3]

11. And that preference for monotheism is a violation.

[cleanhippie]

3. Hardly. One must have "spirituality" in order to have religion.

[KurtNYC]

6. But one can be spiritual without religion

And one can attend church (or other religious gathering) without being or becoming enlightened.

[cleanhippie]

8. I can agree with that.

I'm an atheist and I go to church fairly regularly.