Lee
23rd June 2011, 07:20 AM
The Atheist Foundation of Australia today erected billboards in nearly all Australian capital cities highlighting the ‘Mark No religion’ on the Census Campaign.
The President of the AFA, David Nicholls, said he hoped the signs would help the public at large to think about how they fill out the Australian Census this coming August on the question concerning religious affiliation.
“The question on religion asking ‘What is the person’s religion?’ is a leading one,” he said, “and it could sway people to mark their religion of baptism or early youth and not their present stance, which may be devoid of any faith.
“This can cause a distortion of Census statistics whereby religious people appear to be more numerous in society than they really are. Public policy can and does reflect these figures, which disenfranchises many groups in the community and unfairly favours religion,” said Nicholls.
Only 7% of Australians regularly attend a church yet laws on voluntary euthanasia, equality for lesbians and gays, abortion, chaplaincy, effective sex education, religious indoctrination in state schools, stem cell research and other areas are continually interfered with by some politicians following Christian dogma rather than empirical evidence.
People who are more interested in the contents of their pockets might like to reflect on the untaxed $30 billion annually that goes to religion. Only a small unaccounted for percentage is used for charity. Every Australian is financially propping up religion to a massive degree.
“It is very important that people be honest with their answer to the question on religion in the Census,” said Nicholls, adding, “No one has ever gone to hell for being honest.”
www.CensusNoReligion.org (http://www.CensusNoReligion.org)
Signs appear at the following locations.
NEW SOUTH WALES
75 Parramatta Rd, Annandale
Pennant Hills Rd, West Pennant.
Gladesville, Victoria Road, NSW
QUEENSLAND
Breakfast Creek Rd, Newstead
1015 Fairfield Rd, Yeerongpilly
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
509 Charles Street, North Perth
VICTORIA
Western Hwy (Ballarat Rd), Ardeer
2 North Rd (Overpass), Huntingdale
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
280 – 290 Hindley St, Adelaide
Media Contact:
David Nicholls
President
Atheist Foundation of Australia Inc
Private Mail Bag 6
MAITLAND SA 5573
Ph: (08) 8835 2269 | Mob: 0408 344 633
Email: info@atheistfoundation.org.au
Web: http://www.atheistfoundation.org.au (http://www.atheistfoundation.org.au/forums/../)
Forum: http://atheistfoundation.org.au/forums/
Convention: http://www.atheistconvention.org.au (http://www.atheistconvention.org.au/)
Facebook: http://facebook.com/atheistfoundation
Twitter: http://twitter.com/atheistaus
The President of the AFA, David Nicholls, said he hoped the signs would help the public at large to think about how they fill out the Australian Census this coming August on the question concerning religious affiliation.
“The question on religion asking ‘What is the person’s religion?’ is a leading one,” he said, “and it could sway people to mark their religion of baptism or early youth and not their present stance, which may be devoid of any faith.
“This can cause a distortion of Census statistics whereby religious people appear to be more numerous in society than they really are. Public policy can and does reflect these figures, which disenfranchises many groups in the community and unfairly favours religion,” said Nicholls.
Only 7% of Australians regularly attend a church yet laws on voluntary euthanasia, equality for lesbians and gays, abortion, chaplaincy, effective sex education, religious indoctrination in state schools, stem cell research and other areas are continually interfered with by some politicians following Christian dogma rather than empirical evidence.
People who are more interested in the contents of their pockets might like to reflect on the untaxed $30 billion annually that goes to religion. Only a small unaccounted for percentage is used for charity. Every Australian is financially propping up religion to a massive degree.
“It is very important that people be honest with their answer to the question on religion in the Census,” said Nicholls, adding, “No one has ever gone to hell for being honest.”
www.CensusNoReligion.org (http://www.CensusNoReligion.org)
Signs appear at the following locations.
NEW SOUTH WALES
75 Parramatta Rd, Annandale
Pennant Hills Rd, West Pennant.
Gladesville, Victoria Road, NSW
QUEENSLAND
Breakfast Creek Rd, Newstead
1015 Fairfield Rd, Yeerongpilly
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
509 Charles Street, North Perth
VICTORIA
Western Hwy (Ballarat Rd), Ardeer
2 North Rd (Overpass), Huntingdale
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
280 – 290 Hindley St, Adelaide
Media Contact:
David Nicholls
President
Atheist Foundation of Australia Inc
Private Mail Bag 6
MAITLAND SA 5573
Ph: (08) 8835 2269 | Mob: 0408 344 633
Email: info@atheistfoundation.org.au
Web: http://www.atheistfoundation.org.au (http://www.atheistfoundation.org.au/forums/../)
Forum: http://atheistfoundation.org.au/forums/
Convention: http://www.atheistconvention.org.au (http://www.atheistconvention.org.au/)
Facebook: http://facebook.com/atheistfoundation
Twitter: http://twitter.com/atheistaus