Well, today I went to the Perth Atheists / Western Australian Humanists joint BBQ on the Swan River! Whilst I’m yet to download the photos (came home after all the food and did a bit of couch-crashing) -- what I do have for my fellow humanists and atheists are the following items of interest.
First, from The Age newspaper -- Religion in schools to go God-free:
VICTORIAN state primary school students will soon have an alternative — religious education lessons taught by people who do not believe in God and say there is “no evidence of any supernatural power”.
The Humanist Society of Victoria has developed a curriculum, which the State Government accreditation body says it intends to approve, to deliver 30-minute lessons each week of “humanist applied ethics” to primary pupils.
Accredited volunteers will be able to teach their philosophy in the class time designated for religious instruction. As with lessons delivered by faith groups, parents will be able to request that their children do not participate.
It’s not as easy as all that though. ‘But the body that accredits Victoria’s 3500 Christian religious instruction volunteers, Access Ministries, says humanism is not a religion and so should not be taught in religious education time.’
…Professor Cahill also intends to approve a proposal by Muslim leaders to allow volunteers to teach religion in state primary schools.
“I think there’s a greater realisation that Australia’s emerging as a multi-faith society, which means the acceptance of non-Christian religions … there’s an increasing realisation that the notion of religion has expanded to include all kinds of spiritualities and associated world views, including atheist and humanist world views.”
To finish off your weekend evening -- Tim Minchin, who was interviewed earlier this year for the vodcast, now appears to have the ‘White Wine In The Sun’ song up on YouTube. Enjoy.
Oh, it’s only a still for the picture. Never mind, check out his other performance at Amnesty International -- a song called ‘Taboo’. My orange cat was not amused by the lyrics…
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