Here’s a sneak preview of my latest article for my Curiouser and Curiouser column at the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry site!!*
The ‘Token Skeptic’ at the Rise of Atheism—Global Atheist Convention, Melbourne, Australia
As I tugged my suitcase across the foyer of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, I remembered the last time I visited the venue, about three years ago. The touring MindBodySpirit Festival—gleefully dubbed the Mind, Body, Wallet Festival on The Skeptic Zone podcast—is held annually in one of their large exhibition halls.
Back then I was so nervous of the sellers and psychics touting their goods, I spent the entire time pretending to text furiously on my mobile phone. By the time I was approached by a glossy-as-a-pamphlet promoter touting the pseudoscientific claims of the “cure for autism” Dore company, I was so hyped-up by the tension of being discovered as a skeptically minded tourist that I fled to the Amnesty International stand and begged them to show me the exit.
This time, however, the venue was dominated by the Global Atheist Convention. It’s for rationalists, atheists, secularists, humanists … and maybe skeptics? I wasn’t quite so sure of that last one. I’m slightly more sure now that it’s finished, but I’m still (pardon the horrid pun) skeptical about whether skeptic groups have potentially as much impact on public perception of rationalism and the promotion of critical thinking…
Head to my article at ‘Curiouser and Curiouser’ to read the rest!
Many, many thanks to Michael Barnett, who gave me permission for the photos used in this article – his site is at: http://barnettphotography.com.au/
There’ll be another account of the convention featuring in the next Australian Skeptic magazine too – that will feature photos by another great photographer, Geoff Cowan!
* [Yes, okay, there's a few sites I contribute to now and then, but I'm particularly proud of 'Curiouser and Curiouser' and consider it particularly special as it's my monthly column - and even features a lovely logo by my dear friend Mike McRae who did my Podblack cat pic!]
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Yay, well done! Good to see more sites addressing the media mis-management of the convention and highlighting how ‘skeptic’ doesn’t necessarily mean ‘atheist’ and what things could be of interest to both groups. I look forward to hearing if TAMOZ gets underway with similar success!
An excellent column, raising some worthwhile questions.
I’d love to know more about the anti-psychiatry guy. Apparently he’d been trying to ask that question all day. It’d be fun to chat with him, find out what his angle was, and why he tried to raise the issue at an Atheist Convention of all places.
I was polite! I even asked for clarification twice… and then the crowd kind of got sick of him and he sat down. :/ Maybe he had a bad case of ‘I have a microphone, it’s my turn to present…’ even if he hadn’t fully thought out what he was trying to say. :/
I too noticed some rather odd books at the convention. I thought it was probably Readings just trying to sell more books, anything with an Atheist or alternative to mainstream religion flavour.
I thought that too! “Let’s just scoop down the whole shelf, that’ll help us fill up the tables, just get anything faith-y and see how it goes”. After all, people were getting their bibles personalised, et al.!
But Taslima was SO not impressed. :/ I had to keep saying ‘I don’t work for them! Honest!’ :/
I sat next to anti psychiatry guy, it could have been some sort of bias but he did look side on like some sort of balding tom cruise
Oh, you were very polite. It was very clear that he was there to deliver a message, not to have a reasonable discussion.
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