Religion Wars 2009
In case you haven't heard, things are getting a little heated between atheist and religious groups in the UK. You've probably heard about the initial atheist bus advert campaign, launched by Richard Dawkins in October:
(if we're being picky, it's technically an agnostic bus advert, since it says "probably", but anyway...)
Having asked for donations from the public, the campaign has now exceeded its original fundraising target by £146,000, with organisers taken aback by the tsunami of support, mostly via the Internet.
Religious groups have now hit back with a series of bus adverts of their own. This is my favourite:
A little personal, huh?
On the if-you-can't-beat-em-join-em front we have:
Cheery. And no doubt there'll be more to come. The question of whether all this is actually helping advance the human race still hangs in the air, but it's certainly raised a new level of debate, which I've got to say is a good thing.
Alongside it, but of less widespread interest, is the question of BBC Radio 4's Thought For the Day. For years the Today Program, the BBC's flagship radio news and current affairs offering (which runs from 6 to 9am weekdays), has featured a slot in which religious speakers give a short faith-based perspective on some current issue - it runs just under three minutes in its current format.
For some time atheist groups have been protesting the exclusivity of the slot, which encourages members of all faiths but is decisively closed to non religious speakers. Gavin Orland is spearheading the main campain at the moment.
In 2007, Peter Hearty launched Platitude of the Day, where he posts satirical interpretations of the day's TFTD. They're cutting, often very funny and sometimes extremely insightful. It's from the POTD website that I discovered George James' Pledgebank pledge "I Will Set Up a Secular Thought for the Day Website".
George pledged that he would set up a website publishing 300-word secular Thoughts, showing that non-believers could provide equally valuable and insightful views on the day's events, if at least 29 other people pledged to worked with him. I joined the pledge, and we just reached the 30 person mark! So sometime in the next week I'm going to try and put together a secular Thought to be posted on the website. It's an interesting challenge.
The most reasonable concern of believers about allowing atheists into the slot is that it could end up consisting of anti-religious ranting, which would be as unpalatable as religious fundamentalists denouncing heathens (also forbidden on the show). Hopefully we have a chance to show that non-believers can provide thoughtful, rational and intelligent commentary of the same form, without resorting to antagonism (or cheesy bus adverts).
(if we're being picky, it's technically an agnostic bus advert, since it says "probably", but anyway...)
Having asked for donations from the public, the campaign has now exceeded its original fundraising target by £146,000, with organisers taken aback by the tsunami of support, mostly via the Internet.Religious groups have now hit back with a series of bus adverts of their own. This is my favourite:
A little personal, huh?
On the if-you-can't-beat-em-join-em front we have:
Cheery. And no doubt there'll be more to come. The question of whether all this is actually helping advance the human race still hangs in the air, but it's certainly raised a new level of debate, which I've got to say is a good thing.
Alongside it, but of less widespread interest, is the question of BBC Radio 4's Thought For the Day. For years the Today Program, the BBC's flagship radio news and current affairs offering (which runs from 6 to 9am weekdays), has featured a slot in which religious speakers give a short faith-based perspective on some current issue - it runs just under three minutes in its current format.
For some time atheist groups have been protesting the exclusivity of the slot, which encourages members of all faiths but is decisively closed to non religious speakers. Gavin Orland is spearheading the main campain at the moment.
In 2007, Peter Hearty launched Platitude of the Day, where he posts satirical interpretations of the day's TFTD. They're cutting, often very funny and sometimes extremely insightful. It's from the POTD website that I discovered George James' Pledgebank pledge "I Will Set Up a Secular Thought for the Day Website".
George pledged that he would set up a website publishing 300-word secular Thoughts, showing that non-believers could provide equally valuable and insightful views on the day's events, if at least 29 other people pledged to worked with him. I joined the pledge, and we just reached the 30 person mark! So sometime in the next week I'm going to try and put together a secular Thought to be posted on the website. It's an interesting challenge.
The most reasonable concern of believers about allowing atheists into the slot is that it could end up consisting of anti-religious ranting, which would be as unpalatable as religious fundamentalists denouncing heathens (also forbidden on the show). Hopefully we have a chance to show that non-believers can provide thoughtful, rational and intelligent commentary of the same form, without resorting to antagonism (or cheesy bus adverts).
Labels: BBC Radio 4, Religion, Religion and Spirituality, Richard Dawkins, Thought For the Day, United Kingdom
posted by Mark at
14:17
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