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As reported in The Age: Atheists cry foul on ads

The AFA raised $16,000 from donations to put signs on buses around the country saying “Atheism — celebrate reason”….  …APN Outdoor, which handles bus advertising in all metropolitan cities except Hobart and Darwin, declined the advertising and refused to give any reason, AFA president David Nicholls said yesterday. Nor would Metro Tasmania in Hobart accept the ads, he said.

APN’s general manager of marketing, Paul McBeth, said public buses were owned by state governments, who stipulated in agreements with APN that any advertisement that might offend the community was not permitted on public buses.

Crass commercialism, government slogans and junk food ads, all preferable to atheism?

Nigel Stewart Australia, Commentary AFA, APN, Australia, bus, David Nicholls, Paul McBeth

Third state education board vote mandates teaching students challenges to evolution

The State Board of Education this afternoon rejected efforts to continue to require Texas children to learn the “strengths and weaknesses” of scientific theories including evolution. But a narrower challenge to evolutionary theory was approved.

Two motions to leave the “strengths and weaknesses” language, or similar phrasing, in place failed. It was a defeat for a group of conservative board members who have been pushing to keep the phrase, which has been part of the Texas science curriculum for all public school students since 1988.

The latest little skirmish in the culture wars.

nigels Commentary, Texas, USA creationism, darwin, evolution, intelligent design, religion, Texas

As reported in The Age: Quit calls for bigger smoking warnings

Almost half of smokers do not know their habit causes lung cancer, prompting Quit campaigners to call for bigger warnings on cigarette packets.

Prominent warnings about lung cancer have long been part of cigarette packaging.  Rather than accept the dismal failure of their propaganda campaign, Quit claim than the warnings need to made larger and more prominent.  Put another way:  If something isn’t working, let’s do more of it.

In a follow-up letter to The Age:

Answers in search of the right question

RE THE claim that “49 per cent of smokers (are) unaware smoking causes lung cancer” (”Quit calls for bigger smoking warnings”, theage.com.au): I’m sorry, I just don’t buy it. I can only assume that Quit’s November 2007 survey was based on telephone market research.

I worked on similar research for a major anti-smoking group in 2003 as part of a private market research company. Due to a confidentiality agreement, I can’t give details. Suffice to say that while it can seem in some cases that telephone research is aimed at “demonstrating” particular results, the anti-smoking surveys were by far the worst and most blatant example of push-polling I came across in 18 months in the industry.

The fact that smokers did not “spontaneously identify” smoking as a cause of any illness does not mean that smokers are unaware that it causes the illness. It simply means they aren’t always prepared to rattle off a list of smoking-related illnesses.

I note the claim that 21 per cent of smokers believe the dangers of smoking are exaggerated – to the extent that Quit and other groups demonstrate a willingness to treat “public education” (a laudable goal in itself) as a cynical and patronising exercise in propaganda, I’m beginning to wonder myself.

Damian Dwyer, Castlemaine

I would suggest to the Quit zealots – do some credible research and treat smokers with some sensistivity.  This kind of media sensation adds no credibility to your cause.

Nigel Stewart Australia, Commentary dodgy, quit, smoking, statistics

A blog in response to an article Why The Gods are Not Winning that examines the broad and gradual trend towards secularism in the USA:

The trends, IF they continue, are in our favor

…secularism thrives in an environment that is economically strong, where good education is the norm. Faith thrives on economic uncertainty, and grows best in ignorance. Guess which one of those conditions is easiest to generate and maintain?

Nigel Stewart Commentary, USA politics, religion, secularism, USA

Letters to the editor, The Age January 10th 2009

A healthy debate

AS AN ordained minister for 52 years, I relish conversation with committed atheists.

They have as much right to present their case as I have to present mine.

Atheists are God’s gift to the believers, obliging us to think through our position more carefully and express it more cogently.

For too long, believers have been able to peddle their wares unchallenged except by widespread indifference. I am delighted that individuals such as Richard Dawkins now have believers on their toes.

Reverend John Bodycomb, Doncaster

There is an interesting radio transcript of an interview with John Bodycomb from Wednesday, 8 July, 1998.

Also, What Do We Mean By God? with Rev Dr John Bodycomb MP3 audio and PDF transcript.

Nigel Stewart Australia, Commentary, USA atheism, Australia, christianity, opinion

As reported in The Age:

Explicit sex education could be compulsory for children as young as 10 under radical proposals to curb Australia’s “alarmingly high” rate of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection.

Interestingly, the rate of teenage pregnancy in Australia is less than half of that in the USA.
I wonder what is going on in the Netherlands?

Nigel Stewart Australia, Commentary, USA ama, Australia, netherlands, teenage pregnancy, USA

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