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Read the Bible: The Resurrection of Jesus

One of Atheist Ireland’s campaigns is to encourage people to read the Christian Bible and the sacred texts of other religions. The physical resurrection of Jesus Christ is the central tenet of Christianity. But the evidence for this extraordinary claim is nonexistent outside the Christian Bible, and contradictory within the Christian Bible.

In the earliest written Biblical reference, Paul says the risen Jesus appeared to more than five hundred people at one time [1 Cor 15:3-8]. Yet in the earliest written Gospel, called Mark, the allegedly risen Jesus does not appear to anybody. A different writer later added that part [16:9-20] to the Mark story, with the risen Jesus saying that people who believed in him could safely drink poison.

The Gospels called Matthew and Luke, written a decade or more later, were the first to include the risen Jesus physically appearing to people. But in Matthew, this seems relatively commonplace, with the bodies of many dead people being physically resurrected, coming out of their tombs, and appearing to many people [27:52-53]. None of the other Gospels mention this incident.

Nor do the Gospels agree on where and how many times the risen Jesus physically appeared. In Mark he does not appear at all. In Matthew he appears twice, to the two Marys on a road [27:8-9] and to his disciples on a mountain in Galilee [27:16-17]. In Luke he appears three times: to a man and his companion on a road [24:13-32], to Peter in an unspecified place [24:33-34], and to his disciples and others in a house [24:36-53].

In John he appears four times: to Mary Magdelene who thinks he is a gardener outside his tomb [20:11-18], to his disciples twice in a house [24:19-23, 26-29], and to some of his disciples for breakfast after a fishing trip [21:1-12]. None of the Gospels include Paul’s remarkable claim that the risen Jesus appeared to more than five hundred people at one time.

These fantastic and wildly inconsistent stories may have seemed convincing in more primitive times, written as they were as standalone stories in different places for different audiences, many of who believed the world was coming to an end within their lifetimes. They are no basis today on which to build a worldview about the nature of reality or how we should live together as sentient beings.

Atheist Ireland Declaration on Religion in Public Life

At our AGM last Saturday, Atheist Ireland adopted the following amended version of the Copenhagen Declaration on Religion in Public Life. The original version was written and adopted by delegates at the world atheist conference “Gods and Politics” held in Copenhagen from 18-20 June 2010.

This version is based on feedback on the original from various sources. It is written more concisely, clarifies some ambiguous phrases, and categorises the points into groups. Like the original, it is a starting point for discussion and not an unalterable set of principles.

Personal Freedoms

• Freedom of conscience, religion and belief are unlimited. Freedom to practice religion should be limited only by the need to respect the rights of others.
• All people should be free to participate equally in public life, and should be treated equally before the law and in the democratic process.
• Freedom of expression should be limited only as prescribed in international law. All blasphemy laws should be repealed.

Secular Democracy

• Society should be based on democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Public policy should be formed by applying reason to evidence.
• Government should be secular. The state should be strictly neutral in matters of religion, favoring none and discriminating against none.
• Religions should have no special financial consideration in public life, such as tax-free status for religious activities, or grants to promote religion or run faith schools.

Secular Education

• State education should be secular. Children should be taught about the diversity of religious beliefs in an objective manner, with no faith formation in school hours.
• Children should be educated in critical thinking and the distinction between faith and reason as a guide to knowledge. Science should be taught free from religious interference.

One Law For All

• There should be one law for all, democratically decided and evenly enforced, with no jurisdiction for religious courts to settle civil matters or family disputes.
• The law should not criminalize private conduct that respects the rights of others because the doctrine of any religion deems such conduct to be immoral.
• Employers or social service providers with religious beliefs should not be allowed to discriminate on any grounds not essential to the job in question.

Feedback on Copenhagen Declaration on Religion in Public Life

Here is some of the early online feedback, from various websites and forums, to the Copenhagen Declaration on Religion in Public Life that was adopted by the recent Gods and Politics conference organised by Atheist Alliance International. Two of the most comprehensive discussions to date have been on Pharyngula and Metamagician and the Hellfire Club. 

The Declaration was composed collectively on the margins of the Copenhagen conference. It is a starting point, from which we as atheist activists can gradually develop a more nuanced set of principles on the role of religion in public life. Next year’s follow-up to the Copenhagen conference will take place in Dublin, Ireland. Perhaps we could aim to complete a revised version of the Declaration there, after discussing it both online and within any organisations in which we are involved?

In the meantime, here is some of the early online feedback. I have grouped the comments together under the different sections of the declaration, with general feedback at the end. Please add links to any other feedback you find online about the Declaration, as well as any new comments you may have.

Copenhagen Declaration on Religion in Public Life

The recent Gods and Politics conference in Copenhagen adopted the following Declaration on Religion in Public Life. The conference was the first European event of Atheist Alliance International, and was co-hosted by AAI and the Danish Atheist Society.

We, at the World Atheist Conference: “Gods and Politics”, held in Copenhagen from 18 to 20 June 2010, hereby declare as follows:

• We recognize the unlimited right to freedom of conscience, religion and belief, and that freedom to practice one’s religion should be limited only by the need to respect the rights of others.
• We submit that public policy should be informed by evidence and reason, not by dogma.
• We assert the need for a society based on democracy, human rights and the rule of law. History has shown that the most successful societies are the most secular.
• We assert that the only equitable system of government in a democratic society is based on secularism: state neutrality in matters of religion or belief, favoring none and discriminating against none.
• We assert that private conduct, which respects the rights of others should not be the subject of legal sanction or government concern.
• We affirm the right of believers and non-believers alike to participate in public life and their right to equality of treatment in the democratic process.
• We affirm the right to freedom of expression for all, subject to limitations only as prescribed in international law – laws which all governments should respect and enforce. We reject all blasphemy laws and restrictions on the right to criticize religion or nonreligious life stances.
• We assert the principle of one law for all, with no special treatment for minority communities, and no jurisdiction for religious courts for the settlement of civil matters or family disputes.
• We reject all discrimination in employment (other than for religious leaders) and the provision of social services on the grounds of race, religion or belief, gender, class, caste or sexual orientation.
• We reject any special consideration for religion in politics and public life, and oppose charitable, tax-free status and state grants for the promotion of any religion as inimical to the interests of non-believers and those of other faiths.  We oppose state funding for faith schools.
• We support the right to secular education, and assert the need for education in critical thinking and the distinction between faith and reason as a guide to knowledge, and in the diversity of religious beliefs. We support the spirit of free inquiry and the teaching of science free from religious interference, and are opposed to indoctrination, religious or otherwise.

Adopted by the conference, Copenhagen, 20 June 2010.

Please circulate this as widely as you can among people and groups who advocate a secular society.

Roy Brown opens Copenhagen atheist conference

The first talk at the Copenhagen atheist conference was by Roy Brown, former president of the International Humanist and Ethical Union, who argued that the history of Europe is the history of the fight of ordinary people against oppression by political and religious rulers.

He said that this oppression had been helped by money, which brings power and influence, and by the false belief that religion is benign and good. Religion used to be responsible for people being killed in Europe, and Christianity supported slavery and vilified Jews. Today, religion has a more subtle power, such as tax free status and special political treatment, including the diplomatic immunity and many concordats that the Vatican has with actual States.

Brown warned that Islamic institutions, largely funded by the Saudi Arabian regime, are infringing on human rights in Europe. He said that cultural relativism has led to European liberals allowing Muslim men to infringe on the human rights of Muslim women within Europe. These Muslims describe as discrimination against themselves what is in reality reasonable restrictions on their ability to discriminate against others. Brown warned that demographic changes could lead to islamic majorities in many inner cities in Europe in the near future.

He concluded with suggestions for political action, including zero tolerance of incitement to hatred, even if that hatred is religiously motivated; a clear distinction between the rights of human beings but not of ideas or beliefs, which cannot have rights; no public funding of faith schools and faith schools having to adhere to a national curriculum; reject self-censorship in the media; support Muslim dissidents who are campaigning for human rights; and secular states that are strictly neutral on religion as a first step towards complete separation of church and state.

Copenhagen atheist conference starts today

I am in Copenhagen this weekend for the first European conference of Atheist Alliance International. It’s on in the Black Diamond library, and is hosted by the Danish Atheist Society. I’ll be talking on Sunday about the Irish blasphemy law and the importance of international atheist activism. Today, to open the conference, we have five speakers covering a range of important topics.

Roy Brown, who was president of the International Humanist and Ethical Union, will talk about the influence of religion on Europe. He will argue that the history of Europe is the history of a long struggle by ordinary people to free themselves from oppression, both by their political rulers and by religion, and that we need an ethics based on our shared humanity.

Gregory Paul, an independent researcher on science and religion, will examine the arguments about religion being universal and good. He will argue that it is not iniversal among humans, being a relatively superficial, optional opinion that is much less hardwired in humans than are language, materialism and other human activities.

Dan Barker, who runs the Freedom from Religion Foundation, will talk about how an American judge struck down the US National Day of Prayer as unconstitutional. This historic victory for separation of church and state took place in April 2010. President Obama is appealing the decision.

PZ Myers, evolutionary developmental biologist and author of the science blog Pharyngula, will talk about why science education needs more outspoken atheists. He will argue that atheism is the only view that is true to the science, and that’s erves an even greater mission than science education: the encouragement of critical thinking in all matters.

AC Grayling, who has written and edited over twenty books on philosophy, will talk about the ethical aspects of atheism. He will argue that it is a feature of the ethics of rationality that our outlook should be maximally evidence-based and truth-directed, thus ruling out supernaturalistic explanations or interpretations.

After that, we have an evening of godless entertainment courtesy of English comedian Robert Ince, who is writing a new science show for BBC Radio 4, and the band Carbon Traders, headed by atheist singer-songwriter Rasmus Fynbo. And then to bed for a rest before tomorrow’s sessions, which include, among many others, special guests Richard Dwkins and James Randi.

Paul Gill to finish 25-day blasphemy walk today

Today, Monday May 31st, Paul Gill of Atheist Ireland will finish his 25-day walk the length of Ireland to raise support for the promised blasphemy referendum. Please send him a text now to congratulate him at +35386 7325365.

Also, if you are in Ireland today, why not join Paul on the last leg of his epic walk? You can meet him at the Malin Hotel, Malin between 3:30-4:00pm on Monday 31st May. Malin to Malin Head is a 12km walk so should take about 2 & 1/2hrs to complete. If you can’t make it then he’ll see you at Sandino’s Bar, Derry at 8:30pm.

Throughout the length of Ireland from Cork to Donegal, Paul has failed to find a single person who supports the blasphemy law. On one occasion, he thought he had found one person who wanted blasphemy outlawed, but it turned out that person had got blasphemy mixed up with bigamy!

People all along the west coast have been incredibly supportive. Many people have refused to take payment for meals and staying at campsites. Comedian Tommy Tiernan met Paul to express his support. And you can give Paul a boost by joining him today, either on the final leg of the walk or later in Sandino’s bar, or else by texting him a message of congratulations to +35386 7325365.

Here’s Paul starting his walk in Cork on May 6th. The first few daily videos of his walk are also online on the Atheist Ireland YouTube channel. Tom Kennedy,who travelled with paul to video the walk, will gradually put the rest of the daily videos online over the coming weeks.