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.

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