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.

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