Welcome back listeners! Later on in this episode of The Legion of Reason we have one of Kris’ interviews from last year. This time the subject is David Niose (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/David_Niose), currently the president of the Secular Coalition for America (http://secular NULL.org/) and past president of the American Humanist Association (http://www NULL.americanhumanist NULL.org/). He is also the author of Nonbeliever Nation: The Rise of Secular Americans (http://www NULL.amazon NULL.ca/Nonbeliever-Nation-Rise-Secular-Americans/dp/023033895X). We also shoot the bull as we discuss in a totally unscheduled session about how each of us arrived at where we are in terms of our atheist activism, explore the latest rumor surrounding the resignation of Pope Palpatine (http://www NULL.guardian NULL.co NULL.uk/world/2013/feb/21/pope-retired-amid-gay-bishop-blackmail-inquiry), and discuss the recent inauguration of the Office of Religious Freedom (http://www NULL.cbc NULL.ca/news/politics/story/2013/02/19/pol-ambassdor-office-religious-freedom-announced NULL.html), its first Ambassador-at-large and why we think it’s bad idea from the get-go. First off, though, we answer a great email from one of our listeners.
Links:
Andrew Bennett’s anti-secular world view (http://globalbrief NULL.ca/blog/2011/02/18/what-role-for-faith-in-21st-century-politics/)
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird’s troubling remarks that atheist/agnostics not worth the same protections from the ORF (http://www NULL.theglobeandmail NULL.com/commentary/letters/the-conversation-feb-23-letters-and-other-talking-points-of-the-week/article8988893/)
More troubling remarks from John Baird… (http://www NULL.international NULL.gc NULL.ca/media/aff/speeches-discours/2012/05/24a NULL.aspx?view=d)
Baird’s comments in Liberty magazine (http://www NULL.libertymagazine NULL.org/index NULL.php?id=1878)
Podcast: Play in new window (http://media NULL.blubrry NULL.com/legionofreason/p/www NULL.legionofreason NULL.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/LoR-053 NULL.mp3) | Download (http://media NULL.blubrry NULL.com/legionofreason/p/www NULL.legionofreason NULL.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/LoR-053 NULL.mp3)
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Fantastic podcast. My first time listening.
I’ve been posting about the ORF for so long now (http://www NULL.mysecretatheistblog NULL.com/search/label/oorf) that I think everyone believes I’ve turned into a bit of a conspiracy theorist.
I wish I had found that piece by Andrew Bennett you mentioned in the segment. I found enough in his submission to the creepy think-tank Cardus to write a little piece, comparing him to a pro-secular French priest mayor. (http://www NULL.mysecretatheistblog NULL.com/2013/02/secularism-pro-contra-contrasting NULL.html)
You do know that while promoting this new office the conservatives axed the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development (http://www NULL.huffingtonpost NULL.ca/2012/04/03/rights-and-democracy-dead-funding_n_1399407 NULL.html). The very sort of organization we would want to have rather than this one.
Thanks, GP! We had looked at the ORF a while back and I had severe reservations then. But with its actual formation and the choice of ambassador, I am convinced this is a disaster. I had no idea that they had shut down a human rights institute which would have a much better raison d’être. This whole thing smells of promoting religion rather than protecting rights. And Andrew Bennett should be nowhere neat this. I’ll include the new info in an updated version of the position paper (it started out as a letter…).
Randy
Thank you Legion of Reason for answering my questions. It is good to know that the problems of prejudice and discrimination afflicting the Boy Scouts in the USA do not cross the border into the Canadian Boy Scouts. I will keep listening for updates on starting a Camp Quest (http:// www NULL.campquest NULL.org/) for Calgarian kids.
Many thanks for a great podcast, Andrew Antaro in Calgary, Alberta, Canada!
You’re very welcome! I still wouldn’t put my kid into Scouts Canada (if I had any) since they have a commitment to faith, but it’s better than BSoA.
In the next episode we have an interview with David Diskin from Camp Quest and later this month we’ll also be interviewing Dale McGowan, author of Parenting Beyond Belief and other secular parenting books.
Keep on listening and don’t keep up the faith!
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