New atheist campaign targets kids

[chloe]

Billboards, rather than buses, will be the new vehicle of children's right to choose their own faith, in a campaign launched by the British Humanist Association (BHA) today.

The organisation behind the 'Atheist's bus campaign' have unveiled a series of billboards featuring children with the message: 'Please don’t label me. Let me grow up and choose for myself'.

The campaign launch coincides with Universal Children’s day on the 20 November.

The billboards, which will show images of happy children on a backdrop of labels such as 'Marxist', 'Anarchist' and 'Libertarian', will appear in Cardiff, Edinburgh, Belfast and London.

"We urgently need to raise consciousnesses on this issue," said Richard Dawkins, vice president of the BHA.

"Nobody would seriously describe a tiny child as a 'Marxist child' or an 'Anarchist child' or a 'Post-modernist child', yet children are routinely labelled with the religion of their parents.

"We need to encourage people to think carefully before labelling any child too young to know their own opinions and our adverts will help to do that."

But the new campaigns have a strong message for the government as well as parents.

The organisation is condemning the use of public money to fund faith schools which it says do nothing to promote social cohesion in a diverse society.

Andrew Copson, BHA director of education, said, "The labelling of children becomes even worse when it is implemented as a matter of public policy.

"One of the issues we hope to highlight is the continuing and increasing segregation of children in state-funded faith schools."

One third of state schools in Britain are faith schools. The new BHA campaign will aim to phase out them out.

full article below

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/14/20091118...s-81c5b50.html




Children who front Richard Dawkins' atheist ads are evangelicals

The two children chosen to front Richard Dawkins’s latest assault on God could not look more free of the misery he associates with religious baggage. With the slogan “Please don’t label me. Let me grow up and choose for myself”, the youngsters with broad grins seem to be the perfect advertisement for the new atheism being promoted by Professor Dawkins and the British Humanist Association.

Except that they are about as far from atheism as it is possible to be. The Times can reveal that Charlotte, 8, and Ollie, 7, are from one of the country’s most devout Christian families.

Their father, Brad Mason, is something of a celebrity within evangelical circles as the drummer for the popular Christian musician Noel Richards. Now a web designer and photographer, Mr Mason has been supplementing his income for years by providing photographs to agencies who sell them on to newspapers and advertising campaigns.

He said: “It is quite funny, because obviously they were searching for images of children that looked happy and free. They happened to choose children who are Christian. It is ironic. The humanists obviously did not know the background of these children.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/com...cle6925781.ece

[Noir]

Well played, a wonderful campain, there is no such thing as a christain child,

as for the kids being of a christain family, that it clearly smoke and mirrors, and i'm rather disapointed in the times for taking that line, but then again, it is the times,

[mrskurtsprincess]

Do people really think the world will be a better place if no one has faith in anything?

[Noir]

Do people really think the world will be a better place if no one has faith in anything?

I'm not saying no one shouold ahve faith in anything, however, children should not be forced into a religion because of who their parents are.

[sgtdmski]

I'm not saying no one shouold ahve faith in anything, however, children should not be forced into a religion because of who their parents are.

Parents have the right to raise the children in the religion that they believe, especially if parents are held responsible for the children. If a child does something wrong that damages property or injures someone it is the parents that are held liable. It is the parents that pay for the child's clothing, food, medical care, schooling (yes, those nasty school supplies do cost money).

Now I am sure that if the atheist are willing to pay for all of the children's needs then many parents would be more than willing not to label a child. But until they cough up that dough, they can bugger off!!!

dmk

[chloe]

Noir, it just seems like a double standard, so atheists are allowed to read their children bedtime stories specifically geared to teach there is no God, and they can have a summer atheist camp for kids, but that is not indoctrinating ??? So if Richard Dawkins was raising atheist kids and one day one of the kids said they wanted to go to church or read the bible or pray to God, is he going to follow his own philosophy and allow them to decide for themselves? It is one thing to say dont label, but how come his summer camp is "secular", what he's really doing is raising philosphers,they teach socratres and such at the camp. Then he's slamming religion. So now he is in fact just like what he claims he's against.

http://www.camp-quest.org/

[Noir]

Parents have the right to raise the children in the religion that they believe, especially if parents are held responsible for the children. If a child does something wrong that damages property or injures someone it is the parents that are held liable. It is the parents that pay for the child's clothing, food, medical care, schooling (yes, those nasty school supplies do cost money).

Now I am sure that if the atheist are willing to pay for all of the children's needs then many parents would be more than willing not to label a child. But until they cough up that dough, they can bugger off!!!

dmk

So because a Parent is paying, it can do as it pleases to its child?

I assume you are a chirstain? If so, does it not worry you that some children who grow up is Muslim households, who are feed Muslim teachings day and daily will never be able to find Christ, simply by the fact that they were born into a Muslim family? And would not the same be said for anyone of any faith looking upon another?

You seem to, rather coldly i think, believe that money takes the right of choice and freedom away from the child, cold indeed.

[chloe]

I'm not saying no one shouold ahve faith in anything, however, children should not be forced into a religion because of who their parents are.

From that mindest, children shouldnt be forced into organized atheism, humanism or philosophy either.

[Noir]

From that mindest, children shouldnt be forced into organized atheism, humanism or philosophy either.

Exactly.

I am not saying that kids should be told there is no god i schools or anything, i'm saying that it shouldn't be raised at all.

[HogTrash]

I'm not saying no one shouold ahve faith in anything, however, children should not be forced into a religion because of who their parents are.

It's hard to believe you are so ignorant that you can't see the fallacy of your rediculous argument, even at your naive young age.

[HogTrash]

Well played, a wonderful campain, there is no such thing as a christain child,

as for the kids being of a christain family, that it clearly smoke and mirrors, and i'm rather disapointed in the times for taking that line, but then again, it is the times,

You have bought into your marxist indoctrination, hook line and sinker.....You poor gullible young sucker.

I have often wondered why the young mind has historicly been so susceptible to marxist indoctrination and propaganda?

The only rational reasoning I have been able to conclude is the rebelious nature of youth.

[Noir]

It's hard to believe you are so ignorant that you can't see the fallacy of your rediculous argument, even at your naive young age.

Going on about my age again =/

Care to point out my fallacies?

[Noir]

You have bought into your marxist indoctrination, hook line and sinker.....You poor gullible young sucker.

I have often wondered why the young mind has historicly been so susceptible to marxist indoctrination and propaganda?

The only rational reasoning I have been able to conclude is the rebelious nature of youth.

I'm a marxist, and a free market capitalist all in one xD Seriously dude, keep it on topic.

[HogTrash]

Going on about my age again =/

Your age is the key factor of your fallacies.

Care to point out my fallacies?

No I would not...The only thing that is important is the marxist indoctrination and political correctness programming that shaped all of your beliefs.

Your religious beliefs are the result of the marxist hatred of religion and is one of the main points of indoctrination in the universities and other liberal recruiting institutions.

[HogTrash]

I'm a marxist, and a free market capitalist all in one xD Seriously dude, keep it on topic.

You are totally controlled and will go in whatever direction your marxist programmers point you.

You are very typical of much of todays youth and oh so easy to spot, young Noir.