SPEAKING in defence of a foolish but costly religious shindig due to take place in Melbourne in December, Baptist minister Tim Costello – a patron of the Parliament of the World’s Religions – said it was important to support the event as:
Baptist Minister Tim Costello was recently awarded a doctorate by the Australian Catholic University
Ninety percent of the world is deeply religious. In a global context, most of the world is profoundly religious, and there literally can’t be peace without religious peace.
Costello was commenting over a row which has broken out over the funding of the gathering. It has been given $2-million of taxpayers’ money by the Australian Federal Government, and a further £500,000 by the Melbourne City Council.
This has greatly annoyed Australian atheists, who have been given zilch for the 2010 Global Atheist Convention, which takes place in Melbourne in March.
They have accused Premier John Brumby’s Government of discriminating against them by refusing to fund the Convention, while dishing out dosh to the delusional.
The Atheist Foundation of Australia says it approached all three levels of government for a total of $270,000 for its conference, but no funding was offered.
Foundation president David Nicholls said:
This is a world-class event with world-class academic and intellectual speakers. If I was the Catholic church they’d be all over me like a rash, giving us bundles of money. This is an ideological decision.
Nicholls said he received letters from two federal offices explaining they were not the appropriate offices to approach, and no reply from the council. He did not pursue either.
The council said it could not find a record of the atheists’ application.
Nicholls said the State Government, after five months of discussions, informed him on Monday that, as his event was “already secured,” the Government would not pay to attract it to Melbourne.
Government spokesman Luke Enright said:
The decision not to fund this event has nothing to do with religious ideology – the convention just doesn’t meet the criteria required to receive government funding.
Atheist David Nicholls
Criteria include that the event has at least 1,000 delegates and has not already been booked for Melbourne.
Nicholls said 1,400 people had booked tickets and the funding would have bought advertising interstate and overseas.
Greens MP Colleen Hartland, a Christian, accused the government of “vile” religious bigotry.
Diversity does not just come in different religious beliefs, but also in the reasonable and intelligent rejection of those beliefs.
Brumby told a parliamentary committee in May that the Parliament of the World’s Religions would attract 5,000 delegates and showcase Victoria’s diversity.
This is going to be a big event and a very important branding exercise for us.
Note: In October this year, William Harwood pointed out on this blog that “nontheists total 2.2 billion worldwide; Christians: 1.1 billion; and Muslims one billion worldwide. His statistics were gleaned from Ronald Aronson’s Living Without God. They make a nonsense of Costello’s claim.
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
November 26th, 2009 at 11:05 am
Filthy lucre funding vile ideas. Sounds about right.
November 26th, 2009 at 11:13 am
Hello Barry, nice post. I would like to see Tim Costello justify his figure of ninety percent. Of course the term “highly religious” also requires clarification. I may be going out on a limb here but I would sugeest that many people who describe themselves as catholics may also admit to NOT being “highly religious.”
Does Tim Costello count me in the ninety percent or in the ten percent?
Yes, I do not want an answer on that one, but I do question the validity of his remarks. Making such statistical claims based on anything other than proper research just makes him look like someone who has not done his research.
Does the catholic church put out these type of statements to convince people who are not involved with religion, or is it done as a PR exercise designed to convince their own flock that they are in the right place?
This is the first time I’ve read your blog – I look forward to future posts.
Katie Kay Holmes.
November 26th, 2009 at 11:26 am
Forgive me for saying this, but I was almost more upset by the final statement than by the bulk of the article here! “This is going to be…a very important branding exercise for us.” (Yes – there’s a joke in there somewhere too, isn’t there?) Do other people get as pissed off as I do with this constant mangling of the English language – and ALWAYS by a certain type of shallow, “media-savvy” air-head? What with footprints, platforms, and envelopes all being used in a totally inappropriate way, as well as “growing” your business (not unlesss you’re a market gardener, I’m afraid!), reading the daily paper or watching Newsnight almost provokes apoplexy these days!! (Rant over!)
November 26th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
They’re like the Muslims, Katie. They really do think that we’re all “closet believers” who are just yearning to return to our spiritual “home”! It’s sad really!!
November 26th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
Maybe the Aussie misgovernment thought it was an environmental event, something to do with preserving an endangered species.
November 26th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
To paraphrase Costello: “there literally can’t be peace with religion.”
Just imagine how better the World would be without religion and superstition.
November 26th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Katie put some clothes on! You’ll catch your death in this weather.
November 26th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
Liar!
Reminds me of the CoE’s fatuous claim that it was the most popular venue for British people on a Sunday. (As if Sainsbury’s, B&Q, Wetherspoons and Wyevale garden centres didn’t count.)
Just goes to show how ignorant these people are of world culture. About a Billion Chinese would have something to say about that claim just for starters.
November 26th, 2009 at 7:04 pm
shawgraves
You leave Katie alone she knows best.
November 26th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
I’m sure among the ‘deeply religious’ he is including all those who sacrifice children and albinos for muti in Africa, molest children and oppress women.
That and all the other vile superstitions out there.
November 26th, 2009 at 8:51 pm
Barry. How about sticking Katie Kay’s blog up there with the other links.
Some of her posts are truly inspiring.
I’m just glad Bob Hutton didn’t adopt the same format!
November 26th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
Oh my ears and whiskers, Remigius, with all that’s been going on today I hadn’t the time to check Katie’s link. Clearly a boob! And no, I shan’t be putting it with the other links, as I don’t have a hot atheist tottie slot … yet!
November 27th, 2009 at 1:08 am
Dream on, Tim Costello.
November 27th, 2009 at 8:08 am
I believe. I believe that at a distance of roughly 700000 miles a light green teapot orbits the earth. The teapot is so small it can’t be observed even with the best telescopes in the world. But i believe it and thus it must be the truth. Therefore, I belong to the 90 percent of deeply religious people.
November 27th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
MarkusW, I believe in your teapot as well. I even taught my children and grandchildren the hymn of the little teapot: I’m a little teaport, short and stout, here’s my handle, here’s my spout, etc. etc.
November 28th, 2009 at 4:53 am
90% *might* be “spiritual” (meaning they hold the idea that there is something beyond our existence, or the universe itself radiates grandeur on unimaginable scales), but this is far from religious.
Tim Costello is hiding behind false, pumped up numbers to make himself feel better and argue from a position of ad populum. The “fact” 90% are religious (which the numbers certainly do not support) speak to how easily the general masses are deceived and deluded. It says nothing at all about the truth of their delusions.
November 28th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
90% deeply religious? Not.
I used to be deeply religious. One of those annoying people that would come up and ask if you knew Jesus. Yeah, one of those. (I apologize.)
Of all the religious people I knew, only a handful were what you would call “deeply” religious. Most of them just kinda sorta believed in God ‘cuz they were afraid they’d go to hell if they didn’t…or ‘cuz their mother told ‘em to, or whatever.
Most of the really fanatical people I knew like me eventually left Christianity entirely, having gone into the meme so deeply as to be able to see the holes in it.
December 9th, 2009 at 1:29 am
What does it matter how many people in the world are religious if they cannot band together and find a common ground? Seems like disagreements in religion are causing more wars, be it big or small. Fundamentalism fogs peoples views of reality, and its too bad they don’t have more faith in the power of their own mind.