AUSTRALIA’S new Prime Minister Julia Gillard says she has no intention of pretending to believe in God in order to win over religious voters.
While former PM Kevin Rudd was a regular at Canberra church services – and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott is known as a devout Catholic – Ms Gillard says that, while she greatly respects other people’s religious views, she does not believe in God.
Julia Gillard
Ms Gillard, according to this report, has been quizzed on personal topics, including her attitude to religion and her relationship with her partner, during interviews this week.
She says does not go through religious rituals for the sake of appearance.
I am not going to pretend a faith I don’t feel. I am what I am and people will judge that. For people of faith, I think the greatest compliment I could pay to them is to respect their genuinely held beliefs and not to engage in some pretence about mine.
She added:
I grew up in the Christian church, a Christian background. I won prizes for catechism, for being able to remember Bible verses. I am steeped in that tradition, but I’ve made decisions in my adult life about my own views.
I’m worried about the national interest. About doing the right thing by Australians. And I’ll allow people to form their own views about whatever is going to drive their views.
She concluded:
What I can say to Australians broadly, of course, is I believe you can be a person of strong principle and values from a variety of perspectives.
Hat tip: Name Withheld
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
June 29th, 2010 at 10:36 am
Hurrah!!!
June 29th, 2010 at 10:37 am
One of the abnormal person, as a human we should belief for God. Athiesm will destroy human civilization by abnormal thinking. Thank you.
June 29th, 2010 at 10:39 am
No chance of this admirable practice reaching our politicians, I suppose? In fact, I note that out holier than though House of Lords, with their unelected bishops, have been behaving like the spivs they are and screwing the tax payers just as much as the MPs. So much for all this bullshit about “My Noble Lord.” The point on the bishops is that their sanctity does not seem to have curbed the greedy of the Lords in general.
June 29th, 2010 at 10:42 am
@Mohamad. Like your ilk you don’t deign to explain, to argue, just state your mad opinion. You have my sympathy. You’r brain must be seriously confused.
June 29th, 2010 at 10:46 am
I’m moving there
June 29th, 2010 at 11:05 am
Mr Broga, my opinion is not mad, the thinking of athiesm people is mad. It is funny for a world without God. The thinking is like car is exist promptly without any people did it. How can you imagine a car exist promptly with universe exist promptly? Ha Ha Ha a funny thinking of athiesm people. Thank you.
June 29th, 2010 at 11:15 am
Mr. Broga if there is no God that create the universe, so how the unverse is start? You may say big bang, but what the cause of big bang? How can your scientific mind give any answer for that? In Al Quran Allah said, earth and sky is in one and than Allah divide both of them like this. In Islam the big bang theory is accepted and the cause of big bang is done by Allah for the sake of all creature. But in science hav no answer for the cause of big bang, I don’t know if Israeli regim throw a nuclear weapon to the big bang? The funny statement only for joke. It mean science have no answer for the cause of big bang. But I still wait for you answer, you may refer to idiot book, Origin of Species to find the funny answer. Thank you.
June 29th, 2010 at 11:24 am
Mohamad, your brain must be in awful state if you don’t understand ‘we’ on this site are not interested in your views. We take the things we don’t understand in our stride and try to do the right thing with the guidance of some invisible superman, with a list of stupid do’s and don’ts, just like Australia’s new PM. Try to read other stuff than the Koran for a change.
June 29th, 2010 at 11:27 am
Mr Har Davids, I only know how the universe was stated through scientific view. If you can’t give me any answer, don’t try to babbling for the thing that you not know. You should help your friend, Mr. Broga to find any answer from an idiot book, Origin of Species. I wait for the answer not for the rubbish statement. Thank you.
June 29th, 2010 at 11:42 am
Well, Mohamad, I bet you are still there. You can get answers to all your questions on evolution over at Pharyngula. Off you go. Mind out, they are sometimes unkind to trolls, but if you really want to know the answers you will find them there. You do want to hear answers, don’t you? From real scientists? Ah. Thought so.
June 29th, 2010 at 11:46 am
Good for Gillard. Just a pity that she feels she needs to emphasise her former Xtian upbringing, as if to reassure the godloons that she has some “redeeming” aspect to her.
June 29th, 2010 at 11:53 am
Broga, this admirable practice seems to have already reached our deputy prime minister, who is not only an atheist but happily married to a christian without it causing anyone any problems.
Mohamad, the world was created from a giant and a cow. It is the only creation story that makes sense and was believed in for millenia before your own myths were made up by a human.
June 29th, 2010 at 12:29 pm
Blimey, an honest politician. Harry, our so-called deputy prime minister back tracked on his atheist views before he was elected so don’t be too kind to him. I think he was featured on these pages.
As for mohammed, I don’t like being nasty but bugger off mate, we all know what islam wants and we aren’t having none of it.
June 29th, 2010 at 12:29 pm
Mohamad
“The thinking is like car is exist promptly without any people did it.”
You sir are the very best example of the reasons the people on this site have no belief…..because you believe “blindly”.
If you have children, and I sincerely hope you do not, do you teach them to question what they are taught in school with respect to subjects such as mathematics? Your job as a parent is to “teach” them to be critical about all subjects so they can in later life better determine truth from fiction.
You and all your blind religious brethren spout nonsense about the truth of your god while you hate science and the truths it reveals about your fairy tale world……yet all the while use science in your every day life.
In your world you look down a long tunnel with a bright light headed toward you and of course your faith tells you that is Mohamed returning to destroy all the infidels….I have some news for you Mohamed ….that light you see is a freight train fueled by reason and logic ………and you will have two choices when it meets you…..to embrace it or be run over by it…I assume you will choose the latter….religion is pathetic.
June 29th, 2010 at 12:39 pm
Mr Harry how the giant and the cow create the universe? The stupid answer for my question. How you found this information, in Idiot and Silly book, Origin of Species? So funny answer, the cow create the world, ha ha ha, so funny.
In Al Quran have a realistic information same as scientist at 20 century found about big bang, so how the cow and the giant make the universe, where the cow and the giant live when the universe is still not complete? You answer is fairy tale that suitable to bed time story for Mr. Broga at night. Thank you.
June 29th, 2010 at 12:43 pm
Actually, the Universe was created when the Egyptian god Ptah masturbated it into existence. Although others believe creation involved a midget and some Pasta. But I’m skeptical.
June 29th, 2010 at 12:44 pm
All of atheism people can’t answer about the universe creation, science have not all answer in our life, we need a religion to guide our life. If i ask you how about the shap of pain, all of you will be puzzled and may be a crazy person because all of you can’t found the shape of pain eventhough you make a research until your end of your breath until your generation become to 20th, they also can’t found the answer, the answer is in religion only, the true religion, Islam. Subhanallah. Thank you.
June 29th, 2010 at 12:52 pm
First of all a big cheer for Austalia, this is a person that would have my vote, but I don’t live there. This women is a honest politician.
Mr Mo idiot I have a book of mythology that has at least 25 creation myths in it and most make more sense than the myths in th bible or your f—n koran, both of which were written by men of limited mental abilities, so go troll someplace slse
June 29th, 2010 at 12:53 pm
Mohamed: You have been allowed your say, and all your posts expose you as a complete imbecile. Please so not post any more comments. You, my friend are BARRED. Go away and spread your ignorance elsewhere. A word to regular readers: please don’t feed the troll.
June 29th, 2010 at 1:02 pm
Mr. Ex Patriot, you still in darkness, you should belief in religion. There are no myths in Islam, all of thing in Al Quran is true through the scientist research, it means Islam is the true religion in the world. If you not believe, I can’t force you, in Islam there are no force in religion, Islam not force anyone to convert to Islam, people who are convert to Islalm either is volutarily or he have other intention such marriage or anything the he/she and Allah only know. Thank you.
June 29th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
Ah! Fresh air.
June 29th, 2010 at 1:13 pm
The “fresh air” comment refers, of course, to the PM’s frankly stated views, not mohamad’s ravings.
June 29th, 2010 at 1:14 pm
From an anthropological perspective I found Mo’s primitive and limited worldview informative. He is the type of person, suffering from shared hysterical delusion, we have to deal with day-to-day. Such a person cannot be reasoned with or educated. Islam cannot be reasoned with. It, the ideology (not the individual), can only be treated with ridicule and contempt.
June 29th, 2010 at 1:17 pm
I always laugh when Moslems point to the verse about Allah separating the heavens from the Earth as proof of knowledge of the Big Bang.
They show such ignorance. So many creation myths talk of a god separating the sky from the Earth.
Geb (earth), and Nut (sky) were born in a state of permanent copulation until the god Shu separated them. Oh look! The Egyptians knew about the Big Bang.
Or Pangu separating the primordial chaos into Heaven and Earth. Wow! The Chinese knew about the Big Bang.
The Maori myth of Ranginui, the Sky Father and Papatuanuku, the Earth Mother, lying together in a tight embrace until Tane Mahuta pushed them apart. That’s why it rains. Ranginui cries for their separation.
Har David is right. If Moslems would read something other than the Koran they wouldn’t be so ignorant of the fact that all over the world there are stories of creation coming about by gods separating the sky from the Earth.
It is obvious that in the Koran like other cultures the sky was thought of as a thing and not understood to be empty space.
Not to mention the fact that it is such a tendentious argument.
If the Earth is only 4.5 billion years old and the Universe is 13.7 billion years old, how on Earth could some vague myth of separating the sky from the Earth be a description of the Big Bang. It isn’t even close. The Universe existed for twice as long as the age of the Earth is now before the Earth even formed.
Though it’s pointless trying to get that through the thick skull of someone who believes in Djinn and evil spirits.
June 29th, 2010 at 1:22 pm
Oh dear the trolls are out… so Mr Mo… how do you feel about your so called prophet sexually abusing a six year old child ? Or that the Koran is an exact copy of another bunch of fluffy fairy tales written by bronze age goat sacrificers…yes the Jewish Torah ?
I’d rather be an atheist and make my own mind up about things rather than being spoon fed ignorance on a huge scale !
June 29th, 2010 at 1:44 pm
And she was born in Wales. Will the awesomeness ever stop?
June 29th, 2010 at 1:46 pm
Is this the best the religious world can offer as a rebuttal to atheism, I have yet to see a competent believer comment, and this is across dozens of forums that I visit. It always makes me want to believe that religious rebuttal consists of yodelling akbars on the corner of a street, waving a bible like a lightning conductor. I guess the Intelligent religious keep their mouths zipped, I would if I believed.
June 29th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
Mohamad: If things can’t come from nothing, where did your god come from? Who created that?
June 29th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
An honest politican, what next?
Perhaps Australia will begin operating honestly and expel the
Muslim criminals the world forced it to allow in.
As for Mohamad, your are ill, you should go and drink down yourself a big glass of urine, like your prophet prescribed.
Being a prophet myself, Allah told me to tell you should chow down a big turd as well.
June 29th, 2010 at 2:38 pm
Here is a discussion I had with a fundamentalist christian about six months ago – in the USA, where else? – and it fits with the views of that muslim clown.
FC. You cannot, with all your atheism, provide an explanation for the creation of the world/universe.
Me. Neither can you.
FC. That is where you are wrong. The world/universe was created by god.
Me. Who created god?
FC God requires no creation.
Me. So why do you expect me to explain how the world/universe was created but I am not permitted you provide me with an explanation for the creation of god?
FC Now you are just being silly.
June 29th, 2010 at 2:50 pm
Who created the Big Bang?
Easy.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/e....._Big_Bang/
June 29th, 2010 at 2:52 pm
Good on yer Ms Gillard!
PS, Don’t feed the troll.
June 29th, 2010 at 4:01 pm
It’ll never happen here in the U.S.
You go, Mohamad! You’ve opened up a new world of understanding to us, one none of us has ever even suspected before.
C’mon, Graham Martin-Royle! Just one itty-bitty morsel can’t hurt. Right?
June 29th, 2010 at 4:26 pm
@mikespeir. Something that even from my jaded perspective still surprises me is the approach of Mo and his like. They come on here, state some of the most amazing nonsense without anything to back it up, and seem to expect us to accept it. What did he think we would respond? Perhaps:
That is fantastic. Thank you so much for letting us know. Absolutely stunning revelations which I have never come across before. You have changed our lives and this site no longer has any purpose and will be closed down immediately.
June 29th, 2010 at 4:54 pm
Mo, I’m not the one pretending to have all the answers, so don’t make childish demands! I’m quite happy to live my life with some unanswered questions; some eminent scientists don’t mind not knowing all. I am in the here and now, and I don’t need a ‘god’ to be an ass-hole, I can manage that on my own. And this may come as shock to you: a lot of atheists know people with religion and are still appreciated by them and that can’t be because of the religion they don’t share: they are just good people and there’s no need to kill each other over something insignificant as ‘god’.
And maybe you should stop visiting this site; our atheism might be contagious in the end and then you’ll be like most of us: godless and free of one kind of bull-shit. Better check this with your local imam.
June 29th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
@Har Davids. You make a good point. I know lots of people of religion and we get on OK. Hell, Ratzinger referred to “Noble Atheists” – wouldn’t include me – which he distinguished from trouble makers like Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris. I think Papa is a bit desperate.
Why should we humans, with our particular and limited capacity, expect to know how the universe came into being. Maybe one day we will; maybe we won’t. The exciting thing is we keep discovering with an open mind. Mo and co know it all already.
I happen to be able to see the stars at night, unlike in urban areas. For me that it a wonder. Billions of stars in the Milky Way and billions of galaxies. Light travelling at 186,000 miles a second and me looking at stars as they were thousands, even millions of years ago. How does these crazy ideas of Mo and co, with the earth supposedly created 6000 or so years ago, compare with this?
June 29th, 2010 at 5:50 pm
@Broga:
Yeah. I do think they must come here thinking we’ve never been confronted with this stuff before. Why, surely, if we just understood, we couldn’t help but believe!
Here’s a tip, Mohamad, et al: we do understand–we’re just not buying it. In fact, we’re not buying it primarily because we understand.
June 29th, 2010 at 5:59 pm
If anyone wants a reference on the giant and cow resulting in the world, it can be found at http://unreasonablefaith.com/2.....mythology/
Does anyone have a link to Clegg changing his description of himself?
June 29th, 2010 at 6:48 pm
I’m just glad that i’m not named after a psycho paedophile
June 29th, 2010 at 7:33 pm
Can we get back to normality now please?
http://www.jesusandmo.net/strips/2010-06-29.jpg
June 29th, 2010 at 7:58 pm
This doesn’t quite seem perfect. She is talking about how she respects other people’s beliefs, but why? They may be sincerely held but she obviously thinks they are wrong.
Do you remember Nick Clegg? He stated his atheism, for which he was condemned by fuckwits. But he then went on to talk about how good religion is, how his kids are getting a religious upbringing, etc.
Julia Gillard has got real work to do, & hasn’t got time to waste talking about religion. But a man can be forgiven for asking whether she will truly be staunch on secular issues in the way that Clegg isn’t.
June 29th, 2010 at 8:32 pm
I think that politicians seriously overestimate the religiosity of their constituents. I come from quite a religious family but apart from them, I don’t know anyone who has the slightest interest in religion but I do know a few who view it with contempt. I understand that a politician has to be careful not to alienate potential voters but they should be aware that there are some who have a seriously negative view of religion who would welcome honest godless politicians with open arms.
June 29th, 2010 at 10:33 pm
@Stonyground
I think that part of the problem for politicians is that so many activists in political parties are religiously inclined and they have to cater for them to get selected as a candidate in the first place. Maybe what we need everywhere are US style open primaries where anyone can vote on who will be a candidate for any party.
June 29th, 2010 at 10:43 pm
@Asquith
That was the only irksome thing in the news of her election.
If she had said she respected other people’s rights to have different ideas it would have been better than saying she respects the sincere beliefs of others.
I can respect your right to hold different beliefs while still thinking what you believe is absolute bollocks.
But I suppose you have to be thankful for the small improvements, especially when it’s from a politician.
June 30th, 2010 at 12:27 am
Well done, Ms Gillard. You’ve made me burst with pride this week.
June 30th, 2010 at 12:45 am
@Mohamad
Why don’t you post a picture of yourself and show us what the shape of stupid is?
June 30th, 2010 at 1:19 am
Wow, is this lady for real? You know, I still haven’t heard back on whether the South Carolinian or somewhere nearby official-elect was able to take office, being an open atheist and all. And here, a leader in a nation openly declaring atheism. Way to go, Oz.
June 30th, 2010 at 3:11 am
Ladies and gentlemen, I think we do have the shape of stupid, or one of them anyway:
http://heavenawaits.files.word.....-final.jpg
On to more important matters, the prime minister seems to have sided with the religiobots on gay marriage. Oh well, it was worth a shot.
June 30th, 2010 at 4:47 am
Well, I’ve been told there are twenty seven ways to spell “Muhammed”, but I’ve seen two in professional print, and the other is “Mohammed”.
MohaMAD can’t even spell the name of his own demigod, let alone make a coherent argument for his validity. But, I side with him, while the theory of the big bang is currently accepted theory, many factors call it to doubt, such as the fact that the trajectory of the galaxies do not point at an epicenter.
But, the idea that just because we don’t understand origin yet adds to the legitimacy of any witchdoctor myths that have plagued our history is ludicrous, and the burden of proof lies with the plankton who believe that shit to prove their god exists. I would like MohaMAD to open his Quran and inform us about 4.5 billion years of earth history and read me a passage about the dinosaurs or about the major extinctions.
Plankton belief in this antiquated crap stems from the idea that the longer we live, the further we drift from god. Add that to their fear of death and that their existence really has no purpose other than to fuck, have babies, and then get out of the way. I have a shitty bedside manner, but, I said it, and it’s been that way since the first cell. Get used to it, MOMAD, there are no seventy virgins.
NeoWolfe
June 30th, 2010 at 5:44 am
Gillard is not the first infidel Oz PM. I’m sure Bob Hawke(Rhodes Scholar and champion beer-drinker)who was our PM during the 1980s,described himself as ‘agnostic’.
June 30th, 2010 at 7:52 am
@ Mohhamed
A typical conversation between you and me might go something like this – you start
“God created the heaven and the earth and all living things in 6 days about 6,000 years ago.”
“The earth formed billions of years ago by chance and all life evolved from a single cell by purely natural means.”
“God created me. I didn’t evolve from some monkey”
“Man and monkeys evolved from a common ancestor. Man did not come from a monkey.”
“So we came from rats? Like that’s suppose to make me feel better. Then why haven’t I seen a house cat evolve into a tiger, or a bird into a cow?”
“Evolutionists don’t believe that.”
“Well the Quran says…”
“Well science says…”
The argument has no end and both sides walk away feeling frustrated convinced their opponent is an idiot. The debate is usually emotionally driven with both sides making grandiose claims. Neither side sees any reason to compromise. creationist has religious tradition on they’re side. is convinced the evolutionist is an atheist so God must be on they’re side. The evolutionist, knowing the earth is old, sees no reason to accept the Quran as literal truth. we therefore believes there must be a natural explanation for life on earth. This is an oversimplified example of the two extremes being voiced, but it does allow us a starting point to examine the issue. May i suggest you reed Origin of Species before you call it a stupid book. Science does not have a unified theory for the begining of the universe quoting professor Hawkin. But evolution is a fact. If origin of species is too difficult for you, may I suggest you read “The greatest show on earth” the evidence for evolution by professor Richard Dawkins.
June 30th, 2010 at 7:54 am
I thought the lunatic had been barred!
June 30th, 2010 at 8:40 am
When coming across someone like Mohamad that saying springs to mind.
Don’t try to teach a pig to dance. You’ll just annoy the pig and waste your time.
June 30th, 2010 at 8:50 am
Urmensch, excellent expression!
How about: Never argue with a stupid person, their ignorance will always beat you.
June 30th, 2010 at 9:43 am
When you argue with a cretin, there are two cretins arguing
June 30th, 2010 at 9:52 am
Mo.
You have while to speak I fed up getting of logging on two you find sillie talk. Why four you not standunder that pepes on hear are not interested in your drivel so f**k off!
June 30th, 2010 at 10:02 am
Is there a moderator in the house?
June 30th, 2010 at 1:17 pm
Russell W: I would have thought that as well. A little research threw up this:
Hawke served as Australian PM from March 1983 to December 1991. In answer to a seven-year-old boy on a phone-in segment of This Day Tonight (Australian TV current affairs program; broadcast date not given), Hawke said “Until I get some evidence one way or the other which is compelling to me, I’m going to have to remain an agnostic…” quoted in Bob Hawke: A portrait, Robert Pullan, Methuen Australia, 1980, p137
http://www.celebatheists.com/w....._Lee_Hawke
June 30th, 2010 at 7:43 pm
I’m more impressed by this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F.....dofale.jpg
And after reading mo’s dribble, I think I could take a shot at the
title myself.
July 1st, 2010 at 12:43 am
There is hope. 10,000 miles away, but hope.
July 1st, 2010 at 7:42 am
Mark Richards
If Labor loses the election later this year,Oz will have a devout Catholic as PM.
July 2nd, 2010 at 3:46 am
Urm said:
“Don’t try to teach a pig to dance. You’ll just annoy the pig and waste your time.”
Please, take it in the sense it’s delivered, but jesus said: “Matthew 7:6 “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.” http://www.openbible.info/topi.....fore_swine
I always thought that it meant that you are wasting your time talking to the closed minded. Little did jesus know, since he was a philosopher, not a scientist, that he was only half way to the answer. I don’t fault him, his cause was noble. But, now science are the pearls, proven facts are holy, and the idiots who believe he was perfect are the ones trying to unearth their beliefs from a sty of pig shit.
NeoWolfe