Copenhagen Declaration on Religion in Public Life

nozzferrahhtoo · 29-06-2010 1:49pm #1

The recent Gods and Politics conference in Copenhagen adopted a Declaration on Religion in Public Life. The conference was the first European event of Atheist Alliance International, and was co-hosted by AAI and the Danish Atheist Society.

You can read the Copenhagen Declaration here

Please circulate this declaration among people and groups who advocate a secular society.

20goto10 · 29-06-2010 2:21pm

Just curious, what is the point of this?

As an atheist one thing I cannot stand is bring labelled as part of a group or society. That include declarations on behalf of "my type". I'm just not comfortable with the congregational aspect of these groups.

Plowman · 29-06-2010 2:33pm

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magicbastarder · 29-06-2010 2:56pm

why did they pick the name 'copenhagen declaration'? there are way too many declarations called the copenhagen declaration, or variations thereof, already.

Dr. Loon · 30-06-2010 1:30am

I don't like all this atheists meeting up business, and I don't like them making declarations. Kind of like a set of commandments or something? Makes me nervous.

Pygmalion · 30-06-2010 1:36am

Dr. Loon wrote: »

I don't like all this atheists meeting up business, and I don't like them making declarations. Kind of like a set of commandments or something? Makes me nervous.

Yeah, I hope they never get into government.
Laws seem too much like a set of commandments to me.

cooker3 · 30-06-2010 1:54am

Man, why is it that Copenhagen get all the good declarations and interpretations.

Dublin needs its name on the map, Can't we hold the next string theory conference or something?

MikeC101 · 30-06-2010 1:57am

Plowman wrote: »

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I find the statement to be somewhat strange, and I'd love to know exactly what societies they're referring to.

But just to point out religious societies and secularism aren't mutually exclusive - the US Constitution and founding fathers are pretty clear on separation of church and state.

I'd also consider that there were strong secular traditions in ancient Greece and Rome (the huge diversity of different gods and cults played a part) as compared to the period after the decline of the Western Roman Empire - when the divine right of Kings to rule comes to the fore, and the notion of the Pope and Church being the supreme authority on earth, up until the Reformation / Renaissance era, when that idea isn't subscribed to by as many.

I think they have a point, but I don't think it's as clear cut as the statement they've made, and it's fairly specific to Western Europe.

Edit: Also, the modern Indian constitution is explicitly secular - and during colonial rule, the British had a policy of non interference in religious matters.

Sam Vimes · 30-06-2010 7:28am

Plowman wrote: »

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I think you night be confusing a secular state:

A secular state is a concept of secularism, whereby a state or country purports to be officially neutral in matters of religion, supporting neither religion nor irreligion.[ 1] A secular state also claims to treat all irreligion. A secular state also claims to treat all its citizens equally regardless of religion, and claims to avoid preferential treatment for a citizen from a particular religion/nonreligion over other religions/ nonreligion.

with a communist state that actively oppresses religion and so can hardly claim to be neutral on it