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Atheist uni society banned.

prog2djent

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(edited 11 years ago)

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Reply 1

Negaduck

Freedom of speech ftw.

Reply 2

Part_Human

As many say, atheism is not a belief. It is a fact. Hindu, Catholic, Muslim all are beliefs.

Reply 3

GottaLovePhysics! :)

Such a tricky one...
The first story about the LSE is rediculus, cant belive they banned them for that.

But the Reading one is kind of douchey. Maybe I say that because I go to QM and if you tried to pull something like that you would be shunned.

Reply 4

Manitude

"Here at Student Rights we feel that freedom of expression is not absolute"

So they just admitted that they don't actually believe in freedom of speech.
I think a lot of SUs around the country operate a similar policy of "we believe in freedom of speech for everyone (who is saying things we agree with)"

Reply 5

Doglamlico

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

Evelyn Beatrice Hall in "The Friends of Voltaire"

Reply 6

medicine gapper

Original post by Part_Human

As many say, atheism is not a belief. It is a fact. Hindu, Catholic, Muslim all are beliefs.

it is a belief.

you assert the universe created itself, and there is no originator who catalysed and caused this.

Reply 7

Hippysnake

That's because the only reason an 'athiest' society would exist is to antagonise other religious societies.

This isn't a freedom of speech issue.

Reply 8

Part_Human

Original post by medicine gapper

it is a belief.

you assert the universe created itself, and there is no originator who catalysed and caused this.

We say, you guys are asking wrong questions and wasting your time. Interestingly, like sexism and racism, a small portion of religious population tends to make so much noise. They say racism is done by 2% of the population, but they are loud and do not keep to themselves, so we feel like we live in a racist nation. I am afraid all religions are beliefs. They have got to be.

Reply 9

medicine gapper

Original post by Part_Human

every one who has a belief will tell you it's fact.

only way to come to the truth is be open minded debate, putting aside past prejudices or present conveniences.

Reply 10

electriic_ink

Original post by Hippysnake

That's because the only reason an 'athiest' society would exist is to antagonise other religious societies.

This isn't a freedom of speech issue.

I believe the word you're looking for is "challenge".

Reply 11

Part_Human

Original post by medicine gapper

you assert the universe created itself, and there is no originator who catalysed and caused this.

No sane person can possible write this. And who cares at the end of the day??? If you say, a religion provides a community, I am happy to accept it.

But as a LSE student, I don't really give a damn about the whole pointless societies things. It's got nothing to do with freedom of speech. In fact, if you ask anyone, LSE is one of the most liberal and "freedom of speech" places in the UK or Europe. Racists, sexists, conservatives, labours, republicans, all studying and working together happily side by side. That's LSE.

Reply 12

The Gentle Giant

Freedom of speech is the idea that you are allowed to say something and portray what you want to portray in wider society, not that you get to specify where you portray it or that you get to use whatever means to send that message. You arent allowed to walk into a school and start swearing at children, you arent allowed to randomly wander on stage at a concert and start yelling over the singers. You arent allowed to jump up and down making a statement when someone is trying to buy something at a shop. Freedom of Speech is about giving people the opportunity to say what they want, but that we can sometime require discression on behalf of individuals when we act in public, and that people who value other peoples freedom of expression should allow them to have that opportunity where ever possible. A fresher's fayre is a non confrontational place where everyone, including people of faith and no faith, could come together and decide what sort of person they want to become in the next 3-4 years. The Atheist society were given the opportunity to raise atheism's profile and interact with the wider university body, but instead chose to insult, degredate and be dickish to a select group in order to send the message that they wanted to send. They were harming the idea of freedom of speech as they isolated and antagonised individuals who wanted to engage with the wider community to send a message that they are given constant opportunities to spread. Their freedom of speech was not harmed, and they dont have the right to demand unrestricted freedom, especially when the university is giving them an opportunity to engage with the wider student body.

They went against the spirit of the event, and as such were asked to leave. The university was right to do so, and these individuals have let down their cause in the misguided notion of sending out a message which corrupts their very principles.

As an atheist, these people do not represent me.

Why a pineapple?

Not the most tactile move by them I must say, pretty tasteless.

However the reaction is ridiculous. Banning? Maybe you get the President or other senior members before some uni council and get them to explain their action and issue a warning or a disciplinary like reduced funding. But by banning you are punishing all their members for the actions of a few.

I'd stand by them and their right to say it, even while I criticise them for say so. I'd imagine this decision will be overturned pretty soon.

Reply 15

Hippysnake

Original post by electriic_ink

I believe the word you're looking for is "challenge".

You don't need to create a society to 'challenge' views or beliefs. You need simply to go ask them to explain themselves.

When you create a society that stands for nothing BUT opposing other societies, that's antagonism.

Reply 16

electriic_ink

Original post by Hippysnake

You don't need to create a society to 'challenge' views or beliefs. You need simply to go ask them to explain themselves.

You don't need to create a society for anything. Why have a Christian Union when you can just go to Church every Sunday?

When you create a society that stands for nothing BUT opposing other societies, that's antagonism.

Which society is this? I don't think any AHS society would see that as their sole purpose.

Reply 17

Alix23

Original post by Manitude

Most people believe freedom of speech isn't absolute, that's why people can be punished for saying rascist or deeply offensive things. These are just disagreeing with what we believe in- equality.
I agree that the university's application of this was a bit stupid, but so is your post.

Reply 18

Kaiser MacCleg

My thoughts mirror The Gentle Giant's exactly. It's no surprise you're chucked out of a fresher's fayre when your stall is set up specifically to provoke, and I take no issue with the action Reading Uni took. But banning societies for posting comics to Facebook? Now that is a worrying infringement on freedom of speech.

Original post by medicine gapper

it is a belief.

you assert the universe created itself, and there is no originator who catalysed and caused this.

Atheism has nothing to do with the origin of the universe. I am an atheist, and I do not claim to know how or why the universe came into being. Whether there is even an obtainable and conclusive answer to these questions is unclear to me. I leave such questions to the cosmologists and particle physicists of this world, who are uniformally a lot smarter than me.

The word "atheism" just means "without theism" i.e., without a belief in (a) god(s), and I am sure you can appreciate that there is a significant difference between saying "There is no God!" and saying "I don't believe in a God!"