Urmând curentul ateist, britanicii caută “dez-botezarea”

Urmând curentul ateist, britanicii caută “dez-botezarea”

Moldova noastra | 3 iunie 2009

Mai mult de 100 000 de britanici au descarcat recent de pe internet “certificate re dez-botezare” pentru renuntarea la credinta lor crestina.

Initiativa lansata de un grup numit National Secular Society (NSS – Societatea seculara nationala) urmeaza campanii ateiste lansate aici si in alte parti, incluzand un afis pe un autobuz, care a declansat proteste, proclamandu-se “Probabil ca nu exista nici un Dumnezeu.”

“Noi acum producem un certificat si am vandut deja 1 500 de articole la trei lire sterline (4,35 dolari, 3.20 euro) o fereastra de tip pop”, a spus presedintele NSS, Terry Sanderson, in varsta de 58 de ani.

John Hunt, in varsta de 58 de ani, din Londra si unul dintre primii care incearca sa se “dez-boteze”, a sustinut ca el a fost un copil si nu putea sa ia decizii atunci cand a fost botezat, la varsta de numai 5 luni.

Asistentul medical a spus ca a abordat Biserica din Anglia ca sa ii roage sa ii stearga numele. “Ei au declarat ca au solicitat consultanta juridica si ca ar trebui sa pun un anunt in Gazeta Londoneza”, a spus Hunt, referindu-se la una din revistele de inregistrare oficiala a Guvernului Britanic.

Asa ca asta a si facut – articolul lui de renuntare a fost  publicat in gazeta in mai 2008 si alti britanici au urmat exemplul.

Michael Evans, in varsta de 66 de ani, a spus ca botezul copiilor este ”o forma de abuz asupra copilului” – si a spus ca atunci cand s-a plans de acest lucru bisericii in care el a fost botezat, i s-a spus sa contacteze Curtea Europeana a Drepturilor Omului.

Biserica din Anglia a spus ca pozitia sa oficiala nu a fost sa amendeze evidentele sale. “Renuntarea la botez este o chestiune intre individ si Dumnezeu”, a spus pentru AFP, un purtator de cuvant la Bisericii.

“Noi nu suntem o societate de membri, si nu tinem o evidenta la zi a numarului de oameni care au fost botezati in Biserica din Anglia, si asemenea totaluri nu sunt in conformitate cu statisticile pe care noi le publicam in mod regulat”, a mai adaugat el.

Organizatorii “dez-botezarii” spun ca initiativa este un raspuns la ceea ce ei vad ca o crestere alarmanta din partea bisericilor – cand, Papa Benedict al XVI-lea a starnit controverse la nivel global intr-o excursie in Africa devastata de SIDA, spunand ca folosirea prezervativului ar putea in continuare raspandi boala.

“Biserica Catolica este atat de activa politic in acest moment, incat eu cred ca de aici vine ostilitatea”, a spus Sanderson. “In tarile catolice este un sentiment foarte puternic al dorintei de a pedepsi biserica parasind-o.”

In Marea Britanie, unde cifrele guvernului arata ca aproape 72% din populatie se declara crestini, Sanderson simte ca aceasta “ostilitate” alimenteaza miscarea de dez-botezare.

Teologul Paul Murray de la Universitatea Durham, nu este de acord. “Aceasta nu este experienta mea,” a spus el dar recunoaste ca schimbarea pluteste in aer.

“Suntem intr-un climat interesant, unde catolicismul si alte religii s-au mutat in arena publica, pluralista, alaturi de secularism,” a spus el.

Miscarea de dez-botezare s-a raspandit deja si in alte tari.

In Spania, Curtea Inalta a decis in favoarea unui om din Valencia, Manuel Blat, spunand ca in temeiul legislatiei de protectie a datelor, el ar putea avea stearsa inregistrarea botezului sau, potrivit cu un raport in Tribuna Internationala Herald.

Similar, Uniunea Italiana a Relationistilor si Agnosticilor (UAAR) a castigat o batalie legala pentru dreptul de dez-botezare in 2002, potrivit cu un raport media. Site-ul grupului are o forma de dez-botezare, pentru a facilita lucrurile.

Potrivit secretarului UAAR, Raffaele Carcano, mai mult de 60 000 de astfel de forme au fost descarcate in ultimii patru ani si continua sa fie descarcate la o rata de circa 2 000 pe luna. Inca 1 000 de forme au fost descarcate intr-o singura zi, cand grupul a tinut prima zi nationala a dez-botezarii in 25 octombrie.

In alte parti, o miscare secularista argentiniana porneste o campanie de “Apostazie Colectiva” , folosind sloganul “Nu in numele meu” (No en mi nombre).

Sanderson spera ca hotararile judecatoresti in alte tari europene, vor deschide calea pentru actiuni legale si in Marea Britanie, de vreme ce directivele Uniunii Europene necesita un nivel de paritate intre legislatia statelor membre.

“Asta ar fi un precedent pentru noi sa spunem Comisarului Britanic de Informatii: Hai, care e scuza ta?”, a spus Sanderson.

Posterele lipite pe autobuze care au lovit Londra in ianuarie si-au batut joc cu mesajul: “Probabil nu exista nici un Dumnezeu. Acum nu iti mai face griji si bucurate de viata ta.”

Sistemul acesta de postere a venit ca raspuns la anunturile pro-crestine de pe autobuze, ce trimiteau trecatorii la un site unde erau avertizati ca daca nu il accepta pe Iisus vor suferi in iad pentru eternitate.

Scriitoarea de comedie, Ariane Sherine, spiritul campaniei autobuzelor britanice care a vazut o versiune identica in Barcelona si alte orase, spune ca ea sustine miscarea dez-botezariii, dar a insistat ca cele doua initiative au fost gandite separat.

Sanderson ramane ferm. “Faptul ca oamenii sunt dispusi sa plateasca pentru aceste certificate de dez-botezare arata faptul ca ei iau foarte in serios acest lucru,” a spus el.

sursa>

http://www.mdn.md/index.php?view=viewarticle&articleid=4947

 

Atheist bus: three Christian groups launch counter-adverts

Atheist bus: three Christian groups launch counter-adverts

The campaigns are being launched following the success of atheist bus adverts – now on 800 buses across Britain after an unprecedented fundraising drive collected £140,000 in donations – that declare: „There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.”

The atheist adverts, devised by Ariane Sherine, a comedy writer, and supported by the British Humanist Association and Professor Richard Dawkins, were themselves a intended as a response to posters on public transport that „threaten eternal damnation” to non-believers.

But now Christian groups have decided that they must regain the initiative.

In one campaign, the Trinitarian Bible Society is putting posters on 100 London buses starting on Monday with a quote from Psalm 53 that reads: „The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God.„

The £35,000 campaign will also include an offer of a free Bible.

The Rev George Hargreaves, the leader of The Christian Party, is running adverts on 50 bendy buses from next week that proclaim: „There definitely is a God. So join The Christian Party and enjoy your life.„

Meanwhile a Russian TV producer is paying for adverts on 25 London buses in March that will feature a photograph of a monastery as well as the slogan: „There is God. Don’t Worry. Enjoy your life!”

Alexander Korobko, the head of the Russian Hour satellite TV channel, which is based in London, said his campaign is being supported by the Russian Orthodox Church.

„We are living in a difficult time, when crisis is being extensively promoted, and people need some life-asserting message,” he said.

However some critics claimed the money spent on the adverts would be better directed at charity projects or improving understanding between religious groups.

Simon Barrow, of the religion and society think tank Ekklesia, said: „It is part of a societal trend to package and ‘sell’ beliefs of all kinds, as if they were commodities.

„Many people will feel this has little to do with anything Christianly or humanly edifying. One has to wonder whether the purveyors of pro- and anti-God slogans really think they will persuade people? It feels more like a war of position between groups who cannot resist ‘having a go back’.

„But imagine if these tens of thousands of pound could be spent meeting human need and promoting understanding rather than sloganising. That might be both more persuasive and more useful.”

source> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/4523445/Atheist-bus-three-Christian-groups-launch-counter-adverts.html

 

Atheist buses denying God’s existence take to Britain streets

Atheist buses denying God’s existence take to Britain streets

Telegraph.co.uk., 07 Jan 2009

:: Atheist adverts declaring that „there’s probably no God” have been placed on 800 buses around Britain after an unprecedented fundraising campaign. ::

Organisers originally hoped to put the message on just a handful of London buses, as an antidote to posters put up by religious groups which they claimed were „threatening eternal damnation” to non-believers.

But after the campaign received high-profile support from the prominent atheist Prof Richard Dawkins and the British Humanist Association, the modest £5,500 target was met within minutes and more than £140,000 has now been donated since the launch in October.

Enough money has now been raised to place the message – „There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life” – on 200 bendy buses in the capital for a month, with the first ones taking to the streets .

A further 600 buses carrying the adverts will be seen by passengers and passers-by in cities across England, Wales and Scotland, from Aberdeen and Dundee to York, Coventry, Swansea and Bristol.

In addition, two large LCD screens bearing the atheist message have been placed in Oxford Street, central London, while 1,000 posters containing quotes from well-known non-believers will be placed on Underground trains for two weeks starting on Monday.

They feature lines doubting the existence of God, and celebrating the natural world, written by Albert Einstein, Katharine Hepburn, Douglas Adams and Emily Dickinson.

It is the first ever atheist advertising campaign to take place in Britain, and similar adverts are now also running on public transport in America and Spain.

Ariane Sherine, a writer who first thought of the atheist bus adverts, said: „You wait ages for an atheist bus, then 800 come along at once. I hope they will brighten people’s days and make them smile on their way to work.”

The campaign has even been welcomed by religious groups for increasing the profile of debate about faith, and although there was tight security outside the launch event by the Royal Albert Hall, the campaigners have not received any threats from fundamentalists.

Paul Woolley, director of Theos, a theology think tank which donated £50 to the cause, said: „The posters will encourage people to consider the most important question we will ever face in our lives.”

Some atheist supporters of the campaign were disappointed that the wording of the adverts did not declare categorically that God does not exist, although there were fears that this could break advertising guidelines.

Prof Dawkins, the renowned evolutionary biologist and author of The God Delusion, said: „I wanted something stronger but with hindsight I think it’s probably a good thing because it makes people think. It’s just food for thought – people will have conversations in pubs when they see these buses.”

Hanne Stinson, chief executive of the British Humanist Association, said the adverts were „overwhelmingly positive” and were intended to reassure agnostics and atheists that there is nothing wrong with not believing in God.

The campaign's modest £5,500 target was met within minutes and more than £140,000 has now been donated. Photo PA

source> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/4141765/Atheist-buses-denying-Gods-existence-take-to-streets.html

photo> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/picturesoftheday/4160159/Pictures-of-the-day-7-January-2009.html?image=22

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1106924/Theres-probably-God–stop-worrying-enjoy-life-Atheist-group-launches-billboard-campaign.html