There’s some weird Christian sect that is planning on a counter-demonstration on Sunday in Melbourne. I wrote about it before, it’s called Undeniable, and it was definitely billed as a response to the Global Atheist Convention. Here’s the google cache version of their announcement.
The Global Atheist Convention is coming to Melbourne in less than two weeks. They will be mocking our God. I don’t know about you, but I’m not OK with this!
There comes a point when something has to be done and it needs to be done loud!
Ps Dennis Prince (my dad) has produced a Christian newspaper (The Regal Standard) in response to the Atheist Convention, to glorify God and make him known. So far it has sold 75,000 copies and also received secular newspaper and radio attention.
And then twelve days ago the Lord stirred my heart to put on an event in response to the Global Atheist Convention.
Wait, why google cache? Because they have already wimped out. Blinked. Backed away. Run in fear. After a few atheists noticed their game and laughed, pointed out that their show was after the GAC, and suggested that maybe we’d stroll down by the Undeniable event and do some public denying, they completely rewrote their copy to remove any mention of the GAC.
On Thursday 22nd March 2012, my heart was stirred to put on an event. An event to glorify God, with the message that thousands of Christians know God is real because He has changed their lives. This event will be on Sunday 15th April at 7:30pm at Federation Square (the Main Stage).
Heh. It hasn’t even happened and we’ve already won. The original message also talked about having Christians wear white t-shirts and to give testimonies.
And so I’m boldly asking every man, woman and child from every church and denomination to come to Federation Square on Sunday 15th April. Come wearing a white T-shirt (or top) and bring your glow sticks. We will also have a limited number of printed T-shirts with the words “ASK ME MY STORY.” Our message to the media is that there are thousands of us with a unique story to tell. Our testimonies are evidence that there is a God, because He has changed our lives.
That’s all erased now; somebody had left a comment — “Will be attending & would love to get the T-Shirt you speak of” — which is now dangling on an article that says nothing at all about any t-shirt. I may still stroll by the Square, though.
I’ll be dressed in black.
Dumbass christers. Well, maybe they’re not up on this daytime thing considering how their dumbfuck deity messes up how to tell day from night way back in Genesis.
PZ, Dawkins et. al should crash their stupid fest.
Oops. What, were those atheist chariots made of iron or sumthin’?
It’s nice to be able to make a difference
I’m guessing that God’s okay with the mocking of his followers.
(If he wasn’t, then he wouldn’t make them such easy targets.)
I’ll be wearing one of these in response WWJD. :)
‘Fraid I’ll be flying out a little early to tackle the Christian event in person. I posted a comment on their site several days ago; it is still … awaiting moderation.
Yes. We’ve never heard of your God. *facepalm*
She wanted children to tell their stories? Wouldn’t they mostly be along the lines of “my parents told me so”? :Y
The testimony from Ben Price on the site is well worth reading too:
Well, I’m convinced you’re insane. Admittedly I’m not medically qualified to make such judgements so what do I know?
@Koncorde
Fortunately such delusions are most often a case of Contemporary Insanity and can be cured, or at least treated and mitigated.
Too bad I can’t come. In addition to black jeans (…probably too warm for Melbourne in April anyway…), I’ve got an AMNH T-shirt that is black except for the front view of a Tyrannosaurus skull.
…and some red around it, meh.
I kind of like the “Can you handle the truth” quote on their poster. Especially the irony of finding it in the google cache.
Guess they can’t.
This guys best friend in the world is an imaginary invisible one. Pretty sad really. He should at least get a pet, an iguana, dog, or cat would at least be real.
Maybe they decided to downplay the intent to convert atheists after someone explained to them that no, the ‘glow sticks’ were not really a miracle.
PZ, you should wear a black T-shirt with “ASK ME MY STORY” on it.
Wish I could go. looks like a bad event. Oh wait, maybe I’m a bit hazy on this whole Good/Bad thing.
So for Ben Price, the Harry Potter parallels come way too easy. I don’t think he’s insane, just blinkered, and not a deep thinker (to put it kindly).
if “thousands” of people have “a” unique story to tell…then how is that story unique?
Are glow sticks just a thing Australian Christians have around the house? For in case the Rapture happens, or the mothership lands, or something?
I’d left the following comment, which is still “Awaiting moderation”:
There were just two comments other than mine shown.
Why not just let your bright red horns show? And I’m sure one of the locals won’t mind lending you their ceremonial pitchfork.
I don’t mock Gandalf. He’s my hero! I want to be Gandalf when I grow up.
Not if this weekend is anything to go by….it’s been freezing! Barely got over 12*C most of yesterday. I’m guessing no one will be able to tell who has the white Jesus friendly tee shirts and who has the black Tyrannosaurus Rex tee shirts under the layers of coats and jumpers.
This is the same lot that stated “we cant allow them to take our city” (Or something like that)
So I sent them a mail informing them that the city belonged to all citizens and not just them,5 minutes later the blog changed as per this threads description
Karn
The whole ‘let’s just assume those who don’t believe as we do clearly just haven’t heard of our particular superstition’ assumption had me thinking t’other day.
Thinking: would it be at all fun to try to play like maybe you’d just spent 2,000 years frozen in a glacier or something when they pull that? As in: see how long you can get away with making statements like:
‘Really? No. And you call him ‘Jesus’, you say? And you say he was the god and somehow he also died at the hands of the Romans* and you worship him in these things you call (makes Dr. Evil quote fingers) ‘churches’? Oh, and you get to eat his body weekly?…
‘Well now. That’s… just… amazing. Really. Quite the story, why sure. Had never heard any of that at all before. Do tell…
(/’Hey… Wait… Is he also the guy who fights the Joker, or have I mixed him up with some other comic-book superhero?…’)
(*/The moral: don’t mess with the Romans.)
@AJ
Simpsons did it.
When Marge got committed.
@Ing:
Curse them. They’ve done everything.
I wonder if these clowns have actually booked Federation Square for their event. It’s not a public space and there are restrictions on what can be done there and under what circumstances. The Fed Square calendar of events doesn’t include the Undeniable/Plausible Deniability event.
Awesome!
And since someone mentioned the G-word, I’d also say Gandalf is one of my heroes, and is a great role model in regards to morals and values.
To quote the great man:
“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”
<3
Days later, I am still waiting for my comments to be moderated. Mind if I publish them here as its undeniable that their square is not public.
Buzz Moonman
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
April 5, 2012 @ 8:18 am
What exactly do you mean by Melbourne being your city?
I’ve been there many times and never seen any watchtower and sign telling me that its not an open city and that entry is limited to Theists.
Nor have I seen anything saying that Atheists are planning to take over “your” city. Those sneaky Atheists, it must have been in the fine print that is too small for my ageing eyesight to read. Can you please give me the link to the announcement of them running you out of town.
Thanks to the second Enlightenment we live in a secular humanist liberal social democracy which guarantees your right to gather in Federation Square. You wont get that protection in a theocracy. Not even your own denomination can guarantee you that if it had practical political power.
How is it going along the watchtower? Are you the joker or the thief? The wind does howl in Melbourne though doesn’t it. Looks like there are riders approaching.
Buzz Moonman
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
April 6, 2012 @ 1:34 pm
What exactly do you mean by “our” city?
Since when was Batman’s village “your” city?
Buzz Moonman
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
April 6, 2012 @ 1:39 pm
Perhaps moderation on my April 5th post has gone to the committee stage, a stage which Leeanne seems to have avoided. :)
I expect that this comment will get lost in the committee stage of moderation too
Buzz Moonman
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
April 10, 2012 @ 12:08 am
What is undeniably true is that we live in a society that has as its ordering principle, secular humanist liberal social democracy using the scientific method. This ordering principle guarantees everyone space in the public square to voice their views.
This means that Secular Humanists and Theists are able to gather and discuss and gossip and carry on as you will do at Federation Square and as the Secularists will do at their convention.
I note that I am not the only Secularist who is still waiting for their comments to be moderated and published in your public square.
An open blog is part of the public square. If you don’t want the public to comment on your blog then you should not have it in the public square. It is undeniable that you are having trouble dealing with the public nature of the public square, which you indicated by your belief that Melbourne is “your” city. Undeniably, Melbourne is not anyone group’s city. It is a public square.
If you can’t hack the public square that indicates that you are either intolerant or have an ordering principle that cannot withstand open public scrutiny or both.
In common with (at least) two others in this thread, I left a comment on that site five days ago.
It was a very gentle suggestion that “mocking” was not the most appropriate word to use. It is still “awaiting moderation”.
Looks like “moderation” means “agreeing” in this case.
How many others of us have had comments refused? I would suspect quite a few.
It certainly highlights the courage these folk have in their arguments, doesn’t it.
I’ll be joining you PZ. I to have some questions, and they do not seem keen to answer them on their web site or Facebook pages. Wonder why?
Not really. He’s not insane, he’s just completely ignorant about how his brain works. In my experience, people often underestimate how easy it is to feel intense emotion towards imaginary things.
I can produce significant emotional states at will towards people and events that exist only in my imagination. It’s not even that hard. It just takes a bit of practice.
Once you’ve cried over the death of an imaginary person, you stop taking your emotions so seriously.
I approve of the location of this demo, it is a mere 50 meter walk from there to Chloe’s bar. Very considerate of the fools.
I might just wander down too, I’ll have to remember to wear all black on Sunday (though I guess I do most days anyway)
@LykeX
I’m happy to let the man self identify. If he wants to call a shovel a spade, that’s his issue.
Heh. Check my acrostically-worded comment on the site.
I’m going to swing by, just to have a look. Plus, Fed Square has some awesome stuff going on in twilight. ACMI being one of the places worth a visit.