Weekend Wrap for 1 August 2021
Welcome to the NSL Weekend Wrap for 1 August 2021, where you can catch up on the latest secular-related news from around the country.
Don’t forget that the Weekend Wrap, which aims to help secular-minded Australians keep abreast of the latest news on current issues, is also published on our Facebook page!
At the National Level
Around the Country
ACT: The Canberra Times has launched an "Our Right to Decide" campaign to restore Territory rights to legislate on assisted dying. (Canberra Times)
SA: Former Labor ministers Tom Kenyon and Jack Snelling will relaunch Family First as a political party and quit the ALP over “moves to restrict religious freedom”. (Daily Telegraph)
WA: The Rationalist Society has called on Western Australian councils to stop funding discriminatory chaplaincy roles. (Rationalist Society)
NSW: A pause in the Religious Education curriculum in the Diocese of Parramatta has been met with mixed responses. (Catholic Weekly)
VIC: Boroondara Council has voted against the tide of public opinion and will continue to include Christian prayers as part of its meetings. (Rationalist Society)
Commentary and Analysis
Activist Rodney Croome of just.equal writes on how it may be possible to defeat the 'religious privilege bill'. (Out in Perth)
Martyn Iles of the Australian Christian Lobby spoke out against Satanists being allowed to participate in religious education at schools, saying that "not all religions are equal". (Noosa Temple of Satan)
A gay conversion survivor details his experiences and says that there is dishonesty in labelling such practices as "therapies". Conversion practices are now outlawed in three Australian jurisdictions. (Star Observer)
Monica Doumit of Catholic Weekly writes on assisted dying legislation that "Only a fanatic would push legalised killing right now." (Catholic Weekly)
Events and Advisories
Sign up to the Census21 - Not Religious? Mark 'No Religion' campaign (in which the NSL is involved) to learn more about the census's role in inflating the religiosity figure in Australia.
The Noosa Temple of Satan is currently running a federal parliamentary petition to remove Christian prayers from parliament. The practice of reciting an exclusively Christian prayer discriminates against non-Christians. Related article
Dying With Dignity NSW has a tool that makes it easy for people to contact their federal MPs and senators to request help in repealing the "Andrews Bill", the 1997 legislation which denies the Territories the right to pass legislation on Voluntary Assisted Dying.
Visit the #QLD4VAD website to learn more about the campaign to introduce VAD laws into Queensland.
That's it for another week!
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