Ideas for Plymouth group

[Paul]

Hi all,

Thought I’d start a new thread where we could bounce some ideas around regarding setting up the Plymouth group.

Perhaps if we put down some expectations, hopes, aims, for the group we’ll have a good sounding board for the meeting on the 22nd?

What may also be of great help would be for members of other groups to give suggestions, examples of campaigns, what a typical meeting consists of?

Also, any practical ideas regarding venues for holding the meetings and such.

[Kevin]

Hi Paul,

Here's some ideas:

This site has the facility for a dedicated Plymouth page, like the ones for other areas, so we could get a web presence going very quickly. It's very straight forward to input articles & photos etc. and anyone doing a search for, say, 'Plymouth Humanists' would find it. This is South Devon's: http://sth.devonhumanists.org.uk/

Having an email list of local people who would comment on relevant media coverage is a good way to raise our profile. If anyone sees an article in the Herald or on the radio, for example, they email others suggesting they comment or write in.

Putting out Press Releases also gets the message out. Our Christmas Message was a success in saying that anyone - and not just Christians - could celebrate at this time of the year. The media sometimes just don't know who to contact for comments on some stories, so they just phone up the local Bishop.

It's also worth getting a representation at Plymouth's Equality & Diversity & Inter Faith & Belief Forums to msake sure that non-religious folk don't get forgotten when policies are being drawn up,

See you on the 22nd!

Kevin

[Paul]

Hi Kevin,

Thanks for the reply, there are lots of ideas for starting projects there:)

I don’t suppose yourself, or anyone else, would know how to go about finding out exactly how much power/influence religious groups/churches exert within local communities? I’m referring to the more tangible effects here, i.e. council spending, local politics, etc.


Look forward to meeting you on the 22nd

Paul

[kdenby]

When we meet I can give you lots of information about the tangible effects of religious groups on local government!

I'm the BHA SW Region co-ordinator for the Local Development Project and the aim of the project is to get represented on any local government body that deals with equality & diversity or has representation from religious/faith groups. We have had a fair bit of success within Devon ... but one of the clear motivations in getting a Humanist Group started in Plymouth is that we have no Humanist representation on any of the committees or consultation bodies of Plymouth City Council.

The influence and privileged access to decision making for faith bodies - particularly the 'Established' Anglican Church is deep and widespread ... there is a lot of work to be done to remind local authority decision makers that the large majority of the tax payers want secular government with no special privileges for faith groups.
However I'm generally upbeat about the willingness of Local Government to accept input from secular humanists - provided there are secular humanists available to present that input!

See you on 22nd

Keith Denby

[Kevin]

I think that faith influence is beyond what the numbers of active religious folk merit. Only around 8% of us actually attend any form of church, mosque, or temple, though it's always the Bishop that's invited to comment on the state of the nation.

It's often that ministers, imams and rabbis are full-time employees and are dedicated to representing their beliefs. Meanwhile, the rest of us have other jobs, interests and families.

Councils often don't know where to go to to get the views of local people and so tend to listen a bit too much to faith groups who claim to represent their local community. I would be horrified if the Council, Police, or NHS was asking my local vicar what my views were!

I was recently at a Police-sponsored conference in Exeter and a number of delegates from an Islamic background were equally dismissive of local imams being able to represent all their views.

One of the reasons that I joined Devon Humanists was to ensure a way that non-religious people could influnence public bodies.

See you in Plymouth!

[chubbs1981]

Firstly hi to all. A little about me white heterosexual male late 20's unmarried. (the most discriminated group there is ) I am not adverse to the concept of a god(s) however I am vehemently opposed to the notion of organised religion. I am pro choice with abortion and Pro Gay marriage. I am against the notion of faith school or the forcing of faith upon people under the age of 16 (baptism, communion, confirmation etc) although I do believe wholeheartedly in the teaching of RE in school on the basis that geopolitics can be heavily influenced by other nations beliefs. I do not however agree for group worship in school and feel RE should be just that, Education people as to the history of religion what they stand for against and how these have come into conflict over time. it should be taught openly with no bias to any "faith".

I would like to discuss: Street Pastors, Faith schools, Minority churches ability to canvass in the street and The under representation of the secular population with regards to "Morals" as mentioned above always some bishop etc asked to comment.

[Kevin]

Hi,

We're looking at the Street Pastors issue. Several Local Authorities have had to withdraw funding from Street Pastors after they were challenged under equalities legislation.

Effectively, tax payers money was being given to an organisation that wouldn't allow non-Christians and gay people to join. Councils then beat a hasty retreat when they found they were breaking their own equality & diversity policies. The best approach is to ask for a copy of the Council's Equalities Impact Assessment which they have to make.

[kdenby]

Do come along to the lecture and get the group started.

Once you get a few meetings set up then you can discuss those very good topics and also begin to make your voice heard in the Plymouth area.

We are all fed up with bishops getting the limelight and it is time that reasonable and rational people who do not believe in magic and fairies were listened to.

Keith Denby

[Kevin]

I've posted a thread on the Plymouth Herald's web site advertising the Plymouth Meeting. if anyone would like to reply....


http://community.thisisplymouth.co.uk/service/displayDiscussionThreads.kickAction?as=72100&w=191411&d=422655&widgetId=98248

[Kevin]

The discussion thread in the Plymouth Herald has attracted a couple of comments/questions. I'll comment, but it would be good if others could also respond:

"is this the same as atheism?or another kind of "religion" with its own set of rules etc.???"

"No doubt it has it own set of rules etc, etc,..."

See: http://community.thisisplymouth.co.uk:80/service/displayDiscussionThreads.kickAction?as=72100&w=191411&d=422655&widgetId=98248#ixzz0ekYE414E