I'm interested in what else you do in Oz in support of your non religious views? Atheists etc are scattered in Oz as far as I can see. Some Aust orgs but unless your are close, like Sydney or Melbourne, not much help. I would like to feel part of a Australian atheist movement, but that's not so easy. Wondering if any of you are connected. My connections are global, obviously this site, openly secular.org, the Dawkins website, and I've been looking at Atheist Republic recently. I really do think internationally about the subject, and Australia really is a growing secular but still a more forthright atheist movement here would be a good g. Thanks.
I joined the sceptics group at MeetUp. Only managed to turn up once tho I always meant to return.
I am in synch with the other comments here. Aussies are very laid back. We all hate all politicians, but voting is compulsory so we vote for the git we hate the least. Many people marry in a church, get their kids christened, have a church funeral. Purely out of societal habits. It is expected.
I am not an agnostic, I am an atheist, I firmly believe there is no god. I tell people I am a heretic because I chose not to believe as I was taught and raised. Heresy is a burnable offense, but hey, this is Oz, people don't care. I do vote against religious beliefs so support parties with secular agendas. In other parts of the world there may eventually some great secular revolution, in Oz, religion is dying out, fewer people now claim to be religious. But is happens as an evolution not a revolution.
I've never been the herd animal, not even the black sheep, more of a lonely wolf. I live in an area of more or less, but rather more, shallow spirituality of all nuances but the organised religious one. I call this the airy-fairy land. here I can proclaim my heathendom til the cows come home & no one cares.
I was once told but have never checked it out - "in Russia it is said that when the wolf mates it does so for life".
At the political level there is the Reason Party (formerly the Australian Sex Party) have a read of their policies includes "Central to the Party’s principles are the notions of secular government, equality and freedom both of and from religion."
Personally I was treasurer of the Atheists and Agnostics at UWA, most university's have something similar. Live in a country town at the moment so not dreadfully active in that field but since even the Jehovah's Witnesses here are more enthusiastic about helping you deal with feral cats than actually expecting to convert you it would be a moot point.
There is also the "Secular Party" I think it was formerly the Atheist Party.