Welcome to the Humanist Society of Victoria Incorporated (HSV). It works to build a more civilized society, fostering ethics based on human values.
It considers that reason, free inquiry and a scientific approach enable us to understand the universe and our place in it.
It defends freedom and democracy and provides a positive alternative to religious and dogmatic creeds.
It supports separation of church and state, and secular education.
Editorial: Food for all?
page 2: Remodelling religion in schools by Stephen Stuart, president
page 2: Dying With Dignity – Victoria by Halina Strnad
page 3: The place of philosophy and religious education in Australian secular education by Christopher Dargan reported by Jennie Mills
On 20 February our adjourned case against discrimination caused by special religious instruction in State schools will be addressed by VCAT. The compulsory confidential mediation hearing in August produced some concessions by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, but did not stop the discrimination. Now the case just keeps getting bigger. Will 20 February be our Australian equivalent of McCollum v (USA) Board of Education, 1948, which struck down religious instruction in state schools in all states? All VCAT hearings are open to the public unless decided otherwise, so roster yourselves to cover the expected seven days for the hearing. – HG
The court venue is likely to be the VCAT offices at 55 King Street, Melbourne – see picture. Proceedings normally start at 9:30 or 10:00 am. – SNS
On Friday 25 November, 9:15 am, the ethics of the participants in Banjo Paterson’s song, Waltzing Matilda, was discussed at the regular meeting of the philosophy club, Plato and Biscuits, at The Wattle Club centre, Underwood Street, Ferntree Gully. Little would Paterson have realised the issues that he had raised: squatting on someone else’s land, stealing and eating animals, invoking the law and suicide. And what would people from distant cultures think? It all took two and a half hours of intense discussion initiated by the puppet show and lesson from the Humanist Society of Victoria ethics manual.
All this in a song that many Australian’s wanted to be the national anthem. – HG
In June 2011 the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development advised school parents to lobby their politicians on any concerns over special religious instruction.
Two of us HSV members began to visit our MPs forthwith, one of us being a primary school parent and the other a primary school grandparent.
In addition to eight such visits by November we wrote to all Victorian MPs not yet contacted using the draft letter on this website. Sixteen more MPs have responded including ALP, Green and Liberal members. We have now have productive dialogue with 19% of the total of 128 Victorian MPs, but one, who shall be nameless for the present, has refused to meet with one of his constituents! We’ll give him another chance.
Contacting MPs next year will be guided by the VCAT hearing on 20 February next year. Perhaps we should also be talking to our Federal MPs on the matter of formerly “secular counselors” in State schools now being reclassified as social workers and accredited by the religion providers. It’s no big deal to visit a pollie. The visits are most enjoyable even with those who say that they are unable to support one, like “How can I possibly help you? I’m a Government Minister in the Bible belt.”
Let’s just do it!! – HG
”There’s many a slip twixt cup and lip.” Greek and English proverb
It was great to read in The Age of two months ago that the National Chaplaincy program was being extended to permit schools to hire secular counsellors who would not proselytise their children, but, since it seemed too good to be true, we wrote to Minister Garrett (left) asking who would administer the program. The reply on 15 October (see Response 1) was not 100% reassuring and now on the grapevine we are hearing that the word ‘secular’ is quietly dropped and that the existing religion providers, ACCESS ministries, Chaplaincy Australia, GenR8 Ministries, Schools Ministry Group, Scripture Union, etc will administer the formerly ‘secular’ program.
Can we find a suitable secular agency to suggest to the Minister before the decision is announced as a fait accompli?
And furthermore do we need to think about what could happen behind the scenes as the Australian Curriculum and Assessment Reporting Authority gets influenced to link ethics with religion in the proposed national curriculum? - HG
At noon today about one hundred people, including five Humanists, assembled in Queen’s Hall, Parliament House, Victoria, to participate in a moving ceremony convened by Road Trauma Support Services. Photographs of deceased were displayed on a table in front of the lectern.
The service was led by Rev. Andrew Calder, but mercifully not too religious although some of the speakers did naturally testify to their faiths. Chamber music was played by four girls from Methodist Ladies College and the ‘Organised Water’ choir sang several times directed by Ruth Schoenheimer. Candles were lit by Ian Smith from the Victorian Council of Churches, Murray Davis of the Faith Communities of Victoria and Judy Watt from our Society, followed by many in the audience.
For the writer the Humanist Society is most relevant when trying to raise consciousness of suffering and helping in the comfort of those bereaved by such preventable tragedy. – HG
Untouchable castes occur in several countries, but notably in India and Nigeria. As described by the immediate past president, Roy Brown (left), the International Humanist and Ethical Union has relief work established in India and donations are welcome. – HG More …
On Wednesday, 6:30 pm 15 instant at Melbourne University, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Prof Daniel Dennett, spoke on the Evolution of Purposes with the aid of computing science.
The designer of this website and host of Singularity Summit 2010, Adam A. Ford (left), got together with Horseman Dan (right). – HG
For several years our South Australian member, Dick Clifford, raised funds for Liberian refugees in Ghana. The Center for Youth Empowerment (CYE see pix above) was established by Slabe Sennay, then demolished by storm and rebuilt. This year the refugees were repatriated to Gardnersville, Monrovia, Liberia, and the CYE re-established by Slabe Sennay.
Dick wants readers to write a cheque as described in V2011 11 Nov or donate via Western Union. – HG More …
Teresa Puszka (HSV) at the Balwyn Library, 336 Whitehorse Rd, Balwyn, Victoria (Melway Map 46 E8).
All welcome, entry by donation. Enquiries: ph. (03) 9857 8318.
Thursday 24 November 2011, 8:30 pm for Teresa spoke on “How do our State primary schools do religion?” giving details of the treatment of her children before and after when she opted them out of special religious instruction. – HG
