Banned in Mildura by the Catholic Church. Who? Me.
Thursday, February 3, 2011 at 10:18AM This article was written to appear in The Age March 10 2010. It was spiked (not published) the day before by the editor of The Age. I was not informed, asked for an edit or a substitute column. I just woke to hundreds of emails from grumpy readers wanting to know where I was. Two days later i received an email using the words 'religious vilification'.
I made front page of the Sunraysia Daily last week. I know, I’ve arrived. Picture of me with big capital letters BANNED. The most shocking thing was the article referred to me as a ‘celebrity’.
Why was I banned from Mildura, one of the most cosmopolitan and multicultural places in Victoria? Full of warm welcoming people, great chat and incredible diversity? Was there are Ladies Who Take Their Husbands Surname’s Convention? No. Were The Footy Show doing a live broadcast from Irymple with special guest Tony Abbott? No. Was the 4WD, Monster Pram Leafblower Expo on in Wentworth? No.
I was booked to speak at the St. Joseph’s College Stadium for International Women’s Day until the powers at pulled the venue on the grounds that I “held views that were not consistent with the Catholic Church”.
Most priests, parishioners and the Catholic Church itself hold views not consistent with the Catholic Church.
Mildura has been host to two of the most notorious convicted pedophile priests in Australia’s history. Monsignor John Day and Father Gerard Risdale. The chid abuse was covered up by the Catholic Church and the police (more here).
According to several sources the Ballarat diocese is allegedly dangerously low on funds due to the huge amount of sex abuse payouts to victims. Funds the church raise from what the parishioners put into the collection plate more here and here.
The Catholic Church let pedophiles speak from their pulpits but ban a feminist atheist speak in it’s parish hall. Whose right to free speech would Jesus deny?
I wonder if they would come to the same decision had I been a man?
I was thrilled they banned me. And not only because banning is the refuge of those who forfeit the argument. But because by banning me they were proving my point by exposing the church for what is it. Not an institution devoted to love, tolerance, compassion, kindness and justice. But a cult about power, control and discrimination. The only thing that would make me any happier is if they burned me at the stake.
The church said they didn’t want to unnecessarily upset the members of the community who were against my beliefs. Yet it’s fine for the church to oppress gays, women and atheists while preaching ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you’.
Of course the Catholic Church are not going to celebrate a woman having a voice. They have systematically limited women’s access to power, wealth, education and the control of their own bodies so the fairer sex could be their slaves, handmaidens and baby machines. There is no greater oppressor of women than religion. The Bible is a weapon of mass oppression.
The Catholic Church may have prevented me speaking at their basketball court. But they can’t stop me speaking on their land. The Pope is the third largest individual landowner in the world. And the land purchased in Australia continues to be of free of land tax. So they only way they can stop me is to kill me. Which I’m sure they’d love to.
I did speak in Mildura. I flew up in a plane painted bright pink to raise breast cancer awareness. I felt like I was in the Barbie Jet. (The Mildura locals call it The Dog’s Dick.)
The venue was changed to the beautiful Mildura Club. A men’s club. Women are welcome these days. But only men can be members. I arrived to a typically warm Mildura welcome and met an amazing elderly nun. She told me that when I spoke not to refer to The Church. But rather ‘the leaders of the Church.”
But I couldn’t. And I didn’t. Anyone who enables the church’s behavior cannot distance themselves from their actions. Many spoke to me later about the incredible and well-loved nun who regularly performs weddings, christenings and funerals. Which is allowed by the Catholic Church but only if priests are unavailable. And she could never be a father. “Just “ a sister.
I have been accused of hating the Church and hating men. Neither of which is true and evident to anyone with a sense of reason, justice and elementary clear thinking ability. I hate people who use power to oppress and abuse people. Whatever they believe. And whatever gender they are. And I will not be silent.
The money I am paid for writing this column will be donated to Broken Rites a support group for victims of sexual abuse at the hands of clergy. (Because the article was spiked I won’t be paid seeing as thought I am a freelancer. So I have decided that 10% of any profit from God Is Bullshit, That’s The Good News will go to Broken Rites.)
P.S.
Yesterday I was mentioned in the BBC
On Friday I speak at the The Global Atheist Convention, the largest Atheist Convention the world has ever seen with Richard Dawkins, Phillip Adams, Peter Singer et al at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Tickets were sold out in January and the waiting list was caped at 500 despite it receiving no funding. Everyone is working for free.
On Monday I appear (for the third time) on ABC’s Q and A.
Clearly people want to hear this message. Why are people so afraid of atheism? We atheists are the ones going to burn in hell. Aren’t we?
Reader Comments (7)
Cathrine Deveny you are a Hypocrite, You Denial GOD yet you Blame him.You enjoy Christmas and Easter, yet you Denial CHRIST. Put your Money where your Mouth is and ask to do away with Christmas and Easter. You should read the BIBLE before you say there is no GOD.The Proof is in Prophecy. I was like you and said the same things until I read the BIBLE, when you study the BIBLE you will see for yourself the PROOFS in the Prophecys..With some Issues you talk about you will also see the Prophecys about some Religion, Not all Churchs has GOD in them, some have moved away from GODS WORD. The BIBLE explains this..?? Do you honestly Beleive that Bacteria turned into all types of FLESH..The Evolution theory is a speculation and just a theory. Show me a Experiment where Bacteria can turn into Flesh. IF we are from APES, why are there still APES..Have a look into the History of the POPES and you will see some answers for yourself , ALSO you can read the Prophecys concerning the Popes thur History..Please read the BIBLE for your own Understanding, if you still dont beleive, Have a look into the PROPHECYS that JESUS talked about...
She doesn't blame god, she blames the nutcases that follow him. Christmas and Easter pre-date christianity, they are pagan celebrations. Read your own damn holy book, Jeremiah 10:1-5 forbids christmas trees. The original war on christmas, right there in your own book, lol.
Bible prophecies are one giant post-hoc-ergo-propter-hoc fallacy.
A 'theory' in science is a well supported explanation of reality. Evolution is a fact, read a goddamn science textbook.
We ARE still apes.
I look at the history of popes, I see violence and war. No thanks.
To Wills the pagan celebrations were about the SUN GOD and there was no Easter until Jesus.The pagans had the Christmas tree thats what Jeremiah was on about.. AS for Prophecys they are true, have a GOOGLE about the EINSTEIN method it will shed light on the prophecys.Dead sea Scrolls, look that up also. The prophecys from DANIEL is a good start. Where is the Proof of Bacteria turning into FLESH, how does Bacteria turn into everything around us. The history of the POPES is about Power not Truth, it has changed to stay in power . The Jews killed Jesus because they feared ROME.IF Evolution is FACT show me the FACTS. The Evolution Theroy is a Copy of Genesis, without GOD..IF you are right show me ,dont swear at me show me.Would you swear at a Child if the child was asking for proof..NO you wouldnt you would show the Child, so the Child Understands..When you cant show the proofs you just SLAG OFF at people , ..WE are not APES, we are from the same Branch of the TREE of LIFE. You are wasting your time if you dont come up with some Proof and I will No longer respond, because you will have NO Proofs or FACTS to back up your claims..
Sometimes we give a child a simplistic story until they develop the capacity of handling reality.... Some people are never capable of going beyond the thinking of a child..
Fact and Science - Observable and Repeatable
Faith and Belief - required for non-observable or non-repeatable things
Sorry to burst people's bubble, but Evolution is a faith, like belief (or unbelief) in God. No one actually was there to observe the Evolution happening and therefore no one can say it is fact.
I'm rather much reminded of what Jesus said in the Gospel of Matthew Chap 7: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity!"
So, to all those atheists who have a field day trying to pick holes in Christianity because of the actions of frauds, hypocrites, liars and mere sinners have done 'in Jesus' name' ... and to all those who have rejected Christ's message because of those who have twisted and perverted it: Jesus Himself is the first who rejected those who practice cruelty, violence and abuse - and the misinterpretations and twistings of God's Law.
Maybe a few people want to read the Book - and pay close attention to what Jesus Himself taught - before dissing on Jesus.
As for Easter and Christmas - I challenge anyone to find JESUS telling people "Celebrate my birthday... by chopping down trees" and "Celebrate my death by eating eggs and hot cross buns."
Both Easter (named after the goddess Ishtar) and Christmas (actually, the Saturnalia festival of the sun's return - a Roman / pagan festival) are accretions added by the Catholic Church to keep in good with the new converts. They manipulated these pagan festivals to reflect Christian ideas. In doing so, they robbed the Advent of Christ of its majesty and glory - reducing Jesus to just another Pagan God. No wonder Atheists and Christ rejectors can't distinguish the Real Deal Jesus from the False Pagan Gods.
We could spend all of time arguing with the creationists as to the origins of the universe and life in it.
For my part, I am happy to concede that GOD created the universe as they defined it in the bible (ie the Earth and everything you can see from it with the naked eye) if the creationists will concede that everything else we have discovered (through marvels of science like the Hubble telescope) was created by natural processes that did not involve an omnipresent, omnipotent, invisible guy in the sky that needs lots of money.
The GOD created part of the universe is so insignificant compared with the magnitude, beauty and possibilities of the universe revealed by SCIENCE that it is not worth arguing over.