Sydney Atheists

Letter to Bill Shorten and Tanya Plibersik

I expect that you have the same religious views as I. I am an atheist.
It is beyond the realms of common sense to give $250 million dollars to the Catholic church particularly as:
1. Religious schools seek to indoctrinate children into believing fiction
2. Religious schools seek to hinder critical thinking
3. The Catholic church has been guilty of having paedophile clergy
4. The Catholic church has real estate assets as of at least 30 billion dollars*1
5. Apart from this real estate, it has real estate in terms of shareholdings, schools, hospitals nursing homes
6. The Catholic church has other extraordinary assets
7. The Catholic church in large part campaigned against Same Sex Marriage
8. The Catholic church, in concert with other religious groups has sought to interfere in scripture and chaplaincy in State secular schools wishing to indoctrinate children into fictitious beliefs.
9. 30 out of 90 people at the 2016 census declared they have "No religion". Of respondents that is 33%. Why should those of us without fictitious beliefs fund the indoctrination of others?

It would seem to me to be immoral, unethical and inappropriate to give this institution - or any other religious institution - $250 million dollars.
As a private citizen, as President and on behalf of of Sydney Atheists, I encourage you to rescind this proposed expenditure.
Yours sincerely,
Steve Marton


*1  https://www.smh.com.au/national/catholic-church-s-massive-wealth-revealed-20180209-p4yzus.html