Time has come to revive the atheist spirit throughout the world, said K. Veeramani, Chancellor, Periyar Maniammai University (PMU), here on Saturday.
Presiding over the plenary session of the World Atheist Conference at PMU, Mr. Veeramani said religion, superstition and God are thrust upon people by the society. Every child should be allowed to think independently.
He said that PMU will become the world's number one atheist and humanist University. The University will not only teach science to them but also scientific temper. Many teachers teach science in universities but lack scientific temper.
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. Baba Saheb Ambedkar said there is graded inequality in India. The Self Respect movement started by Periyar fought against this graded inequality. Atheism is neither a negative factor nor a destructive theme. It is positive and makes people take responsibility.
G.Vijayan of Atheist Centre, Vijayawada, said that inter-caste marriages should be encouraged. Atheism has become a mass movement in India and in many developing countries. In developed countries it remained only an intellectual exercise.
Levi Fragell, former president, International Humanist and Ethical Union, Norway, called for conservation of nature which according to him is humanism.
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Christie, Executive Director of IHEU, Norway said that economic independence lead to equality among men and women.
Babu Gogineni, Executive Director, International Humanist and Ethical Union, United Kingdom, regretted that political leaders and even Chief Ministers believe in astrology and religion. Humanism is what is needed.
Sudaan, a civil engineer from Jammu and Kashmir, said that there need not be any debate on belief or non-belief in God, as God does not exist in the world. He said fundamentalism and religious differences were the root cause for the problems in Jammu and Kashmir. ?Religious hatred is tremendous now in Kashmir. I wish leaders like Periyar were born in Kashmir so that we might have taken to the path of atheism?, he said.