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The Raelian Movement
for those who are not afraid of the future : http://www.rael.org
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Ed Miliband: I don't believe in God
The new Labour leader Ed Miliband does not believe in God, he said in an interview.
Mr Miliband had previously said his religious views were a ''private matter'', and his declaration means two of the three leaders of major British political parties are self-proclaimed atheists.
Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, also confirmed he does not believe shortly after being named Liberal Democrat leader, while David Cameron last year said religious faith was ''part of who I am'' but admitted he did not go to church regularly.
The Labour leader's atheism puts him in stark contrast to his predecessors Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, for whom religion was a central part of their lives.
In an interview on Radio 5 Live, Mr Miliband was asked by presenter Nicky Campbell: ''Do you believe in God?''
The Labour leader replied: ''I don't believe in God personally, but I have great respect for those people who do.
''Different people have different religious views in this country. The great thing is that, whether we have faith or not, we are by and large very tolerant of people whatever their view.''
Mr Miliband and brother David are of Jewish descent, but religion did not play a large part in their upbringing by their Marxist father Ralph Miliband.
David has said publicly he is an atheist, and was the target of some criticism for sending his son to a Church of England school.
Ed said he believed most faith schools did a ''fantastic'' job in educating children, but added he thought it best for children of different backgrounds to be educated together.
''I'm not going to slag off faith schools,'' he said. ''I think it is important for people of different backgrounds and faith groups to go to school together. Many faith schools do that.''
Despite spin doctor Alastair Campbell's famous comment to reporters that ''we don't do God'', Mr Blair has confirmed since leaving power that his religious faith was ''hugely important'' to his premiership. He said he did not speak publicly about his belief while in office out of fear voters would think him a ''nutter''.
Since leaving Downing Street, he has converted to Roman Catholicism, and in his recent memoir, A Journey, he wrote: ''I have always been more interested in religion than politics.''
While more private about his personal religious beliefs, Mr Brown left no doubt of the importance of his father's work as a Church of Scotland minister in shaping his view of life and his political values.
WARNING FROM RAEL: For those who don't use their intelligence at its full
capacity, the label "selected by RAEL" on some articles does not mean that I
agree with their content or support it. "Selected by RAEL" means that I believe
it is important for the people of this planet to know about what people think or
do, even when what they think or do is completely stupid and against our
philosophy. When I selected articles in the past about stupid Christian
fundamentalists in America praying for rain, I am sure no Rael-Science reader
was stupid enough to believe that I was supporting praying to change the
weather. So, when I select articles which are in favor of drugs, anti-semitic,
anti-Jewish, racist, revisionist, or inciting hatred against any group or
religion, or any other stupid article, it does not mean that I support them. It
just means that it is important for all human beings to know about them. Common
sense, which is usually very good among our readers, is good enough to
understand that. When, like in the recent articles on drug decriminalization, it
is necessary to make it clearer, I add a comment, which in this case was very
clear: I support decriminalizing all drugs, as it is stupid to throw depressed
and sad people (as only depressed and sad people use drugs) in prison and ruin
their life with a criminal record. That does not mean that there is any change
to the Message which says clearly that we must not use any drug except for
medical purposes. The same applies to the freedom of expression which must be
absolute. That does not mean again of course that I agree with anti-Jews,
antisemites, racists of any kind or anti-Raelians. But by knowing your enemies
or the enemies of your values, you are better equipped to fight them. With love
and respect of course, and with the wonderful sentence of the French philosopher
Voltaire in mind: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death
your right to say it".
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"Ethics" is simply a last-gasp attempt by deist conservatives and
orthodox dogmatics to keep humanity in ignorance and obscurantism,
through the well tried fermentation of fear, the fear of science and
new technologies.
There is nothing glorious about what our ancestors call history,
it is simply a succession of mistakes, intolerances and violations.
On the contrary, let us embrace Science and the new technologies
unfettered, for it is these which will liberate mankind from the
myth of god, and free us from our age old fears, from disease,
death and the sweat of labour.
Rael
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