UNAVOIDABLE INTERRUPTION TO MEDIA ACTIVITY in 2020
Regrettably, media activity for Plain Reason was suspended through 2020 due to unforeseen circumstances. We hope to continue output now that the crisis has passed. Plain Reason 10.3.21
Radio Interview: Secular and Atheist Update
Secular and Atheist update: ABC Interview 14.7.20: Brian Morris speaks with Peter Goers on secular politics in the current climate where, increasingly, democracies are moving further to the right. Australia has the most Christianised government in the western world, and how that plays out on secular social policy. Plain Reason: Promoting science, rationalism, and […]
Opinion: Challenging the Christian Crusade
Published in Crikey.com 24.6.19 (short version) Published in Independent Media Network 9.6.19 A call to challenge the Christian crusade Brian Morris Where is the analysis of increased Christian influence in politics? Does mainstream media shield religion from scrutiny? Has the atheist voice been silenced on contesting Christian provenance? Tim Wilson is now the Liberal […]
Opinion: Society’s schizophrenia with sacred superstitions
Published by Aust. Independent Media Network on 22.3.19 There’s a critical element missing from the whole debate on ‘Religious Freedom’ — and it’s one we must address when the ‘Religious Discrimination Act’ is rolled out as a signature plank in Scott Morrison’s May election campaign. Why is it – as a secular nation – we’ve […]
Radio Interview: ABC God Forbid program – on Secularism
Brian Morris in a prerecorded interview with James Carleton for ABC’s God Forbid. The program went to air on Sunday 27.1.19 God Forbid is just one of eight ABC programs that focus exclusively, or periodically, on religion. Secular/atheist views are rarely welcomed on these programs and we are not aware of any ABC program that […]
Radio Interview: ABC Adelaide – ATHEISM
ABC Adelaide 4.12.18 – Brian Morris interview with David Bevan Bevan is a seasoned ABC presenter who specialises in politics – but David didn’t want to discuss how religion impacts so heavily on politics in Australia. Instead, in part A, he focused on “the need to surrender to something greater than yourself,” and whether atheists […]
Opinion: What’s with Millennials & Heaven?
Brian Morris for Plain Reason Published in The Newcastle Herald – opinion page, Saturday 17.11.18 Published The Big Smoke 13.10.18 Published Aust. Independent Media Network 12.10.18 Published New Matilda 14.10.18 Published Daily Telegraph 15.10.18 The promise of an afterlife – to meet departed family and friends – appeals to many; but especially for younger Australians. […]
Opinion: PM steps up religious crusade
Brian Morris for the National Secular Lobby Published Aust. Independent Media Network 19.9.18 Published Daily Telegraph 19.9.18 Published Herald Sun 19.9.18 Published Adelaide Advertiser 19.9.18 Australia has already been described as a ‘soft theocracy’, by Dr Max Wallace, where church and government coincide through grants, tax exemptions and privileges. The question is, despite the public […]
Opinion: Christian MPs want “Cultural War” over Religious Freedom
By Brian Morris Published: Daily Telegraph online 31.5.18 Published: Australian Independent Media Network 31.5.18 The PM is holding 20 Ruddock Review recommendations to advance religious freedom while giving Christian lobbyists private briefings ahead of their public release in June. Malcolm Turnbull faces a political gamble by swinging the religious pendulum too far to the right. […]
Opinion: Free speech, rugby, and religion
Published Australian Independent Media Network on 22.4.18 Free speech can be contentious, with heated comment both for and against hot-button topics. But there’s often a third dimension that’s never discussed. Such is the case with comments from rugby international Israel Folau. With so much passion surrounding free speech — and quite rightly so — it’s […]
Opinion: Scrap school chaplains in budget
Brian Morris for the National Secular Lobby Published Aust. Independent Media Network 13.3.18 4-year funding is due to expire in May for the National School Chaplaincy Program (NSCP) — but fundamentalist MPs want it renewed and expanded by 25 per cent! Nothing more could be done — four years of federal funding had effectively been […]
Opinion: Church rights to Hire and Fire
Brian Morris for the National Secular Lobby Published Aust. Independent Media Network 6.2.18 Published New Matilda 7.2.18 Collectively, religion is one of the largest private employers in the nation, with unique exemptions from anti-discrimination laws. Will Ruddock’s Review recommend more? Quite remarkably, a public majority will be unaware of the likely impact of Prime Minister […]
Submission: Religious Freedom Review
Religious Freedom Review Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Parliament House, Canberra 2nd February, 2018 Submission: Copies to all members of the Review Panel and PMC Secretariat: Plain Reason exists to promote critical thinking, an understanding of science, and a need to work towards a fair, just, and egalitarian society based on a secular […]
Opinion: Taxpayers and “Religious Freedom”
Brian Morris for the National Secular Lobby Published Aust. Independent Media Network 17.1.18 Published The Daily Telegraph 22.1.18 Published Herald Sun 22.1.18 Published The Advertiser 22.1.18 Philip Ruddock’s “Religious Freedom Review” is of concern to same-sex couples but how will tax-payers respond to more religious privilege for the churches? For almost 80 per cent of […]
NATIONAL SECULAR LOBBY media from January 2018
1.1.18 – NSL Media https://www.nationalsecularlobby.org/resources/media-coverage/ Brian Morris temporarily suspended action on the Plain Reason website to set up the National Secular Lobby Limited, which was finally registered on 11.7.17. It was a long process, together with Brian’s pro-bono lawyer, to set up a constitution and paperwork for what was an unusual structure — a Public […]
Opinion: Religion, science denial, and our evolutionary roots!
Published by the Australian Independent Media Network on 23.10.17: Brian Morris specialises in secular politics and is the author of ‘Sacred to Secular’. Here he focuses on why science denial and religion are manifestations from our distant past — and how a growing rejection of empirical evidence feeds this troubling era of ‘post-truth’. There is […]
Radio Interview: ABC Adelaide – Panel with Rev Dutney and Brian Morris on the Census
ABC Adelaide: Sonya Feldhoff with Rev Andrew Dutney and Brian Morris 19.7.17 2016 Census results; what it means; a ‘victory’ for secularism; ABS asks the wrong question; results in other western countries; the 20% of ‘lapsed’ Christians make Australia majority secular; Christian ‘values’ have Greek origins; 15 centuries of Christian dominance; hijack of pagan festivals; […]
Opinion (detailed): Independent Media 28.6.17 – Only ONE census error corrected
Published 28.6.17: Australian Independent Media Network: Brian Morris Census: Asking the wrong question perpetuates religious privilege: Decades of Census bias – on the question of ‘Religious Affiliation’ – is not fully resolved. Australia is more than 50 percent ‘religion-neutral’, but full ‘secular democracy’ remains a minefield of covert religious politics. A FREE eBook here, explains […]
Opinion (short): Daily Telegraph 28.6.17 – Only ONE census error corrected
Published in the Daily Telegraph 28.6.17: Brian Morris Why the Census remains biased Despite a calamitous collapse of the census computer last August, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has now released a flurry of fascinating facts and figures on who we are and what we do. But righteous rancor will undoubtedly arise from the […]
Radio Interview: ABC Vic – Census 2016 results: why we are majority Secular
ABC Ballarat 28.6.17 – Steve Martin interviews Brian Morris. Why the ‘No Religion’ figure was still only 30.1%; the ‘hidden’ 20% of ‘lapsed Christians’ means that Australia is, in reality, more than 50% secular; how the Census bias has privileged religion since Federation — both financially and politically; and now that we’re predominantly ‘religion neutral’ […]