The Atheist Union presents "Godless Interviews".
Its purpose is to externalize the view points of atheists
non religious and agnosticists that are members of A.U.G. or not
and want to share their view
concerning atheism and secularism.
You will hear about the concerns and the positions
of various famous and not so famous people
on this interesting topic.
If you want to contact us
you can do so by following the links below.
Today it is a great joy and honour
to be here, at the Vellios School of Art
hosted by the school's principal
Mrs Maria Velliou. Hello, thank you so much.
Hello, thank you too. Your presence is a real peasure.
You are an active member of the AUG. What urged you to become one?
I think it's important to have an organisation
that reminds us of things many people think about
but many tend to forget.
Like, for example, the important issue of State and Church separation.
Or the issue of education
and the Church meddling with it
mostly through religious instruction class.
By our Constitution this is a religion-tolerant country.
However, in our courtrooms, our schools, our hospitals
we often see religious symbols.
All these issues should be regularly brought up
and of course someone should support people
who feel their rights are being violated
whether they are members of a religion other than the prevalent one
or atheists, irreligious and so on.
You, as an educator,
and as principal of the educational group Vellios School of Art
do you allow religious icons, crucifixes
like in other private or public schools?
I think there is a significant number of atheists
or agnosticists
among our students
as well as our educational staff.
What one chooses to wear
is a different thing, it's a personal choice.
Do you think that school education is as it should be?
Mostly in public schools, where religion
is taught as doctrine
or do you think it should be more independent? What is your stand?
Doctrine is definitely wrong.
It plants in children, in the pure, clear minds of little children
certain very specific ideas.
Secondly, it is of course a violation of the rights of children
who either belong to another religion
or come from non-religious families.
What do you think of the fact that the Ministry of Education is also
of "Religious Affairs and Research"? Do you find this contradictory?
Religious instruction
along with education in a secular state?
Or, even worse, along with research.
Not very relevant.
Religious people often talk about the soul.
What is your definition of the soul?
I suppose we could
define the soul
as the sum of thoughts,
volition, experience,
memory, recollections.
What constitutes, in a way,
"a person's immaterial personality".
In order to rationalise this, of course
and not make it sound supernatural or something.
But this being actually quite difficult
sometimes, we tend to be more poetic
so, as a convention, I accept the use of the term "soul".
But to believe there is something
independent from the human body
pre-existing of the human body
that continues to exist
identical, as a whole,
after the physical demise of the body
and that it can at some point transfer into another body
or become immortal, these things are not...
What are your views on the baptism of infants?
It goes without saying, since you're talking to someone
who rejects baptism anyway
what more could I say, or different, about baptising infants.
Many see it as a social convention, they follow the tradition.
Would you become a godmother if a friend asked you to?
A non-religious friend, who just sees it as a social event?
I have become a godmother many times in the past
before turning to atheism as a deliberate choice.
I was never a very religious person anyway.
Nor was I...
Nor was I raised in a religious family.
More or less, I viewed it like you describe.
But since I made my choice
I stopped...
I stopped going to church, I try to avoid it as much as possible.
It has to be for someone very close to me, so I can't avoid it,
to attend a wedding, sit in the church.
Otherwise I stay aside, or outside.
There are some things that are still taboo in Greece.
Like, for example, euthanasia and cremation.
Euthanasia is a very delicate subject.
Personally, I'd rather not approach it superficially.
It should be absolutely certain
that a person is terminal, that there is no cure
and that they, themselves, are fully conscious
in making that choice.
As a right, I believe it should be available.
As for cremation
I think it should be a mainstream choice.
A part of the clergy, in Greece and abroad
express themselves against minorities, using very ugly hate speech.
Do you think there should be a law against this?
A law against hate speech?
Hate speech is already criminalised by the anti-racism law.
But I think that this should first be stopped
by the Church itself.
Because if they want to say that they preach love
if they want to say
that they welcome everyone with open arms
if they want to say, as one of christianity's main precepts,
that they value penitence, then they are self-negating.
How would you wish to see the world progress
in the future, in ideas and in practice?
If I could wish something for the future
it would be two things:
Thougthfulness and love.
A love that makes you
every time you interact with someone
or when you think and ponder
how to treat a person
to consider what they themselves want.
"Live and let live".
Mrs Velliou, thank you so much for this interesting interview.
Thank you too.
- Take care. - You too.
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