Religion free zones during the Pope's Munich visit

Anybody who resides within the Munich area cannot fail to have noticed the extra activity surrounding Pope Benedict XVI's Bavarian Tour - Saturday 9th to Thursday 14th September 2006.

For those that are of a Couldn't Care Less About Religion disposition, the Bund für Geistesfreiheit (bfg) and other groups have set up a Religion Free Zone along the lines of the Football Free Zones set up during the 2006 World Cup.

The bfg is an Association of Free Thinkers. Details of the Munich organisation in English can be found here. They consider themselves a non-party political association of people, who belong to no church or sect, and who advocate a real separation of state and church. The bfg's prime motive is the abolishment of church privileges, which they claim no other state in the world are supported so much by the public purse as in Germany, including taxes of the non-denominational. They believe that religious groups should finance their activities solely from contributions and donations from their members.

Music, art, cinema and party events program.

From the website linked above:



Have to say they seem more anti-Catholic/Christian than anti-subsidy. I don't like the church-state ties here either, dragging a float mocking the Pope and all Catholics past a cathedral?

Am I missing something or is this group much "more" than what you describe?

No idea. Truth is I found their advert in In München, checked out the link and posted. Let's face it though, they can't be worse than The Mafia, now can they? The picture pretty much sums up the situation I think; a dinosaur chasing a flock of sheep.

Yeah, I didn't read the site carefully either. Just thought the pic was interesting.

So... is anybody going to any of the events?

I for one won't be. I'm far too much of a free thinker to join an Association of Free Thinkers.

After reading the program you linked, I find that they actually care a lot about religion, that's why most events feature some form of dialogue between atheists and religious people.

If you have no interest in religion at all, then you'd better go in the park today and enjoy the sunshine.

Why is it that religious people cannot handle being mocked? Surely, as with all other politcal issues, church influence in our society should be open to all forms of discussion, including mockery. After all, if you are allowed to mock Bush, Blair, the Queen, the Greens, the Commies, or the Neo Nazis (as you should be), then why not be allowed to mock religion.

Is it because religious beliefs are deeply held? It is the deeply held beliefs that can be the most dangerous and therefore should be held up to public scrutiny. Anyway, if the beliefs were truly deeply and confidently held, no amount of mockery could have any effect. It would be water off a duck's back.