Religion is prehistoric and primitive

Religions were the feeble, early attempts by humanity to explain and control nature. To explain the unknown in nature, religions provided us with meaningless "god-ofthe- gaps" response that "god did it". All things, including humans, were supposedly creations of the gods, and thus subject to their will. To attempt to control nature through divine intervention, religions claimed we should pray to these gods, again subjecting humanity to their will.

Religions were also primitive, reactionary responses to humanity∂ s fear of death. Religions claimed that an eternal, heavenly paradise awaited us after death, which was controlled by the gods, and which we had to "deserve". Again, humanity’s will was subordinate to that of "the gods".

Consequently, according to religion, humans needed to bow to the will of "super-natural" deities and to blindly obey their dictates. This was the only reason we existed. We did not have ultimate control of our lives. We were not ends in ourselves, but pawns or objects in a bizarre, invisible, "divine" game.

Religions claimed that human existence on Earth was merely an obligatory, though minor, passage, full of sorrow from the hardships caused by "the fall" in the Jewish Torah, to a world surrounded by suffering for Buddhists, to a "valley of tears" for Christians. The only purpose of life was to gain access to an unproven "afterlife". The role that current religious leaders play in the propagation of these ancient ideas is ultimately self-serving and destructive. What can be more damaging than to ask that humanity abandon its use of reason and evidence and believe in supernatural entities that rob us of our will, independence, and dignity? In contrast, atheists and freethinkers agree with Protagoras that, "Man is the measure of all things".

We need not refer to anything super-natural to determine the World Congress of Freethinkers for Atheism and Free Thought Paris - Monday July 4th 2005 nature of reality, who we are, and how we should act. Our own intelligence and consciences are sufficient guides. Paradise, if there is to be any, must be achieved on Earth and not in an ethereal realm after death. It is here and now that the we must be human and alive. As atheists and freethinkers, we believe humanity no longer needs primitive, obsolete, dangerous, and demeaning religions. Religion must rely on dogma To perpetuate the subordinate role of humans toward the supernatural, religions and sects have invented a hodgepodge of arbitrary dogmas. Religious prohibitions, the offense of blasphemy, the threat of banishment, and fatwas are some of the many devices that have been created by religions to prey on our fears, enforce belief, and hinder our emancipation. Every notion of "revealed" truth emanating from a "divine" dictation has only one purpose: to impose conduct on humans and make prohibitions for us; we are never allowed to be free to decide for ourselves proper behavior. But in reality, there are no revealed or absolute moral truths; there are only relative moral truths, which may change from culture to culture and generation to generation. No divinity has ever whispered anything into our ears; we have acquired everything ourselves.

We are self-educated, as Heraclitus of Ephesus stated thousands of years ago. We learn on our own, by ourselves, for ourselves. As atheists and freethinkers, we believe humans must break the chains of religious dogma and follow their own paths in order to acquire knowledge and freedom. Nothing is set in stone beforehand. It is our responsibility to determine our own truths and future.

Religion is the negation of science

Science relies on reason and evidence; religion relies on faith. The two world views are mutually exclusive. Indeed, in order to have faith, one must often abandon or contradict reason and evidence. This is why religion is the negation of science. In forbidding science to go beyond the Bible, the Talmud, the Qur’an, or other "holy" books, religions have always fought against any effort to explain life in naturalistic terms. Religions have always favored "revealed truth" over scientifically discovered truth. Science and religion are fundamentally antagonistic. The Catholic Church’s persecution of Galileo and Bruno, and their initial rejection of evolution, serve as examples of this antagonism. Ethical decisions must often be made regarding pure and applied science. But what criteria should we use to determine what is "good" or "evil"? Who will be the arbiter in these matters, gods or humans? There are too many mythological, contradictory gods from which to choose, and their "messages" are not always entirely clear. And, what competence do religions have to judge scientific discoveries? In the end, we must make our own decisions based on what is best for humanity. Science must be free from arbitrary religious dogmas and dictates.

As atheists and freethinkers, we support a global effort to encourage critical thinking and the scientific method as the only means by which we can gain knowledge of the universe. We reject faith and "revelation" as methods of acquiring knowledge about reality because they yield unsubstantiated and contradictory results. We encourage a critical examination and critique of all supernatural belief systems and religious institutions. We reject any "god-of-the-gaps" explanations for the unknown. We reject creationism as an unsubstantiated religion.

Religion is oppressive

The act of subjugating human will to "divine will" is oppressive. The practice of obeying clergy, of letting them make our decisions for us, is oppressive and irresponsible. Religions and sects have always been used to justify social, economic, cultural, and political oppression. From the caste system of the Hindus; to Romans 13.1-7 of the Christian Bible; to Sura 16:72 of the Islamic Qur’an; to the unrestricted, exploitative capitalism of the Protestants; to the Eastern Orthodox Church’s support of Czarism and Stalinism; "revealed teachings" have justified the organization of tyrannical social hierarchies and the maintenance of economic exploitation. For anyone to criticize this hierarchy and exploitation was to challenge "divine will". That’s why religions have always been the instruments of social oppression. Throughout history, monarchs and dictators have found their "moral" justification from an appeal to supernatural authority, as exemplified by the concept of "the divine right of kings". Furthermore, too often injustice and misery are tolerated due to the religious belief that a better, supernatural life awaits us after death.

The signatories of this manifesto will work for the complete emancipation of humanity in all areas. No religious, social, economic, cultural, ethical, or political system can justify the enslavement of humanity. We support strict separation of State and Church and reject special governmental privileges or access for organized religions.

Free people in free societies

From everything we have discussed in this manifesto, we can draw only one conclusion: that, as Rousseau stated, "Man is born free, yet everywhere he is in chains". The largest shackle around the ankles of humanity is the ball and chain of religion. We must be free to think and live in a voluntarily organized society. The perception of who and what we are, what we choose to believe, what we want from life, how we choose to express ourselves, and with whom we choose to associate, determine our future and our happiness. Freedom of conscience is therefore of primary importance in constructing the societies in which we wish to live. The acknowledgment of this freedom of conscience has been demonstrated many times in history: in the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States in 1789, in the 1905 Law of Separation of Church and State in France, in the Separation of the Churches and the State in Mexico in 1917, and in the Decree of Separation of Church and State in the USSR in 1918.

Therefore we demand two things:

1) On a personal level, we stand for the international development of atheism, which is the only foundation for true humanism. If belief in gods is maintained, then there can be no dignified place for humans. We have to choose, and we have chosen human beings. We point out that atheism (in places like India and ancient Greece) is a very old philosophy, existing earlier than most religions and sects.

2) Because true freedom of conscience can only exist through the neutrality of States and public services in metaphysical matters (religious or anti-religious), we demand the complete separation of state and church in all countries. No government has a right to impose religious belief or nonbelief on its citizens. We unconditionally support secularized, neutral governments that leave each individual free to choose and express his or her own beliefs, without any governmental or social coercion. International cooperation for a common goal The International Liaison Committee of Atheists and Freethinkers (ILCAF) advocates worldwide atheistic humanism as the indispensable means of achieving human freedom and dignity, and strict Separation of State and Church in all countries as the indispensable means of achieving freedom of conscience. The ILCAF shall complement, and not compete with, all other national and international organizations that promote atheism, freethought, humanism, secularism, and rationalism.

The purpose of the ILCAF is to facilitate the international cooperation between atheists and freethinkers that is necessary to achieve our common goals. Our organizational structure is democratic. Each national atheist or freethought organization that signs this manifesto and joins the ILCAF shall be granted one vote on the ILCAF board of directors. Each group shall choose its own representative. Individual atheists and freethinkers who sign this manifesto will be granted one vote in an advisory capacity.

Only national atheist and free-thought organizations will be entitled to deliberative votes. Nevertheless, every effort will be made to arrive at a common consensus of the largest possible number of groups and individuals. Every year, the ILCAF board of directors shall elect a chairperson for a one year term to act as a coordinator. In addition, the ILCAF may decide to choose spokespersons for each continent. The International Liaison Committee of Atheists and Freethinkers anticipates holding its first World Congress in Paris, France in 2005, in honor of the first centenary of the French law of Separation of State and Church of December 9, 1905.

First signatories:
 Fédération Nationale de la Libre Pensée (France)
 American Atheists (USA)
 Atheist Alliance International (USA)
 Union des Athées (France)
 Bund Gegen Anpassung (Deutschland)
 Dachverband Freier Weltschauungs-Gemeinschaften (Deutschland)
 Nigerian Humanist Movement (Nigeria)
 Secular Society (New Zealand)
 Athées de Catalunya (Espana)
 Association Burundaise des Libres Penseurs (Burundi)
 Union des Athées et des Libres Penseurs (Catalunya)