Pledge “SecularTFTD”
"I will set up a "Secular Thought for the Day" website but only if 30 people will agree to write an entry for it."
— George (contact)
Deadline to sign up by: 28th February 2009
34 people signed up (4 over target)
Country: United Kingdom
More details
Recently Gavin Orland created a pledge urging people to write to the BBC complaining about Radio 4's Thought for the Day programme. It generated over 1,500 pledges and plenty of press coverage. Sadly this enormous response has fallen on deaf ears at the BBC.
There is a need to take the campaign to the next level by being persistent and ensuring that the BBC cannot quietly forget about it.
If 30 people will agree to write a 300 word "Secular Thought for the Day" then I will set up a web-site that will publish them, one a day, for at least a month.
The web-site will show, by example, that Thought for the Day can present compelling moral and ethical points without the need for a religious angle.
To be clear, I will not accept submissions that make non-rational arguments. I will not discriminate against people because of the beliefs they hold, but their arguments must be rational. My decision whether or not to publish a submission will be final.
Additionally I may create a community forum, upload and publish supporting documents and arguments and encourage the site to be used as a focal point for further lobbying of the BBC. It will be rallying point and continuous reminder to them of the prevailing sentiment.
- donate money to the Humane Society
- volunteer my time and energy to support keeping the branch libraries open for Evanston residents.
- become a liberty activist in New Hampshire by September 30, 2011
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Current signatories (
= they've done it)
George, the Pledge Creator, joined by:
- Harry Cook
- Russell
- Steve R
- Peter Hearty
- Alex
- Delia Ives
- Toby Barrett
- Jim Vanlint
- Marc Kirkwood
- Tania
- Danny Staple
- Michael K
- Frank V Arnold
- Paolo Viscardi
- Frances Versluys
- Dr Jeremy Hodge
- andy crowe
- Mark Hewitt
- Erika Cowen
- Adrian Rogerson
- Nick Higgs
- Richard Crowther
- Stuart Worthington
- lili
- Paul Lounds
- David Brewer
- Tim Maguire
- faithlessgod
- Penny Wise
- Marc Draco
- James
- Alison ter Haar
- C.J. Wilton
- 1 person who did not want to give their name
Firstly from Gavin Orland himself: http://www.gavinorland.com/religion/geor...
And also from Peter Hearty who runs the delightful Platitude of the Day site: http://www.platitudes.org.uk
If you support my pledge then please spread the word, we are on target at the moment, but the more people that sign up for the longer we'll be able to sustain the site. Let your friends know.
In particular I'd like to mention the very kind note I received from Tim Maguire of the Humanist Society of Scotland who ran Thought for the World http://www.thoughtfortheworld.org/, a site with similar goals to ours, and which is planning to re-launch shortly. This can only add synergy.
If you've already signed up, perhaps its time to start thinking about what you might write.
Ideally something topical would be great. If you've already got something written then maybe post it here as an example or inspiration to others. I expect there will be a wide variety of styles and approaches so it will be interesting to see what people come up with.
And if anyone has any ideas about how the content should presented, or other kinds of content that could go on the site then why not mention it as well. We are starting with a blank canvas so now is the time for suggestions.
I can't wait to get going on this. Just a few more volunteers needed.
I don't know why my signature has been labelled:
"I have NOT done what I pledged".
I never claimed I had!
(Delia, it's easy to tick the wrong box when signing up, don't stress about it).
The first "thought" will be posted at about 08:00 on Wednesday. I haven't decided yet which submission will be first, but every one I've received so far has been excellent, and every one of them deserves to be the first post.
So, between now and Wednesday please let as many people as you can know about this site. Blog about it, talk about it, write to your local paper about it. Spread the word. And of course remind people of the purpose behind it: to demonstrate to the BBC that a Secular Thought for the Day is just as valid, if not more so, than the faith-oriented intermissions on Radio 4's Today programme.
And if you haven't submitted your "thought" yet, please do so as soon as you can. We need a steady stream of submissions to keep the site running as we build momentum.