Union of Rationalist Atheists and Agnostics

UAAR was founded in 1986 to promote the diffusion of atheist and agnostic ideas, campaign for a thoroughly secular state, and struggle against any privilege granted to the Roman Catholic religion and against any discrimination of nonbelievers.{{Cite web |last=Martino |first=Marc Alan Di |date=2010-01-27 |title=Raffaele Carcano |url=https://theamericanmag.com/raffaele-carcano/ |access-date=2023-03-22 |website=The American Mag |language=en-US}}

Between December 1996 and July 2019, UAAR regularly published a bi-monthly magazine, L'Ateo (The Atheist). In January 2020 it started publishing a new bi-monthly magazine, Nessun Dogma.{{cite web |title=Nessun Dogma. Agire laico per un mondo più umano |url=https://rivista.nessundogma.it/ |website=Nessun Dogma |publisher=UAAR |access-date=11 September 2022}}

Besides seeking contacts with government representatives, UAAR is prepared to initiate legal actions to obtain the full acknowledgement for atheism and atheists' rights. They have, for instance, obtained recognition of the right for those baptised as infants to be considered no longer Catholic if they wish.{{Cite web |last=Badilini |first=Sara |date=2021-11-16 |title=In Catholic Italy, 'de-baptism' is gaining popularity |url=https://religionnews.com/2021/11/16/in-catholic-italy-de-baptism-is-gaining-popularity/ |access-date=2023-03-22 |website=Religion News Service |language=en-US}}

The UAAR has held Debaptism Day and Darwin Day annually.

The UAAR has pushed for the removal of crucifixes in the classrooms of state-run schools, a position which was upheld by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg in November 2009. In 2014 and 2015 The UAAR condemned rulings against teachers who removed crucifixes.{{Cite web |last=Payton |first=Naith |date=2014-12-16 |title=Gay teacher forced to put up crucifix under "fascist" laws |url=https://www.thepinknews.com/2014/12/16/gay-teacher-forced-to-put-up-crucifix-under-fascist-laws/ |access-date=2023-03-22 |website=PinkNews |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=de la Haye-Serafini |first=Fleur |date=2021-07-06 |title=Crucifixes in classrooms: Italians grapple with secularism |url=https://international.la-croix.com/news/ethics/crucifixes-in-classrooms-italians-grapple-with-secularism/14592 |access-date=2023-03-22 |website=international.la-croix.com |language=en}}

In 2009 the association funded research to see if the Shroud of Turin could be reproduced.{{Cite web |last=Greene |first=Richard Allen |date=7 October 2009 |title=Scientist re-creates Turin Shroud to show it's fake - CNN.com |url=https://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/10/07/italy.turin.shroud/ |access-date=2023-03-22 |website=www.cnn.com}}

In 2010 the association campaigned for stricter regulation of when church bells in Pisa were allowed to ring.{{Cite web |date=2010-08-05 |title=Italian atheists lobby against church bells |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/world/italian-atheists-lobby-against-church-bells/story-UNjuFr9Z4Z73FThTvhP6VM.html |access-date=2023-03-22 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}

The UAAR has been campaigning against Italy's blasphemy laws since at least 2017.{{Cite web |last=Ro |first=Christine |date=2017-11-07 |title=Artist Charged with Public Offense to Religion in Italy Over Image of Aroused Jesus |url=http://hyperallergic.com/410323/hogre-jesus-chared-with-public-offense-italy/ |access-date=2023-03-22 |website=Hyperallergic |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=9 November 2017 |title=ARTIST CHARGED WITH PUBLIC OFFENSE TO RELIGION IN ITALY |url=https://www.artforum.com/news/artist-charged-with-public-offense-to-religion-in-italy-72146 |access-date=2023-03-22 |website=www.artforum.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Maren |date=9 November 2017 |title=Italian Street Artist Charged With Blasphemy for Jesus Poster |url=https://cbldf.org/2017/11/italian-street-artist-charged-with-blasphemy-for-jesus-poster/ |access-date=2023-03-22 |website=Comic Book Legal Defense Fund |language=en-US}} In 2019 the UAAR condemned a ruling which charged an Italian photographer with blasphemy for comparing the Catholic Church to a masochist club during a radio interview.{{Cite web |date=2 December 2019 |title=Italian Photographer Convicted Of Blasphemy |url=https://www.au.org/the-latest/church-and-state/articles/italian-photographer-convicted-of/ |access-date=2023-03-22 |website=Americans United |language=en}}{{Cite web |last= |date=2019-10-24 |title=Italian photographer convicted of blasphemy after comparing the Church to a masochist club |url=https://end-blasphemy-laws.org/2019/10/italian-photographer-convicted-of-blasphemy-after-comparing-the-church-to-a-masochist-club/ |access-date=2023-03-22 |website=End Blasphemy Laws}}

UAAR is a member of the Humanists International (HI) and European Humanist Federation (EHF), and collaborates with other humanist organisations on international issues.

Among UAAR's main goals is the abrogation of article 7 of the Italian Constitution, which recognises the Lateran Treaties between Italy and Vatican City.

The UAAR has also challenged the Catholic Church on issues such as abortion.{{Cite web |date=20 February 2020 |title=ITALY - The Biomedical Campus of Rome calls abortion a crime against natural law |url=https://www.safeabortionwomensright.org/news/italy-the-biomedical-campus-of-rome-calls-abortion-a-crime-against-natural-law/ |access-date=2023-03-22 |website=International Campaign for Women's Right to Safe Abortion (SAWR) |language=en-GB}}

File:Bus ateo uaar.jpg ad.: "The bad news is that God does not exist. The good news is that you don't need it"]]

In January 2009, the organisation promoted an atheist bus campaign inspired by the similar initiative of the British Humanist Association. The campaign, due to start on 4 February 2009, was symbolically launched in Genoa, on the occasion of the nomination of the city's archbishop, Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, as president of the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI).

The original slogan chosen for the Italian campaign read: "The bad news is that God does not exist. The good news is that you don't need it".{{cite web|url=http://www.uaar.it/uaar/campagne/bus/|publisher=UAAR|title=Campagna bus|date=January 2009|access-date=2009-01-12}}{{Cite web |last=CNA |title=Italian atheist bus campaign fails to materialize |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/14834/italian-atheist-bus-campaign-fails-to-materialize |access-date=2023-03-22 |website=Catholic News Agency |language=en}} On 16 January 2009 IGPDecaux, the company holding licenses for ads on public transport in Genoa, refused to give authorization to the atheist bus campaign on the grounds that it may "offend the moral, civic and religious convictions of the public".{{cite web|url=http://it.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idITMIE50F0OU20090116|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090118073358/http://it.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idITMIE50F0OU20090116|url-status=dead|archive-date=2009-01-18|date=2009-01-16|publisher=Reuters Italia|title=Genova, stop ai bus con la pubblicità "Dio non esiste"|access-date=2009-01-17}}{{Cite news |last=Povoledo |first=Elisabetta |date=2009-01-09 |title=Divine intervention? Anti-God campaign sputters in Italy |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/19/world/europe/19iht-italy.4.19498425.html |access-date=2023-03-22 |issn=0362-4331}} The UAAR changed the slogan for the campaign to "The good news is that Zeus doesn’t exist. The bad news is that you can only say this about Zeus", but this slogan was also rejected due to the design including “UAAR, free not to believe in God”.

Antonio Catricalà, the then head of the Italian National Authority for Fair Trading and Competition, announced that the Authority filed a case against the Atheist Bus initiative because of the potentially "dangerous and mendacious nature" of the ads.{{cite web|url=http://www.ilgiornale.it/a.pic1?ID=321376|publisher=Il Giornale|date=2009-01-16| access-date=2009-01-17|title=Indagine sui bus atei: "Pubblicità pericolosa"}} As a reaction, the UAAR launched a new campaign in Genoa with a different slogan to comply with the advertising authority's rules: "The good news is that there are millions of atheists in Italy. The excellent news is they believe in freedom of speech".{{cite web|url=http://www.uaar.it/news/2009/01/29/genova-gli-ateobus-uaar-tornano-circolazione/|publisher=UAAR|title=Genova, gli ateobus UAAR 'tornano' in circolazione|date=2009-01-29|access-date=2009-01-31}}{{cite web|url=http://www.ansa.it/site/notizie/awnplus/english/news/2009-01-29_129287244.html |publisher=ANSA |title=Toned-down atheist bus ad OK'd |date=2009-01-29 |access-date=2001-09-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201061844/http://ansa.it/site/notizie/awnplus/english/news/2009-01-29_129287244.html |archive-date=February 1, 2009 }} [http://www.evvidia.com/news/world.php?subaction=showfull&id=1233250422&archive=&start_from=&ucat=2 Alt URL]

Subsequently, the UAAR also ran newspaper ads containing the original slogan.

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons}}

• {{Official website|http://www.uaar.it/}}

{{European Humanist Federation}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1991 establishments in Italy

Category:Atheism in Italy

Category:Atheist organizations

Category:Organizations established in 1991

Category:Skeptic organisations in Italy