Freedom from Religion Foundation ends bias against non-Catholics attending Milwaukee Irish Fest

Atheist Ireland has contacted the Milwaukee Irish Fest to thank them for ending an illegal discrimination against non-Catholics in their admission charges, that was brought to their attention by the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

We are also sending $100 to the Freedom From Religion Foundation to buy food items to donate to the Irish Fest collection for the Milwaukee Hunger Task Force, which takes place this weekend.

Previously, the Milwaukee Irish Fest allowed free admission to anyone who attended Catholic Sunday Mass and donated food items before the liturgy.

Now they have agreed to allow free admission to anyone who donates food items to the Milwaukee Hunger Task Force, regardless of whether or not they attend Catholic Mass.

Atheist Ireland has contacted the organizers of the Irish Fest to thank them for reflecting the reality that our shared Irish identity transcends our religious or nonreligious beliefs.

Last week Gallup International published its latest Global Index of Religion and Atheism. The Irish figures showed 47% of Irish adults identifying as religious, 44% as nonreligious and 10% as convinced atheists.

Milwaukee Irish Fest is North America’s largest celebration of Irish music and culture. The four-day festival showcases more than 100 entertainment acts on 16-stages at Henry W. Maier Festival Park on Milwaukee’s lakefront. The annual festival occurs every third weekend in August. The 2012 festival takes place August 16 to 19.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation, based in Madison, Wisconsin, is a nonprofit educational charity and is America’s largest association of freethinkers, atheists and agnostics. It has been working since 1978 to keep religion and government separate. It is run by Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, both of whom spoke at last year’s World Atheist Convention in Dublin.