Secular Sunday #58 – Let’s Do Brunch

Author Secular Sunday Published 03/02/2013

It’s time for this week’s Secular Sunday.

In this issue:

Atheist Ireland’s first simultaneous nationwide meet-ups will be taking place next Sunday (10 February). It’s nothing formal, just a family-friendly brunch (or second breakfast) for Atheist Ireland members and anyone who wants to join us. We plan to hold similar events on the second Sunday of each month. So far, there are events in Dublin, Cork and Sligo (details below). If you want to arrange a brunch in your area, just pick a suitable venue and let us know, and we will help you to promote it.
As we mentioned before, the Department of Education is surveying all the parents/guardians of all children aged 0 to 12 years old in a number of areas throughout Ireland asking them what type of primary school they would like their children to attend. The closing date is midnight on 8 February. The areas being surveyed are Ballina, Ballinasloe, Bandon, Buncrana, Birr, Carrick on Suir, Carrigaline, Celbridge, Clonmel, Cobh, Dublin 6 (Rathmines/Harold’s Cross/Ranelagh), Dungarvan, Edenderry, Enniscorthy, Fermoy, Kells, Killarney, Leixlip, Longford, Loughrea, Malahide, Monaghan, Nenagh, New Ross, Palmerstown/Ballyfermot / Chapelizod / Cherry Orchard, Passage West, Portmarnock, Roscommon, Roscrea, Rush, Shannon, Skerries, Thurles, Tipperary, Tuam, Westport, Wicklow and Youghal. If you are a parent in one of these areas, we strongly encourage you to complete the survey and vote for an Educate Together school. Read more

Thursday 7 February, Reidy’s Wine Bar, Western Road, Cork
Cork Humanists’ new monthly discussion group “Think and Drink”. This month’s topic is “Religion in the Public Eye”. Facebook event page
Sunday 10 February, 11:30 am, A Casa Mia, Tobergal Lane, Sligo (map)
One of three near-simultaneous Atheist Ireland gatherings. The first Secular Sunday Second Sunday Second Breakfast. An informal family-friendly brunch. Facebook event page
Sunday 10 February, 12:00 noon, Trinity Capital Hotel, Pearse St., Dublin 2 (map)
Conceptually the first, but chronologically the joint second, first Secular Sunday Second Sunday Second Breakfast. Facebook event page
Sunday 10 February, 12:00 noon, SoHo, Grand Parade, Cork (map)
Ireland’s second city’s first Secular Sunday Second Sunday Second Breakfast. Facebook event page
Thursday 14 February, 7:00 pm, Thomas Davis Theatre, Trinity College Dublin (map)
The Humanist Association of Ireland’s Darwin Day lecture. This year’s lecture will be given by Dr. Aoife McLysaght, on the topic “Darwin and Human Evolution: what do we know today?” Read more
Friday 15 February, 7:30 pm, Quay Co-op, Cork (map)
Cork Humanists Book Club will be discussing White Teeth by Zadie Smith. Facebook event page
Tuesday 19 February, 7:00 pm, Camden Palace, Cork
Cork Humanists Film Club will be showing Magnolia. (Supported by voluntary donations. Suggested donation €3) Facebook event page

The things that led to my becoming an atheist were, in many ways, the things that led to my becoming an adult. For me these two processes are so entwined as to be interchangeable. I’m not saying, by the way, that only atheists are adults. I’m simply talking about my own experiences and how they have shaped me. – Aoife explains how she became an atheist, at Spirituality Ireland
I had contact from Muslim apologist Hamza Tzortis last week. He accused me of “childish tactics”, said my agenda was “mockery”, and asked if I was “always going to be relying on mockery and ridicule”. – Geoff takes the high road in his response to Hamza.
Half of them are pointless and the other half are either too obvious to be mentioned or not crucial moral guiders. They are just as flawed as for what they do not talk about, being silent on racism, sexism, slavery, tyranny, the list goes on. – Robert Nielsen examines the Ten Commandments, and provides his own version.

That’s it for another week. Next week may bring the long-promised improvements.

Derek Walsh
Editor, Secular Sunday
Atheist Ireland