Secular Sunday #62 – Non Habemus Papam

It’s Sunday again, and our big news this week is that conference tickets are now on general sale. We’ve also got a roundup of news stories concerning religion, science and human rights, compiled by Barbara Monea; details of upcoming events including brunches next week; some interesting blog posts; and an unusual piece of art. Enjoy!

– Derek Walsh, Editor

Atheist Ireland News

Tickets are now available for our conference “Empowering Women Through Secularism”  which takes place in Dublin on the weekend of 29 & 30 June.
Speakers will include Ivana BacikDan BarkerOphelia BensonAnn BrusseelMairin de BurcaCarlos DiazJane DonnellyAnnie Laurie GaylorAnthea McTiernanPZ MyersMaryam NamazieTaslima NasrinMichael NugentNina SankariFarhana ShakirKate SmurthwaiteAnne Marie Waters and Rebecca Watson.
If you have any questions about the conference you can email wsconference@atheist.ie

BUY TICKETS NOW!

News Digest

compiled by Barbara Monea

IRELAND

WORLD

Calendar

  • Sunday 10 March, 12:00 noon, Trinity Capital Hotel, Pearse St., Dublin 2 (map), Dublin
    Our Second Secular Sunday Second Sunday Second Breakfast. An opportunity for our members and friends to meet, eat and chat.  Facebook event page
  • Sunday 10 March, 12:00 noon, A Casa Mia, Tobergal Lane, Sligo (map)
    Sligo’s Second Secular Sunday Second Sunday Second Breakfast. Facebook event page
  • Sunday 10 March, 12:00 noon, Salthill Hotel, Galway (map)
    Galway’s first Secular Sunday Second Sunday Second Breakfast. Facebook event page

Check our website and Facebook page for other Second Sunday events around the country as there will likely be one or two more organised before next week.

  • Monday 11 March, 8:30 pm, McSwiggans Bar and Restaurant, Woodquay, Galway (map)
    Galway Skeptics in the Pub. More science and skepticism in the pub! Facebook event page
  • Wednesday 20 March, 8:00 pm, Absolute Hotel, Sir Harry’s Mall, Limerick (map)
    The Mid West Humanists are meeting. As well as old and new attendees (new people always welcome) getting to talk about life as an atheist or humanist in a society with a religious-biased culture, they are continuing their plan to meet TDs in the region, on the Constitution, starting when the Blasphemy article arises in the Convention.
  • Saturday 29 & Sunday 30 June, O’Callaghan Alexander Hotel, Dubln 2 (map)
    “Empowering Women Through Secularism” An international two-day conference featuring some of the biggest names in atheism, skepticism, secularism and feminism. Buy tickets now

Blogroll

Imagine if 96% of our primary schools were run with an explicitly atheist ethos – not a neutral, secular ethos, but an explictly atheist ethos – where children were taught that there is no god, and that ethos was permeated throughout the entire curriculum.
Imagine if the UN Human Rights Committee repeatedly told us that this was infringing on the human rights of religious people, and the state said they would set up a forum to discuss having a small number of agnostic schools, but still no religious schools.
 – Michael Nugent wonders what Ireland would be like if the state discriminated for atheism
Will the Irish construction industry be restored to former glory as each town breaks ground on separate compounds to better inculcate reverence for the Gunners, the Bohs, or devotion to the mighty Bodfather? Will school boards of management be given authority to limit admissions on grounds of allegiance to specific teams? Should a teacher who is discovered as a Shelbourne season holder be at risk of their job if they are publicly violating the ethos of a Bohemian school? – Geoff examines David Quinn’s arguments on religion and sport

We’ve all been there. That little voice in the back of your head that can’t let you catch a break. It’s convinced that everything you do isn’t good enough. It is, in fact, convinced that you haven’t ever done anything worthwhile, ever, and should probably just go back to bed and stay there forever because it’s not like there’s any point in you having gotten up in the first place. – Aoife battles the “Jerkbrain”.

Secular Sunday