Atheist Ireland | December 2017

31/12/2017 Secular Sunday

Secular Sunday #314 – Happy Secular New Year!

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27/12/2017 John Hamill

Irish State must respect the rights of atheists to freedom of belief and association

Despite the recent positive statement by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar about respecting freedom of religion and association, when talking about Scientology, the Irish State purports to legally decide what is and is not a religious group and who may be members of a religion. For example, a recent decision on behalf ...

24/12/2017 Secular Sunday

Secular Sunday #313 – Merry Christmas

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21/12/2017 Atheist Ireland

Why Atheist Ireland supports repeal, not replacement, of the eighth amendment

Atheist Ireland welcomes the Oireachtas Committee recommendation to have a referendum to repeal, not replace, the constitutional ban on abortion. It is important that the Government allows us to vote on this question as soon as is practicable. Our policy is that society should address ethical issues based on human ...

18/12/2017 Atheist Ireland

Atheist Ireland can endorse the integrity and consistency of the SIPO Commission

Amnesty International Ireland says that the SIPO Commission told Amnesty in 2016 that a €137,000 donation complied with the law, then SIPOC changed its mind about this in 2017. Amnesty says that it has no idea why SIPOC changed its mind. SIPOC says that it didn’t change its mind, and ...

17/12/2017 Secular Sunday

Secular Sunday #312 – Promoting secular schools and defending the SIPO law

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13/12/2017 Atheist Ireland

Department hid emails admitting ETB religion policies are most difficult to defend

In a series of emails that the Department of Education tried to hide from Atheist Ireland, the head of Education and Training Boards Ireland recently revealed that he didn’t know whether an important Department policy about religion was in force in ETB schools. He also admitted that the current situation ...

13/12/2017 Atheist Ireland

Amnesty refuses to obey SIPO law and deflects by demonising whistleblowing

In the past week, Amnesty International Ireland has refused to comply with a directive from the SIPO Commission to return an unlawful foreign political donation of €137,000. Its Chief Executive has said that Amnesty would also defend Iona taking similar political donations to fund pro-life campaigns, and that it is ...

12/12/2017 Atheist Ireland

We must strengthen the SIPO law to cover political activities by religions

Atheist Ireland yesterday published this Report on the issue of strengthening the SIPO law on donations to Third Parties for political purposes. We have now sent our Report to all TDs and Senators, and to the SIPO Commission. We have also written to the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local ...

11/12/2017 Atheist Ireland

We must strengthen, not subvert, the SIPO law on funding of political activity

Amnesty International Ireland is refusing to obey the law on funding of political purposes. They are refusing to return an illegal donation from America to help to repeal the eighth amendment. Amnesty is mistaken in taking this position, both ethically and practically. Atheist Ireland is also a civil society body. ...