Secular Sunday #495 – Religion teachers undermine students’ rights

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Editorial

Religion teachers undermine students’ rights

 

This week religion teachers complained about Catholic students being bullied because they are different. They are correct to raise this issue. No student should be treated differently because of their religious beliefs or those of their parents.

But the Religion Teachers Association of Ireland have no issue with discriminating against belief minorities by forcing their children to take religion classes. They are part of and support a system that breaches the Constitutional and human rights of minorities.

Indeed, when the Minister for Education wanted to allow students to get another subject if they decided, on the basis on conscience, not to attend religious education, the Religion Teachers Association actively lobbied the Minister to undermine this progress.

It would be great if religion teachers could extend their empathy to realise that atheist and minority families, who are on the other end of the evangelising mission of Irish schools, also feel disrespected and alienated by the disregard and lack of understanding for their Constitutional and human rights.

Atheist Ireland continues to work for a secular education system that promotes neither religion nor atheism, and that treats all children, parents, and teachers equally regardless of their beliefs. Please join Atheist Ireland as a member and help us to continue this important work.

– Secular Sunday Editorial Team

Éire Aindiach

Éire Aindiach

 

                                         
Chun ár gcuid feachtais a leathnú agus a neartú, tá sé beartaithe ag Éire Aindiach níos mó úsáid a bhaint as an Ghaeilge.
Ba mhaith linn meitheal a eagrú, chun cuidiú le:
  • Polasaithe agus feachtais Éire Aindiach a phlé ar an raidió nó ar an teilifís
  • Cuidiú le doiciméid ghaeilge a scríobh
  • Bualadh le polaiteoirí chun stocaireacht a dhéanamh
Táimid i mbun aistriúcháin a dhéanamh ar dhoiciméid polasaí faoi láthair, agus teastaíonn cabhair uainn le aistriúchán agus profáil.  Más maith leat bheith páirteach san iarracht seo, cur ríomhphost chugainn ag gaeilge@atheist.ie.
English translation:

To broaden and strengthen our campaigns, Atheist Ireland have undertaken to make more use of the Irish language.
We are looking to assemble a group of volunteers, to help with:

  • Discussing our policies and campaigns on radio or tv
  • Helping to write documents in Irish
  • Meeting with politicians to lobby them
We are in the process of translating policy documents at the moment, and we need some help with translating and proofreading.  If you would like to assist with this effort, please email us at gaeilge@atheist.ie.

Atheist Ireland News

 

Religion teachers are undermining the rights of atheist and minority faith families

 

The Irish Times has reported that religion teachers have complained about Catholic students being bullied because they are different. They are correct to raise this issue. No student should be treated differently because of their religious beliefs or those of their parents.
But the empathy of religion teachers for people of different beliefs seems to be selective. They have also complained when the Minister for Education wanted to allow students to get another subject if they decided, on the basis on conscience, not to attend religious education.
The Religion Teachers Association of Ireland expressed dismay at such a development, and said that it would undermine twenty years of progressive work by religion teachers, principals and boards of management. They and others succeeded in undermining that attempt to vindicate minority rights.
The Religion Teachers Association of Ireland have no issue with discriminating against belief minorities by forcing their children to take religion classes. They are part of and support a system that breaches the Constitutional and human rights of minorities.
The RTAI promotes resources for teachers published by the Council for Catechetics of the Irish Episcopal Conference. But the only reference to atheism on the RTAI website is a blog post in 2018 in which a Post-Primary Diocesan Advisor refers to an atheist who became a priest.
At second level the main aim of syllabus religion at second level is to develop values to enable all students to see the relevance of religion to their lives and relationships, society and the wider world. At look at the recent article by Peter McGuire of the Journal outlines exactly what non religious families have to put up with.
The UN has made numerous recommendations over the years about minority belief children in Irish schools and the failure of the state to protect their rights. Parents who seek secular education for their children have exactly the same Constitutional rights and religious parents have.
If the main aim of any course was to enable all students to see the relevance of atheism to their lives and relationships, society and the wider world we would never hear the end of it.
Not only would religion teachers be complaining that students who practice their religion were being bullied, but they would be also complaining about indoctrination, discrimination and breaching the right to freedom of conscience of Catholic families.
Have you ever heard religion teachers complaining about discrimination on the ground of religion in access to schools?
Have you ever heard religion teachers complaining about students from atheist backgrounds being forced into religion class against their wishes and the wishes of their families?
Have you ever heard religion teachers complaining that it undermines the Constitutional and human rights of non religious families to develop values in their children to enable them to see the relevance of religion to their lives?
Despite all the above failures of religion teachers in relation to the Constitutional and human rights of non religious and atheist families, their support for the indoctrination of minority students and support for religious discrimination, religion teachers can correctly recognise that practising Catholic students should not be singled out for bullying because they are different.
It would be great if religion teachers could extend their empathy to realise that atheist and minority families, who are on the other end of the evangelising mission of Irish schools, also feel disrespected and alienated by the disregard and lack of understanding for their Constitutional and human rights.
Main Aim of second level Religious Education

“Religious Education aims to develop knowledge, understanding, skills, attitudes and values to enable young people to come to an understanding of religion and its relevance to life, relationships, society and the wider world. It aims to develop the students’ ability to examine questions of meaning, purpose and relationships, to help students understand, respect and appreciate people’s expression of beliefs, and to facilitate dialogue and reflection on the diversity of beliefs and values that inform responsible decision-making and ways of living.”

Religious education teachers are developing values in students from atheist and secular backgrounds to enable then to see the relevance of religion to their lives. They have no issue with that at all.
In the High Court in 2011, Justice Hogan stated that:

“35. There is thus no doubt at all but that parents have the constitutional right to raise their children by reference to their own religious and philosophical views.”
“27. Along with the guarantee of free speech in Article 40.6.i, Article 44.2.1 guarantees freedom of conscience and the free practice of religion. Taken together, these constitutional provisions ensure that, subject to limited exceptions, all citizens have complete freedom of philosophical and religious thought, along with the freedom to speak their mind and to say what they please in all such matters….” (AB v Childrens Hospital Temple Street & CD & EF – January 2011)

So on the one hand parents and their children have a Constitutional right to respect for their philosophical convictions, and on the other hand religion teachers indoctrinate their children into a religious understanding of the world.
Secularism as a philosophical conviction
The European Court has found that secularism is a philosophical conviction, worthy of respect in democratic society, protected by Article 9 of the Convention (freedom of conscience, religion and belief) and Article II of Protocol 1,( the right to education).

“58.  Secondly, the Court emphasises that the supporters of secularism are able to lay claim to views attaining the “level of cogency, seriousness, cohesion and importance” required for them to be considered “convictions” within the meaning of Articles 9 of the Convention and 2 of Protocol No. 1 (see Campbell and Cosans v. the United Kingdom, 25 February 1982, § 36, Series A no. 48). More precisely, their views must be regarded as “philosophical convictions”, within the meaning of the second sentence of Article 2 of Protocol No. 1, given that they are worthy of “respect ‘in a democratic society’”, are not incompatible with human dignity and do not conflict with the fundamental right of the child to education (ibid.).”

Read online…

 

Religion Teachers and their priorities

 

The main aim of syllabus religion at second level is to develop values to enable all students to see the relevance of religion to their lives and relationships, society and the wider world.

If the main aim of any course was to enable all students to see the relevance of atheism to their lives and relationships, society and the wider world we would never hear the end of it.

Not only would religion teachers be complaining that students who practice their religion are being bullied but they would be also complaining about indoctrination, discrimination and breaching the right to freedom of conscience of catholic families.

Many schools at second level also discriminate in access and give preference to students from catholic backgrounds.

Have you ever heard any religion teacher complaining about non religious students or students from atheist backgrounds being forced into religion class against their wishes and the wishes of their families?

Have you ever heard a religion teacher complaining about discrimination on the ground of religion in access to schools.

Have you ever heard a religion teacher complaining that it undermines the constitutional and human rights of non religious families to develop values in their children to enable them to see the relevance of religion to their lives?

Have you ever heard a religion teacher complaining that students that do manage to opt out of religion are not offered another subject and are left sitting in the back of the class? In fact a couple of years ago the Religion Teachers Association wrote to the Department of Education complaining about a Circular Letter that the Department had issued that obliged ETB schools to offer another subject to students who did not wish to take religion classes. The Department subsequently reversed that decision. Religion teachers support religious discrimination.

Despite all the above failures of religion teachers in relation to the Constitutional and human rights of non religious and atheist families, their support for the indoctrination of minority students and support for religious discrimination, religion teachers are complaining that practising catholic students are being singled out for bullying because they are different.

No student should be bullied because of their beliefs. If religion teachers could just realise that minority families on the other end of their evangelising mission also feel bullied and disrespected by the total disregard and lack of understanding for their constitutional and human rights then we may get somewhere.


Calling concerned teachers

If you are a teacher and concerned about unwanted religious influence contact Chris at teachers@atheist.ie

List of Atheist Ireland Submissions


Buy this book “Is My Family Odd About Gods?”

**Schools Special Offer**
Atheist Ireland are offering the book ‘Is my family odd about godsfree (excluding postage and packaging).  This means that you can get this book for the total price of 10 euro. This offer is aimed at families with school going children, who would like to read this book during their online school term. This offer is limited to one book per family unit and for postage within Ireland only. Read more…

Have you noticed that your school and your teachers may tell you one thing about religion, while some of your friends and family may have different ideas about god?
If you think that this is a little odd, then this book is for you. Buy this book here.

Lessons about Atheism

Atheist Ireland has published a set of free lesson plans about atheism for children aged 8 and up. We welcome feedback, which we will use to develop the lessons. You can download the lesson plans here


Be Good without Gods

Atheist Ireland ‘Good Without Gods’ Kiva team members have made loans of  $32,800 to 1140 entrepreneurs in the developing world. You can join the team here. Before you chose a loan, make sure you do not support religious groups. You can check the loan partner’s social and secular rating here.

Notme.ie

Atheist Ireland’s ‘notme.ie‘ is a place where people can publicly renounce the religion of their childhood. Currently there are 1847 symbolic defections. Many share their reasons for making a public symbolic defection which you can read here

Petition on Schools Equality PACT 

Atheist Ireland currently runs one petition – The Schools Equality PACT. This seeks to reform religious discrimination in state-funded schools. Currently this stands at 4,071 Help us reach it’s target of 5000. Please sign and share this petition if you haven’t already done so. Thank you.

Tell us what you think

Have you any feedback that you would like to give us on the Secular Sunday newsletter. What are we getting right? What could we improve on? Is there something you would like to see included? Drop us an email at secularsunday@atheist.ie.


Please consider joining or re-joining Atheist Ireland

Atheist Ireland is an entirely volunteer run organisation. We receive no grants or government funding to continue our campaign work. We rely entirely on membership fess and donations.

Annual membership is nominal; €25 waged, €10 unwaged/student and €40 for family membership. Please consider becoming a member. Membership means:

  • You can help to build an ethical and secular Ireland.
  • You have a say in determining policy and electing officers.
  • You can attend members meetings and our AGM.
  • You will have access to our members only Facebook group
  • Your membership fee will go towards supporting our many campaigns.

 
You can join Atheist Ireland here.

Thank you for your continued support

Atheist Ireland Committee

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Opinion and Media

Material on atheism, secularism, human rights,politics,science etc. collected from media and the blogosphere from Ireland and beyond; used without permission, compensation, liability, guarantee or implied endorsement. We aim to include a variety of diverse opinions and viewpoints.

 

Blogs & Opinions

 

National

Ownership issue poses ‘risk’ to National Maternity Hospital project – Tánaiste

 

By Barry Roche, Jack Power

 

There is a “risk” that the long-planned relocation of the national maternity hospital to the new St Vincent’s site does not go ahead, due to difficulties agreeing a deal for the move, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has said. The Government had a number of “absolute red lines” that had to be met in the deal to build the new hospital on the site of St Vincent’s Hospital. Read more…

Concern over Catholic ethos for proposed new maternity hospital Title

 

By Ronan McGreevy

 

The issues surrounding the new maternity hospital are “intractable” unless the State owns the land on it which is proposed to be built, it has been claimed. The Campaign Against Church Ownership of Women’s Healthcare has said it would be “unthinkable” for the State to fund a new maternity hospital which had a Catholic ethos. Read more…

‘I was disgusted by it: Former Belvedere College pupils claim priest assaulted them

 

By Órla Ryan

 

A NUMBER OF former pupils of Belvedere College in Dublin have alleged that a priest who taught at the fee-paying secondary school assaulted them in the late 1970s and 1980s. In March the Jesuits in Ireland publicised the name of a former Belvedere College teacher, Fr Joseph Marmion SJ, who is now deceased, to encourage people who may have suffered abuse to come forward. Read more…

See our response to the following article in the Editorial above.

Religion teachers believe Catholic students being singled out for bullying

 

By Jade Wilson, Mark Hilliard

 

Religious education teachers have expressed concern that practising Catholics are singled out for bullying more than non-religious students, an Oireachtas committee has heard. Citing research from DCU’s Anti-Bullying Centre, Prof James O’Higgins Norman said such pupils were often seen as “old fashioned or out of the mainstream culture” due to a decline in the number of children who practice religion. Read more…

State on a go-slow in moving primary education from majority Catholic grip

 

By Peter McGuire

 

THE GOVERNMENT’S PLAN to provide 400 multi-denominational primary schools by 2030 has no roadmap or interim targets, while representatives and parents from both Catholic and secular groups believe change in the sector is not happening quickly enough. Read more…

Religion in schools: ‘My son was upset – a friend told him he wasn’t going to heaven’

 

By Peter McGuire

 

THE LACK OF choice in Ireland’s public primary education system is having a profound impact on many families, religious or not, according to parents and educators. This morning, The Journal’s community-sourced investigative platform Noteworthy published an extensive probe into the slow progress by the State to fulfil its commitment to divesting primary schools from a majority Catholic patronage. Read more…

 

International

Religious people arent generally more satisfied with life than anyone else

 

By BlueSky Education

 

Religious people do not generally have better life satisfaction than atheist and non-religious people, according to research by the University of Cologne. The study, conducted by Katharina Pohls, Thomas Schlosser, and Detlef Fetchenhauer, examined the relationship between religion and life satisfaction in a cultural comparison across 24 countries. Read more…

The Fight for Religious Freedom Isn’t What It Used to Be

 

By Andrew R. Lewis

 

In the legal battle between religious rights and gay rights, religious freedom gained a victory today. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the First Amendment’s religious-freedom protections prevent the city of Philadelphia from refusing to contract with a Catholic foster-care agency that, based on its religious beliefs, does not place foster children with same-sex couples. Read more…

Catholic Church response to sexual abuse must centre on survivor well-being, not defensiveness

 

By Cathy Driscoll

 

In light of the recent discovery of 215 Indigenous children in unmarked graves at a former Catholic-run residential school in British Columbia and investigations at other former residential schools, there have been renewed calls for the Pope to apologize for residential schools and for the Catholic Church to release its records. Read more…

Unlike other U.S. religious groups, most atheists and agnostics oppose the death penalty

 

By Stephanie Kramer

 

A majority of adults in the United States favor the death penalty for people convicted of murder, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey. However, views about the death penalty vary by religion – with atheists and agnostics opposing this form of punishment at about the same rate as Americans overall support it. Read more…

Government condemns Catholic school sex education resource which says men are ‘initiators’ of sex

 

By Will Hazell

 

The Government has condemned a Catholic sex education resource which says men are the “initiators” of sexual relationships.  In January, i revealed that a resource called A Fertile Heart – which also says that contraception is “wrong” and suggests gay people should abstain from sex – was being taught in schools in Wales and at least one in England. Read more…

Religions And Persecution Of Nonbelievers In Africa

 

By Leo Igwe

 

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has, in a recent document, highlighted a critical aspect of humanism and religion in Africa-conditions of nonbelievers in the region. The document outlines challenges that Africans who do not identify with any religion face on the continent. It shows that while the number of those who identify as atheist, agnostic, freethinker, humanist, or secularist in Africa is growing, there are pervasive governmental restrictions and societal discriminations in various countries. Read more…

FFRF condemns Florida’s new school prayer law

 

By Freedom From Religion Foundation

 

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is condemning a new law in Florida that seeks to insert divisive religion into the public school day. In the wake of the 2018 Parkland shooting, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, then a member of Congress, offered the state’s public school students only “thoughts and prayers.” But DeSantis has taken that useless gesture to another level by signing into law HB 529, which mandates a daily moment of silence at Florida public schools. Read online…

Charity law shouldn’t enable misogyny

 

By Megan Manson

 

A Christian organisation which pushes misogynistic messages, including by blaming women for rape, has registered as a charity. This highlights a widespread problem which needs legal reform to address, says Megan Manson. A religious organisation that says “female trousers are the uniform of harlots” has just become a registered charityRead more…

The expansion of Catholic influence at St Mary’s University threatens academic freedom

 

By Keith Sharpe

 

A pro-vice chancellor’s remarks suggest the governance of St Mary’s University, Twickenham is heading in an inappropriate direction. This shows the need to oppose religious control of universities, says Keith Sharpe. Read more…

“Homophobia kills”: Polish atheists launch a new campaign to stop hate against LGBTI+ people

 

By Humanists International

The Kazimierz Łyszczyński Foundation, an Associate of Humanists International, has launched a billboard campaign to “stop religiously motivated hate” against the LGBTI+ community in Poland. The campaign, launched during Equality Month, is taking place in 22 Polish cities and is supported by the Norwegian Humanist Association and Humanists International. Read more…

 

If you are a blogger or vlogger writing or talking about atheism, secularism, ethics, skepticism, human rights etc. and would like us to include your work here please email the link to secularsunday@atheist.ie
 

Podcasts, Videos and Interviews

Ireland

Do you host an Irish-based podcast on atheism, secularism, science, skepticism, human rights etc.? Let us know and we will link to it here.

Newstalk – National Maternity Hospital may still ultimately come under the control of the Catholic Church – Smith

Newstalk – Wicklow school not alone in rejecting catholic sex education programme campaigners say

International

 

*|YOUTUBE: [$vid=ht7aFUiVSEo]|*

Freethought Radio – For Christ’s Sake – Helen Christophi
The National Secular Society – Parents’ religious wishes must not trump children’s safety and education

Media Watch

News and views from Ireland and around the world. Sharing is not an endorsement. 

Ireland

International

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