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Editorial
Another busy year for Atheist Ireland
 Atheist Ireland has had another busy year, culminating in our Annual General Meeting yesterday which was held online. As always, our Human Rights Officer Jane Donnelly has helped many individual parents who come to us with complaints about their school discriminating against their children, usually by trying to make them attend religion classes. Please contact us if you face this problem in your local school.
We have lobbied on many issues including schools defying the Admission to Schools Act, the Dying with Dignity Bill, religious discrimination in the defence forces, objective sex education, the Student and Parent Charter Bill, the Department of Equality’s Anti-Racism Committee, the proposed Frontline Workers Public Holiday, the review of the Equality Laws, religious oaths for President and others, and the need for the State to own and manage the new National Maternity Hospital on a secular basis.
We have made submissions internationally to the United Nations on the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Universal Periodic Review of Ireland, and the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, and within Ireland to the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission’s Strategy Statement and the NCCA about about the redevelopment of Junior Cycle Social, Personal, and Health Education. We also lobbied TDs on the millions of euros in international funding spent within Europe against sexual and reproductive rights.
We were delighted when Kamila Dydna’s movie Debutante, for which Atheist Ireland is the official partner, won the Best Irish Narrative Short award at the Kerry International Film Festival. It is a coming-of age drama about losing your religion, through the eyes of a teenage Jehovah’s Witness, and we congratulate Kamila on this achievement. We also celebrated the tenth anniversary of the World Atheist Convention in Dublin in 2011, and the 500th edition of this weekly newsletter Secular Sunday.
You can read a more detailed account of many of our activities during the past year at this link. After our AGM yesterday, we look forward to another active year ahead. If you would like to help us to continue this work, please join Atheist Ireland as a member. We are a voluntary group with no paid staff and we rely on our members to continue our work.
– Secular Sunday Editorial Team
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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.
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Atheist Ireland News
Another busy year for Atheist Ireland
Atheist Ireland has had another busy year, culminating in our Annual General Meeting yesterday which was held online. Here is a summary of some of our activities over the past twelve months. As well as the national activities below, we support atheist and secular groups in other countries to challenge religious discrimination and persecution around the world.
Our Human Rights Officer Jane Donnelly also helps individual parents who come to us with complaints about their school discriminating against their children, usually by trying make them attend religion classes. We have also spent much of this year updating the Oireachtas Education Committee on this discrimination, and it will be on their agenda at some stage during this term of office.
Shortly after last year’s AGM we published a report showing that schools are defying a new law on admission policies, based on our study of 100 sample school admission policies around the country. Section 62.7(n) of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 requires schools to publish an admission policy which will include details of the school’s arrangements for students who do not want to attend religious instruction. Our report showed how schools are refusing to comply with it, either by trying to redefine religious instruction or by asking parents to come in for a meeting.
In December the UN Human Rights Committee raised the Irish education system in its List of Issues under the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Atheist Ireland had made a Submission to the UN about these issues. The committee is asking Ireland about the right to freedom of religion and belief of those who seek secular schools for their children and the right to be free from religious discrimination in the education system. The UN has also raised the rights of teachers and asked if Section 37.1 of the Employment Equality Act will be amended.
In January RTE apologised for any offence that may have been caused by a Waterford Whispers News sketch on New Year’s Eve Countdown show, in which a mock news report said God had been arrested for sexually assaulting the supposed virgin Mary. This shows the danger of blasphemy laws continuing in other guises. We highlighted that the Venice Commission has said that it must be possible to criticise religious ideas, even if such criticism may be perceived by some as hurting their religious feelings.
In February we made a submission to the Oireachtas Justice Committee on the Dying with Dignity Bill 2020. We said this Bill has the potential to relieve extreme pain, suffering and anxiety of terminally ill patients. It can also increase the quality of life for terminally ill people, as they have the peace of mind of knowing that they can die peacefully. At this stage it looks like a new Oireachtas Committee will be established to examine the Bill in more detail.
In March we published an analysis of the international human right to be atheist and secular, and we made two joint submissions along with the Evangelical Alliance and Ahmadiyya Muslims. We raised religious discrimination in the defence forces with the Department of Defence, and we ask UN to strengthen secularism in Ireland when the Human Rights Council questions Ireland under the Universal Periodic Review.
In April we wrote to the Minister for Education regarding the recent Burke case and its impact on Draft Primary Curriculum. We believe that this case strengthens our Constitutional right to ensure that our children do not attend any type of religious education that is against the conscience of their parents. The Minister is appealing the case to the Supreme Court, arguing that her only duty is to not destroy parents rights, rather than having to actively vindicate them.
In May we asked the Government to legislate for objective sex education. We said this involves amending the Education Act to ensure that religious ethos cannot influence children’s right to objective sex education, and amending the Employment Equality Act to protect teachers from being disciplined for not upholding the religious ethos of schools. We met online with several TDs about this issue, which was the subject of a Bill
In June we celebrated the 10th Anniversary of the World Atheist Convention in Dublin in 2011. We made a submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief about the nature and extent of freedom of thought. We also published and lobbied about our analysis of why the State should own and directly run the national maternity hospital.
In July we celebrated the 500th edition of our weekly email newsletter Secular Sunday, and we lobbied TDs arguing that the Student and Parent Charter Bill must protect the right to not attend religious instruction. The Broadcasting Authority found that RTE’s New Years Eve comedy sketch breached the Code of Programme Standards, and we argued that the Authority should not enforce respect for unethical religious beliefs. We made a submission to the Department of Equality’s Independent Anti-Racism Committee.
In August we met the Lord Mayor of Dublin. We made a submission to the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission’s consultation for their Strategy Statement 2022-24. We also met with the Commission online. We asked the Commission to protect the positive right to nonreligious philosophical beliefs, by promoting a change in our Equality Laws from the category of ‘religion’ to ‘religion and beliefs’. We also criticised the Government for arguing at the European Court of Human Rights that the religious oaths for President and members of the Council of State are necessary in a democratic society.
In September we highlighted that the return to school means another €9.8 million being spent on chaplains for faith formation in ETB schools and colleges, which are supposed to be the alternative to denominational schools. It also means another year of schools coercing or forcing children into taking religion classes against the wishes of their parents. We will continue with our campaign for an ethical, secular education system that treats everybody equally regardless of their religious or nonreligious beliefs.
In October Kamila Dydna’s movie Debutante, for which Atheist Ireland is the official partner, won the Best Irish Narrative Short award at the Kerry International Film Festival. It is a coming-of age drama about losing your religion, through the eyes of a teenage Jehovah’s Witness. We wrote to the Government arguing that the proposed Frontline Workers Public Holiday should not be linked with religion. We made a submission to the Department of Children’s State Report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. We asked the Department to protect rights of children from atheist and secular families in schools.
We also lobbied TDS on the millions of euros in international funding, including from America and Russia, that are spent within European countries to campaign politically against sexual and reproductive rights. Some of this money is used for political purposes in Ireland. We argued that the Irish SIPO laws should be strengthened to prevent this from happening here, and not weakened to allow an unregulated free-for-all of political donations between elections.
In November we made a submission to the NCCA about the redevelopment of Junior Cycle Social, Personal, and Health Education (SPHE). We asked the NCCA to address the impact of school ethos on teaching of sex education. Finally, this month we have joined other advocacy groups a collective campaign for the State to own and manage the new National Maternity Hospital on a secular basis. It should not cede control over this essential public service to any private body, never mind to a charity associated with the Catholic church.
After our AGM yesterday, we look forward to another active year ahead. If you would like to help us to continue this work, please join Atheist Ireland as a member. We are a voluntary group with no paid staff and we rely on our members to continue our work. Read online…
Know your Rights
 European Court has found that the system of exemption for children from religion classes in Greeks schools placed an undue burden on parents. In Ireland the system is no better as children are left sitting in the class and no other subject is offered.
“The Abidjan Principles are the reference text on the right to education that was adopted by the most qualified experts in February 2019, following three years of consultation. They compile existing law on the right to education, in particular in the context of privatisation and commercialisation in education, and tell us what States are legally obliged to do in education.
In Chile, Kenya, the USA, and more and more countries around the world, corporations or private interests play a major role in taking away the right to education from learners, and governments too often fail to adequately regulate private schools and ensure quality public education for all. The Abidjan Principles can help learners and people around the world to claim back their right to education, and establish a just education system that works for all, not just a few..”
European Court has found that the system of exemption for children from religion classes in Greeks schools placed an undue burden on parents. In Ireland the system is no better as children are left sitting in the class and no other subject is offered.
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 gods‘ free (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. 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 $34,850 to 1209 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 1883 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 4,090 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
Sex education must be reformed so all kids in Ireland are taught in same way without input from religion
By Gary Gannon
SEX ed must be reformed so that all kids are taught about the birds and the bees in the same way, it’s been claimed. Social Democrats Education Spokesperson Gary Gannon has launched new legislation to reform the way Children’s Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) is taught. Read more…
Sex education in schools must be free from religious influence – Pringle
By Donegal Daily Staff Writer
Independent TD for Donegal, Thomas Pringle, said it’s time to acknowledge the country is multicultural and multi-denominational, as he supported a bill calling for sex education in schools to be fact-based and free from religious influence.
Read more…
No legal barriers to State owning National Maternity Hospital site – legal analysis
By Sean Murray
There is nothing standing in the way of a publicly-owned National Maternity Hospital, a new legal analysis has said. Commissioned by non-profit Uplift, the analysis conducted by Stephen Dodd SC says the State would be justified to carry out a compulsory purchase order on the land owned by the Religious Sisters of Charity. Read more…
Christianity being ‘wrongly promoted and privileged in the classroom’ court hears
By The Irish News Reporter
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