The moral case for assisted dying
20/09/2020 No Comments

The moral case for assisted dying

Martin O’Reilly of Atheist Ireland argues that assisted dying is a moral good. Linking to relevant sources, he examines religious objections, passive and active assisted dying, safeguards against pressure, the slippery slope argument, whether palliative care is enough, and the increased quality of life that assisted dying enables. What is ...

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Civil Registration Amendment Act discriminates on religious grounds
04/09/2020 1 Comment

Civil Registration Amendment Act discriminates on religious grounds

The Civil Registration Amendment Act 2012 is the most overtly discriminatory law that has been passed since Atheist Ireland was founded. Atheist Ireland has raised the religious discrimination in the Civil Registration Amendment Act 2012 in our Submission to the UN Human Rights committee. Ireland is up before the Committee ...

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Freedom of belief when seeking asylum in Ireland
03/09/2020 No Comments

Freedom of belief when seeking asylum in Ireland

Atheist Ireland has sent a Submission to the UN Human Rights Committee. Ireland is up before the Committee in October for the pre-session under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. In our submission we raised the issue of freedom of belief when seeking asylum in Ireland as well ...

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Irish Charities Act and Tax law discriminates against atheists
03/09/2020 No Comments

Irish Charities Act and Tax law discriminates against atheists

In Ireland the Charities Act and Tax law discriminates against atheists, humanists and secularisits. In our Submission to the UN Human Rights Committee Atheist Ireland have requested that the Committee ask the Irish state - “Question: Will the state party amend the Charities Act under the ‘religion’ category to ‘religions ...

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Schools are obliged to use existing funding to supervise students
02/09/2020 No Comments

Schools are obliged to use existing funding to supervise students

Publicly funded schools are obliged to use their existing funding to supervise students outside the religious instruction class. The recent Legal Opinion that Atheist Ireland obtained confirms that schools cannot refuse to supervise children outside the religious instruction class on the basis that they do not get enough funding from ...

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Atheist Ireland submission to UN Human Rights Committee
29/08/2020 No Comments

Atheist Ireland submission to UN Human Rights Committee

Atheist Ireland has made the following submission to the UN Human Rights Committee. It is about what questions the UN should ask Ireland during its next questioning under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. 1. Introduction to Atheist Ireland 2. Recommended questions 3. Article 2, Article 26 — ...

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Legal opinion on the Constitutional right to not attend religious instruction
16/08/2020 No Comments

Legal opinion on the Constitutional right to not attend religious instruction

Atheist Ireland has obtained a legal opinion from Barrister James Kane on the Constitutional right to not attend religious instruction under Article 44.2.4. The Irish Times has reported on it here. You can read the full Legal Opinion here. The legal opinion covers the right to not attend religious teaching, ...

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Faithless Hijabi’s mental health programme
15/08/2020 No Comments

Faithless Hijabi’s mental health programme

Faithless Hijabi, a support group for women who are questioning or leaving Islam, is starting a new online mental health programme. The support group was founded by Zara Kay, a Tanzanian-born ex-Muslim atheist based in London. Many of the women who they help come from Muslim-majority countries, where apostasy is ...

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One secular oath for all
15/08/2020 No Comments

One secular oath for all

Can you imagine if the Irish Constitution favoured atheism in the same way as it currently favours religion? Imagine if the preamble began with the words “In the name of atheism, we the people, acknowledging the nonexistence of gods, do enact this constitution.” Imagine if our President and judges had ...

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How the UN protects human rights
15/08/2020 No Comments

How the UN protects human rights

Where can you turn if your State denies you your human rights? Here is an overview of the main United Nations human rights treaties. Atheist Ireland uses these treaties to advocate for human rights in the areas of freedom of conscience and expression, and separation of church and state. The ...

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