Blasphemy and Freedom of Expression – United Nations Human Rights 75 Pledge by Atheist Ireland
Atheist Ireland has made a pledge to the United Nations Human Rights 75 initiative to oppose laws against blasphemy and promote freedom of expression. 1. Background to Atheist Ireland Atheist Ireland is a voluntary advocacy group based in Ireland. We have Special Consultative Status at the United Nations. We promote atheism, reason, ...
Freedom of Religion or Belief – UN Human Rights 75 Pledge by Atheist Ireland
Atheist Ireland has made a pledge to the United Nations Human Rights 75 initiative to promote the consistent use of the full phrase ‘Freedom of Religion or Belief’ instead of the incomplete phrase 'Freedom of Religion.' 1. Background to Atheist Ireland Atheist Ireland is a voluntary advocacy group based in Ireland. ...
What qualifies under the right to freedom of philosophical belief?
Atheist Ireland met Minister for Children and Equality Roderic O’Gorman last week. Afterwards, we wrote the following to the Minister about the right to freedom of ‘religion or belief’. Dear Minister O'Gorman, we discussed at our meeting what test should be used to determine what does or does not qualify as ...
The right to objective sex education, not delivered through Catholic ethos
Atheist Ireland met Minister for Children and Equality Roderic O’Gorman last week. Afterwards, we wrote the following to the Minister about the right to objective sex education. Dear Minister O'Gorman, the right to objective sex education is infringed by allowing Catholic schools to deliver the state curriculum in accordance with ...
Atheist Ireland, Evangelicals, and Ahmadis meet Minister for Children and Equality Roderic O’Gorman
Atheist Ireland, along with our colleagues from the Evangelical Alliance and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, met Minister for Children and Equality Roderic O'Gorman this week. It was a very constructive meeting at which we discussed: The concept of freedom of religion or belief in human rights and constitutional terms, with ...
Atheist Ireland meets with Defence Forces Chaplaincy Review Board
Atheist Ireland met this week with Lt Col Padraig Brennan, chair of the Irish Defence Forces Review of the Chaplaincy service. Here are our thoughts and recommendations that we expressed at the meeting. The Defence Forces website states that “The Defence Forces are committed to promoting equality in all aspects ...
Atheist Ireland gets Special Consultative Status at the United Nations
Atheist Ireland has been granted special consultative status at the United Nations. We are the first national-level atheist organisation to get this status. It means we can engage with the UN Economic and Social Council, Human Rights Council, General Assembly, and Secretariat, in order to advance our aims. On January ...
Documents about misuse of state funds regarding religious instruction
Since December 2021, Atheist Ireland has been lobbying to vindicate the constitutional right to not attend religious instruction in schools, and to uphold parental authority in the education of their children, which the Supreme Court has described as a foundational pillar of the Constitution. As well as lobbying individual politicians ...
The new Incitement to Hatred Bill fails to define what “hatred” means
The Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill 2022 fails to define what "hatred" means. It says: 2. (1) In this Act— “hatred” means hatred against a person or a group of persons in the State or elsewhere on account of their protected characteristics or any ...
Atheist Ireland asks TDs to amend Incitement to Hatred Bill
Atheist Ireland is asking TDs to amend the Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill 2022 as follows: Please amend the above Bill to: (a) give equal protection to people with religious beliefs, and people with positive nonreligious philosophical convictions including atheism and secularism, and (b) ...