Atheist Ireland | Religion Archives

15/04/2020 Atheist Ireland

FF and FG’s new social contract must be based on equal freedom of religion and belief

Fianna Fail and Fine Gael's proposed framework for government aims to create new, credible, quality-of-life measures of individual and societal wellbeing and progress. They are correct to focus on economic recovery, healthcare, housing, education, climate action, young people, and global citizenship. They are also correct to prioritise underlying principles through a ...

03/11/2019 Atheist Ireland

Support the making of Debutante, a short film

Please support the making of Debutante, a film about religious control and coming-of-age in a hostile environment. You can help to make it happen by contributing to the crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo. The Jehovah’s Witnesses religion controls its members by restricting their sexuality and shunning them if they don’t keep ...

06/10/2019 Atheist Ireland

Pastafarian exposes religious discrimination in marriage law

John Hamill, a former member of Atheist Ireland, was a guest on RTE’s Liveline show this week. He was interviewed in his new role as the founder of the Reformed Congregationalist Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster in Ireland, also known as Pastafarians. On behalf of his church, John had ...

19/12/2018 Atheist Ireland

Children must respect the codes of conduct of Scientology in Irish Community National Schools

Last night RTE's Prime Time reported on Scientology in Ireland. Scientology has set up its European hub in Firhouse in Dublin. Scientology says it is a modern religion, which addresses spirituality in a practical way. It says that it brings new solutions which do not involve drugs, conflict or violence, but include ...

06/08/2018 Atheist Ireland

Don’t tell him, Pike! Bishop Doran reveals intention to further evangelise during sex education

In the sitcom Dad’s Army, Private Pike is famous for blurting out the truth at inconvenient times, to the annoyance of Captain Mainwaring. In one scene, a German U-Boat Captain asks Pike what his name is. Mainwaring interjects by barking: ‘Don’t tell him, Pike!’ Bishop Kevin Doran has created the ...

08/07/2017 Atheist Ireland

Atheist Ireland and parents are challenging discriminatory Second Level School Transport Scheme

Atheist Ireland and many parents are challenging the second level school transport scheme, which is unjust and discriminatory. And Ruth Coppinger TD has asked the Minister for Education the latest in a series of Dail questions, which you can read below, in relation to the scheme. The scheme gives privilege ...

14/05/2017 Atheist Ireland

Support the Equal Participation in Schools Bill 2016

The Equal Participation in Schools Bill 2016 will be debated in the Dail next Tuesday night between 8pm and 10pm. If passed this Bill would ensure that all children and their parents have access to an education system with equal respect and dignity and where their human rights are guaranteed. ...

03/04/2017 Atheist Ireland

Catholic Church has privileged position on political funding with SIPO

The Irish State has put in place laws that enable religious organisations (mainly the Catholic Church) to campaign on political issues such as the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution and religious control of schools. But ethical secular organisations, including Atheist Ireland, get no such benefit because we treat the law ...

20/12/2016 Atheist Ireland

Bishop’s statement confirms that religious opt-out system does not work in practice

Catholic Bishop Denis Nulty has said that only 1% of students opt out of religion in Irish primary schools. We don’t know the reliability of the survey he is basing this figure on. But, if it is accurate, it simply proves that the opt out system does not work in practice. Indeed, ...

08/10/2016 Atheist Ireland

Polish government backs down from restricting abortion rights

The Polish government this week backed down from a controversial Bill to make abortion more restrictive, because of a wave of protests in Poland and internationally. In September, Atheist Ireland spoke against this Bill at a rally in Warsaw, when we were in Poland for the annual OSCE human rights ...