Atheist Ireland | Secularism Archives

19/03/2018 3 Comments John Hamill

Advertisements for Catholic Mass removed after request for Full Moon Ceremony

Third level colleges across the country are continuing to deal with the outcome of a successful Atheist Ireland campaign with respect to their State-funded chaplaincies. That campaign resulted in a report being issued by the Higher Education Authority, which required all chaplaincies funded by public monies in third level colleges, to ...

19/02/2018 18 Comments Atheist Ireland

New directive on religious instruction will change the culture of ETB schools

Atheist Ireland welcomes the Department of Education’s new directive on religious instruction in second-level ETB schools. It is the most significant recognition of the constitutional and human rights of atheist, minority faith, and secular families in Irish schools since Atheist Ireland was founded. These rights have always existed, and now ...

11/02/2018 No Comments Atheist Ireland

Religious discrimination against women in Ireland – Jane Donnelly in La Raison magazine

Atheist Ireland works internationally, as members of Atheist Alliance International and the International Humanist and Ethical Union. We also work directly with atheist and secular groups in other countries, to share information and to help each other to achieve separation of church and state. The February 2018 edition of La ...

31/01/2018 No Comments Atheist Ireland

Minister for Education to review ETB schools paying Catholic Church to train students to evangelise

The Minister for Education has told Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger that he will review the practice of ETB schools paying the Roman Catholic Church to train students in faith leadership. Last month Atheist Ireland revealed details of these controversial courses, that train some students to evangelise others, through our freedom ...

15/01/2018 Atheist Ireland

FOI documents reveal Atheist Ireland’s impact on review of religion in ETB schools

Based on new documents obtained under Freedom of Information Act, and on our meeting with the Department of Education last month, Atheist Ireland is optimistic that the Minister for Education will soon issue a Circular Letter about the timetabling of religion in ETB schools, that we requested the Minister to ...

27/12/2017 John Hamill

Irish State must respect the rights of atheists to freedom of belief and association

Despite the recent positive statement by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar about respecting freedom of religion and association, when talking about Scientology, the Irish State purports to legally decide what is and is not a religious group and who may be members of a religion. For example, a recent decision on behalf ...

21/12/2017 Atheist Ireland

Why Atheist Ireland supports repeal, not replacement, of the eighth amendment

Atheist Ireland welcomes the Oireachtas Committee recommendation to have a referendum to repeal, not replace, the constitutional ban on abortion. It is important that the Government allows us to vote on this question as soon as is practicable. Our policy is that society should address ethical issues based on human ...

18/12/2017 Atheist Ireland

Atheist Ireland can endorse the integrity and consistency of the SIPO Commission

Amnesty International Ireland says that the SIPO Commission told Amnesty in 2016 that a €137,000 donation complied with the law, then SIPOC changed its mind about this in 2017. Amnesty says that it has no idea why SIPOC changed its mind. SIPOC says that it didn’t change its mind, and ...

13/12/2017 Atheist Ireland

Amnesty refuses to obey SIPO law and deflects by demonising whistleblowing

In the past week, Amnesty International Ireland has refused to comply with a directive from the SIPO Commission to return an unlawful foreign political donation of €137,000. Its Chief Executive has said that Amnesty would also defend Iona taking similar political donations to fund pro-life campaigns, and that it is ...

12/12/2017 Atheist Ireland

We must strengthen the SIPO law to cover political activities by religions

Atheist Ireland yesterday published this Report on the issue of strengthening the SIPO law on donations to Third Parties for political purposes. We have now sent our Report to all TDs and Senators, and to the SIPO Commission. We have also written to the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local ...