BBC Report on the Secularisation of Ireland

[meriwether]

As an Irish athiest, I honestly don't care whether the majority believe in jesus or El Ron Hubbard. Main issue for me is that the National Schools, which I pay for via the large amounts of tax I fork out each month, shouldn't be allowed to exclude my son just because I choose not to let some elderly pedophile sprinkle water on his head.

Your sons problems aren't limited to the first level education system.

Your staggering stupidity and ignorance will probably prove quite damaging in his formative years.

[Trampas]

Personally, I think that the decline in religious belief and practice will continue but will hit a floor. If the RCC go for the purity option then it will fall further than if they stick with the broad church idea. The purity option might also serve to only provoke further pro-secularism if it spills into the schools. Obviously those who post here will know my views on secularism and know that I fully support it and hope for it.

Many people really do want to hold religious beliefs, but they find that they can't. Their "god-given" intellects will not allow it.

[seabhcan]

Many people really do want to hold religious beliefs, but they find that they can't. Their "god-given" intellects will not allow it.

This is the old "blasphemy of faith" paradox: Why would god give humans the ability to think critically, remove all evidence of his existence from the world, and then demand that his creation suspend their abilities for critical thinking and surrender to evidence-free 'faith' in his existence. Surely it is against god to refuse to use your god-given abilities - thus faith in god is blasphemy.

Put another way, god is either a practical joker or he doesn't exist.

[Cato]

This is the old "blasphemy of faith" paradox: Why would god give humans the ability to think critically, remove all evidence of his existence from the world, and then demand that his creation suspend their abilities for critical thinking and surrender to evidence-free 'faith' in his existence. Surely it is against god to refuse to use your god-given abilities - thus faith in god is blasphemy.

Put another way, god is either a practical joker or he doesn't exist.

There is a third option;

[Telemachus]

It had better, or the loo laa liberal ayatollahs around the place will find themselves under Sharia Law.

By in large, they dont seem to care. Immediate satisfaction is all that matters. Long term consequences of policies that destroy the family can easily be explained away. Some of the advanced liberal thinkers reckon a rapid advancing technological singularity will be reached within a few decades which will solve all problems. Traditional understandings of how humans relate will be obsolete. Its all so selfish and arrogant.

We dont need nothin' we know it all.

[Cato]

By in large, they dont seem to care. Immediate satisfaction is all that matters. Long term consequences of policies that destroy the family can easily be explained away. Some of the advanced liberal thinkers reckon a rapid advancing technological singularity will be reached within a few decades which will solve all problems. Traditional understandings of how humans relate will be obsolete. Its all so selfish and arrogant.

We dont need nothin' we know it all.

Could you provide us with a few examples of these liberal thinkers you speak of?

[Cruimh]

Why all the bile about Twomey ? I read his book The End Of Irish Catholicism? and was impressed by his willingness to place the blame on the Church itself rather than outside agencies.

[pragmaticapproach]

By in large, they dont seem to care. Immediate satisfaction is all that matters. Long term consequences of policies that destroy the family can easily be explained away. Some of the advanced liberal thinkers reckon a rapid advancing technological singularity will be reached within a few decades which will solve all problems. Traditional understandings of how humans relate will be obsolete. Its all so selfish and arrogant.

We dont need nothin' we know it all.

The main agent of societal destruction is the state, so individuals such as yourself should advocate limited government in the classical liberal tradition, since there really is no stomach for the social conservative statism which you seem to idolise.

A state that pushes a conservative agenda can just as easily be turned against this ideology and used as the means for forcing a left liberal agenda(not to be confused with classical liberalism). You're Just as bad as the leftists, if not worse.

[Gurdiev]

There is a third option;

Are you saying it works whether you believe or not ?

[paddyrebel]

the RC church to me means pedos and weirdos.
better off without that kind of thing.