It's more about the social rituals attached to Births, Marriages and Deaths. For people who aren't pushed either way, going along with it without caring whether it's true or not is a small price to pay for access to the comfort of having the big days out and a nice funeral where you'll be buried in the same style and place as your ancestors.Originally Posted by Cruimh
That's the only side of the story you're interested in, isn't it? The big bad Catholic Church taking over the schools, subverting the state, abusing children, oppressing the people?
I lurk a lot here and I've seen on other threads, especially threads where people are discussing the latest outburst of anti-Irishness from some nobody in Australia or New Zealand or wherever. I don't take part since those threads are so ridiculously self-absorbed.
Anyway, others make the point that the Irish people are actually very well regarded around the world in the main. I think this is true but it didn't fall out of the sky. Long before most of ye were born, in practically every major city and every country in Africa and Asia, there were Irish missionaries doing charitable and educational work amongst the locals. That's where our good reputation has come from, it's not from the tiger-fuelled Celtic cubs of more recent times or multi-zillionaire property tycoons that have laid us low.
But, why would you be interested in hearing that? It's all black and white to you, isn't it?
Not sure if this has been referenced already but Huffingtonpost has highlighted this survey especially with regard to Ireland.
Religiosity Plummets In Ireland And Declines Worldwide; Atheism On The Rise
Rocked in recent years by sex-abuse scandals and crises in leadership, the Catholic Church in the Republic of Ireland has been struggling to keep its members close.
But this week, a new global survey on faith and atheism has revealed that the crisis of faith in Ireland may be much worse than previously thought.
According to the poll released by WIN-Gallup International, the traditionally Catholic country has seen one of the steepest drops worldwide in religiosity.
Don't see why anyone should be enjoying themselves at my expense and me not there.
In 2012 we are still subject to hearing the angelus being played on RTE our national broadcaster. Really isn't it time that this stopped.
Religion is a matter of personal conscience and prayer a private matter. It is hardly appropriate for the state broadcaster to promote the prayer of one particular Christian grouping twice a day.
So let’s do something about it. Over the next couple of months I am going to try and organise a campaign to stop the angelus on RTE. Anyone want to help?
my e-mail is {kieran DOT osullivan AT ireland DOT com}
Remove the {} and DOT = Full Stop = .
Hear, hear. About damned time the jingle bells were removed from the national broadcaster. I find it one of the more depressing reminders of Ireland's less than illustrious past....
You forgot the 'brainwashing'. Weird that 99% of the people who moan about the 'brainwashing' in catholic schools obviously went through the process themselves, but managed to resist.
Took me about 10 years to break free of the brainwashing after leaving school.
The fact that these people don't believe in your mumbo-jumbo doesn't justify exposing them to such nonsense in the first place. It's a waste of time, resources and no doubt leaves an (unhelpful) psychological impression...
EDIT: Scratch ''unhelpful impression'' and subsititute ''confusion,self-hating, responsibility dodging, anti-human'' crap
'My Mumbo-jumbo' ? I'm not a believer, never was. Never saw some old priest as a threat to my mental stability either.
If the RC Church was engaged in brainwashing, they were surely the most inept brainwashers in history.
178Likes