Conor Lenihan launches Humanism Ireland

[freedomlover]

Interesting report in today's Irish Times:

Humanists unite for all-Ireland journal.

The launch of a new all-Ireland humanist magazine is very welcome at a time when much dialogue is taking place North and South of the Border, the Minister for Integration, Conor Lenihan, said yesterday. Launching Humanism Ireland, which brings together journals that were previously published separately by Southern and Northern humanists, Mr Lenihan noted the changed make-up of Irish society in recent years.

Yesterday's launch at Buswells Hotel in Dublin also heard from former Labour Party minister Justin Keating, who is president of the Humanist Association of Ireland. In his address, he estimated that perhaps 10 per cent of Ireland's population - or about 500,000 people - is made up of atheists, agnostics and "that part of the population defined elsewhere in Europe as practising but not believing".

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/irelan ... 70578.html

My only interest in this is the role of Conor Lenihan. If he is a Humanist and was there in his private capacity, then I have no objection. He can do what he likes in his spare time, as can all Humanists. The Irish Times report doesn't make it clear if he was there in his private capacity or not. But, obviously, if he was, my criticism of him doesn't apply.

However, I'd object strongly if he was there in his official capacity. Its not the job of a Minister of State to launch Humanism Ireland. If a Minister of State in his official capacity was to launch a magazine entitled Catholicism Ireland, Evangelicanism Ireland, Creationism Ireland, Opus Dei Ireland or similar, the anti-religious media would be up in arms about the blurring of the lines between Church and State. But, because its atheism that's being promoted, a Minister of State can go and lend his assistance and utter his words of welcome, secure in the knowlege that the media will not have a word of criticism to make.

[lostexpectation]

I bet minister open religious things all the time, I doubt he's a humanist just there as minister for education trying tio highlight the under represented.

[The Collective.]

Humanism isnt a religion. Its an ambigous philosophy.

[O'Flanagan]

So is Conor Lenihan a humanist, or simply acting upon a commitment to religious freedom?

[mairteenpak]

I don't know of many humanists who are hypocrites

[Joe Ryan]

I cannot understand the relevence of this thread. The president is regularly invited to religous functions and speaks in her capacity as president at such. No one suggests that she is promoting a philosohical agenda by doing so, Is a minister not entitled to do the same ?

[Solipsist]

I don't know of many humanists who are hypocrites

Dawkins?

[Slartibuckfast]

Whys he a hypocrite?

[RBinge]

Shock horror, freedomlover slates FF minister.

Of course, would it be the case that Minister Lenihan advocates a freedom that freedomlover doesn't want others to have?

Not everyone who cries "Freedom" wants you to be free.

[goosebump]

However, I'd object strongly if he was there in his official capacity.

Why? He wasn't bestowing any preferential treatment on them.

Would you strongly object to Brian Cowen going to a funeral in his capacity as Taoiseach and blessing himself?

Its not the job of a Minister of State to launch Humanism Ireland. If a Minister of State in his official capacity was to launch a magazine entitled Catholicism Ireland, Evangelicanism Ireland, Creationism Ireland, Opus Dei Ireland or similar, the anti-religious media would be up in arms about the blurring of the lines between Church and State. But, because its atheism that's being promoted, a Minister of State can go and lend his assistance and utter his words of welcome, secure in the knowlege that the media will not have a word of criticism to make.

There's nothing preventing any Minister launching a religious magazine. If they choose not to do so because if the media that's their own look out.

Anyway, Humanism is not a religion, whereas Catholicism is, so if the Minister was spending *undue* official time with Catholic bodies the media would be right to raise the issue.