Senator Ronan Mullen, what say you now?

[west'sawake]

The main reason people view Senator Mullen as a catholic senator is that he owes his election to a constitution within the NUI that William Binchy assisted in creating which is focused on viewing a number of social issues primarily a dictated by the church's position, whether that is divorce, abortion, gay marriage whatever. And in his own case he was, for the 2007 election, able to draw on the active support of various specific issue groups e.g pro-life etc across the country to canvass for him directly. Something that is very hard to do, he owes his election to this constituency and he continues to be their candidate. Hence the interest and description.

That is true but I still object strongly to this sense of 'lets take him out', my main point is the latent and at times hysterical and inverse reactionary forces that hate Catholicism and simply cannot tolerate anyone who dares remain philosophically a Catholic. Scratch under the surface of the new establishment and we find that a stifling authoritarian Catholicism has been replaced by a frenzied secular fundamentalism, contemptuous of Catholicism full stop, and ostrich like in its denial of any good that many many good men and women in the Church did and simply unwilling or unable to engage intellectually with those who hold the Catholic position.

I sit on the Board of Management of a Church of Ireland School and work in a Catholic school and I will fight tooth and nail to retain denominational education because I see a soulless, purely utilitarian and reductionist approach for what it is, more doctrinaire than post Vatican II Catholicism, more ideologically driven and without imagination; and I'll be damned if cowardly, arrogant, and a morally suspect Hierarchy are going to be euphorically used by idealogues to mould our children in their own ideological image. Parent power is a lot more powerful than a discredited and useless Hierarchy and Ruairi Quinn knows this which is why he was quick to try and put in a pre-emptive strike and talk about rightwing Catholic lay organisations.

Mullen get off your arse, hold your courage and shut some of these guys up. Even if it's not your fault that no one has come looking for you on the airwaves.

[Cato]

That is true but I still object strongly to this sense of 'lets take him out', my main point is the latent and at times hysterical and inverse reactionary forces that hate Catholicism and simply cannot tolerate anyone who dares remain philosophically a Catholic.
Scratch under the surface of in the new establishment and we find that a stifling authoritarian Catholicism hasbeen replaced by a frenzied secular fundamentalism, contemptuous of Catholicism full stop, and ostrich like in its denial of any good that many many good men and women in the Church did and simply unwilling or unable to engage intellectually with those who hold the Catholic position.

I sit on the Board of Management of a Church of Ireland School and work in a Catholic school and I will fight tooth and nail to retain denominational education because I see a soulless, purely utilitarian and reductionist approach for what it is, every bit as doctrinaire, ideologically driven and without imagination; and I'll be damned if cowardly, arrogant, and a morally suspect Hierarchy are going to used by idealogues to mould our children in their own idealogical image. Parent power is a lot more powerful than a discredited and useless Hierarchy

Mullen get off your arse, hold your courage and shut some of these guys up. Even if it's not your fault that no one has come looking for you on the airwaves.

If nothing else I admire your passion and conviction, but would respectfully disagree with some of the points above. I wonder if you can guess which ones.

(By the way, I view utilitarianism, as an ethical doctrine, with revulsion.

[liamfoley]

He's a senator because an awful lot of priests, monks and nuns are entitled to vote as graduates of NUI Maynooth.

O my God, what sort of a backward country lets people like that vote!

[Cato]

O my God, what sort of a backward country lets people like that vote!

In fairness, don't knock the monks. I have a lot of time for the monks in Glenstal Abbey. A more civilized and peaceful place one would be pushed to find.

[bayern]

He is a real throwback to the past, specifically De Valera's Ireland of the 50's. Not knocking his politics but he comes across so snarmy and self-righteous, bet he was an altar boy or a school prefect!

[west'sawake]

If nothing else I admire your passion and conviction, but would respectfully disagree with some of the points above. I wonder if you can guess which ones.

(By the way, I view utilitarianism, as an ethical doctrine, with revulsion.

Cato,

I don't know because with your good self, considering your alias and your never failing to surprise, the words of Churchill come to mind 'an enigma, wrapped up in a mystery, tied up in puzzle'! So surprise me!

[west'sawake]

In fairness, don't knock the monks. I have a lot of time for the monks in Glenstal Abbey. A more civilized and peaceful place one would be pushed to find.

See Cato, this is why I always read your posts, am I psychic or what!

(I have a great wit of a friend who once riposted to me that 'no, you're not psychic but septic'. The best friends are those who can make us laugh while cutting us down to size at the same time)

[Free to Prosper]

Fair enough, I'm not an examiner fan, but I think you'd know by now that I don't concur with [[Ronan Mullen]] on everything indeed I think he is coy about his Catholicism, and like Breda O Brien thinks he can be seen as the reasonable voice with facts, figures, a barrister's brain and loads of empiricial support, ditto Iona, who let's face it have made practically no progress thus far in warding off a radical social agenda. (Unfortunately). The irony is that they are still labelled and put into the rightwing and neo con box anyway, though to be fair to Ronan Mullen, David Quinn has been a much greater apologist for the Neo Con cause (but since those WMD were never found we haven't heard much on that front since!)

+1
Nail, head.

[Cato]

Cato,

I don't know because with your good self, considering your alias and your never failing to surprise, the words of Churchill come to mind 'an enigma, wrapped up in a mystery, tied up in puzzle'! So surprise me!

Well on the ethical front I'm an old fashioned eudaemon-virtue ethicist, of the species Stoic. So the last thing I should do would be to introduce utilitarianism into our schools. I should rather they stay as they are then that.

I do, however, think that while comparative religion should be taught during the normal school day, that specific religious instruction/indoctrination should take place at the end of the school day for those who wish for it. Those who don't should be allowed off home. (I am talking about secondary schools here.) I should love to see philosophy (including the church men) become a regular subject in our schools. I could go on but you probably can get my drift.

[west'sawake]

+1
Nail, head.

Don't you call me 'nailhead', just cause I like spikes and want to look young again, (like our Cherubic Senator)