How secular is Sinn Fein?

[Gimpanzee]

It is becoming clearer and clearer to me that republicanism is the modern day successor to Catholicism in Ireland.

:arrow: Absolute blind faith despite the glaring inconsistencies,
:arrow: a conviction that all other political beliefs are heresy
:arrow: control freakery of the highest order.
:arrow: reverence and infalibility that the believers attach to their leaders
:arrow: religious undertones to the Hunger Strikers ('martyr's', political beatification of Bobby Sands etc..)

There is nowhere else in Irish society that I can think of where the hallmarks of the churches dominance are as evident as they are in republicanism. What is most bizarre is that the church and Sinn Fein have very different opinions. Is it simply because the Church had such an effect on the Irish psyche, that when modern republicanism arose the supporters were predisposed to acting in a similar way when they were required to show a commitment and emotional effort that wasn't required in other Irish political movements. Any ideas?

[Ireland2007]

Go away ye dopey bawstid.

[Gimpanzee]

The question was too difficult for you wasn't it?

[Defeated Romanticist]

I do remember seeing Shinners bully a Christian Union girl at Re-Freshers week in UCD. Was this the first round f the new holy war?

[inchicore_republican]

I was a member of Sinn Fein a few years ago I noticed Gerry Adams was treated like the Pope.

[merle haggard]

nobody shot him

[Halibut]

nobody shot him

Sure, but he was recently canonized.

[DublinDaze]

A thought-provoking analogy. The do seem to mimic the worst aspects of religion.

[Skin]

It is becoming clearer and clearer to me that republicanism is the modern day successor to Catholicism in Ireland.

:arrow: Absolute blind faith despite the glaring inconsistencies,

First of all, as a Catholic I dont have "blind faith" with the church. There are many issues I dont agree with such as the churches position on divorce. Considering most people in the 26 are Catholic and divorce has been legilated for, your assumption of Catholics having "blind faith" is wrong or at a very minimum thirty years out of touch.

[quote:3dtgtn8g] :arrow: a conviction that all other political beliefs are heresy

do you have examples to back up this declaration? Is it because republicans argue against others that has led you to conclude this assumption? Republicanism actually stands for the tolerance of other political beliefs.

:arrow: control freakery of the highest order.

what are you talking about??

:arrow: reverence and infalibility that the believers attach to their leaders

More bull************************.

:arrow: religious undertones to the Hunger Strikers ('martyr's', political beatification of Bobby Sands etc..)

What is the problem here?

There is nowhere else in Irish society that I can think of where the hallmarks of the churches dominance are as evident as they are in republicanism. What is most bizarre is that the church and Sinn Fein have very different opinions. Is it simply because the Church had such an effect on the Irish psyche, that when modern republicanism arose the supporters were predisposed to acting in a similar way when they were required to show a commitment and emotional effort that wasn't required in other Irish political movements. Any ideas?

[/quote:3dtgtn8g]

Yes. Time for bed young man, you've had a busy day.

[Gimpanzee]

your assumption of Catholics having "blind faith" is wrong or at a very minimum thirty years out of touch.

I was thinking of a generation before modern republicanism (which is why I said successors)- around 50 years ago.

do you have examples to back up this declaration? Is it because republicans argue against others that has led you to conclude this assumption? Republicanism actually stands for the tolerance of other political beliefs.

Examples? I'll skip the whole tolerance of unionism, and respect for the democratic mandate of the people post-treaty, and stick to something topical - how about republicans legendary tolerance towards Michael McDowell?

what are you talking about??

The change in the provisional republican movement since the early 1990's to where it is now did not come about as a result of grassroots pressure - it was directed from the top down. Do you think that was easy, or did it require a serious amount of micro-management to minimise the chances of fragmentation?


The rest of your replies are either cop-outs, insults or attempts at being a smartarse.