Category Archives: News

Church and schools: the public speak

By Atheist Ireland | Published: January 30, 2010

In an ‘Irish Times’ survey this week, 61 per cent of people said the Catholic Church should cede control of primary schools – and 28 per cent said it should not. ROSITA BOLAND talks to people in Portlaoise and Dublin, to explore the attitudes behind the statistics

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BLASPHEMY: Oonagh Young Gallery Exhibition Launch on Friday

By Atheist Ireland | Published: January 27, 2010

The exhibition “Blasphemy” will be launched on Friday evening 6 – 8pm at the Oonagh Young Gallery as a response to the Blasphemy Laws.

On Wednesday 10th the gallery will host a showing of the 1967 film Rocky Road to Dublin which was essentially banned for it’s portrayal of aspects of clerical domination in Irish culture.

Press release follows:

DAVID GODBOLD + FACTOTUM + NEVAN LEHART + PAUL MURNAGHAN
+ ROCKY ROAD TO DUBLIN (Wednesday 10th February 7pm)
Curated by Mary Cremin & Oonagh Young

PREVIEW 29.01.10 6 – 8PM
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Also posted in Blasphemy, Politics | 3 Comments

Madden leaves Church over failure of bishops to resign

By Atheist Ireland | Published: January 18, 2010

Via The Irish Times

The first person in Ireland to have gone public – in 1995 – about his abuse by a Catholic priest has formally left the Catholic Church.

Andrew Madden, who was abused when an altar boy in Cabra parish in Dublin by Ivan Payne, wrote to the Dublin archdiocese before Christmas saying he wished to leave the Church. He received notice of his “cessation of church membership by formal act of defection. . .” from church authorities last week.

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Irish blasphemy law being used as a lever by Islamic countries

By Atheist Ireland | Published: January 10, 2010

Via the UK National Secular Society

The Freedom of Expression pressure group Article 19 has expressed concern that the Irish blasphemy legislation is being used by Islamic countries to demand an international “defamation of religion” law.

The submissions on defamation of religions brought by Pakistan on behalf of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) before the UN Ad Hoc Committee on the Elaboration of Complementary Standards (Ad Hoc Committee) adopted the exact wording of the provisions of Irish legislation on blasphemous libel contained in that country’s Defamation Act, passed in July 2009. This clearly shows that the Irish legislation is being used to legitimise the proposals of Pakistan and the OIC to establish defamation of religion as a principle of international law.

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Atheist Ireland Publishes 25 Blasphemous Quotes

By Atheist Ireland | Published: January 1, 2010

From today, 1 January 2010, the new Irish blasphemy law becomes operational, and we begin our campaign to have it repealed. Blasphemy is now a crime punishable by a €25,000 fine.

In response, we have published a list of 25 blasphemous quotes, which have previously been published by or uttered by or attributed to Jesus Christ, Muhammad, Mark Twain, Tom Lehrer, Randy Newman, James Kirkup, Monty Python, Rev Ian Paisley, Conor Cruise O’Brien, Frank Zappa, Salman Rushdie, Bjork, Amanda Donohoe, George Carlin, Paul Woodfull, Jerry Springer the Opera, Tim Minchin, Richard Dawkins, Pope Benedict XVI, Christopher Hitchens, PZ Myers, Ian O’Doherty, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor and Dermot Ahern.

You can read the quotes on the website here:

http://blasphemy.ie/2010/01/01/atheist-ireland-publishes-25-blasphemous-quotes/

Have your say on our forum:

http://www.atheist.ie/phpBB3/

Happy New Year.

Also posted in Blasphemy, Politics, Religion | 18 Comments

Report by Commission of Investigation into Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin

By Atheist Ireland | Published: November 27, 2009

Report by Commission of Investigation into the handling by Church and State authorities of allegations and suspicions of child abuse against clerics of the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin.

http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/PB09000504

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Extraordinary General Meeting: Education Policy

By Atheist Ireland | Published: November 27, 2009

On Saturday 28th of November Atheist Ireland will hold an extraordinary general meeting to discuss & vote on our education policy. The meeting will briefly establish where Ireland is now as regards religion in education. It will then focus on what we would specifically like to see replacing faith-based schools.

If you would like to give us feedback before the meeting, please reply or post your comments on our forum:

http://www.atheist.ie/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=2837

Venue: Holiday Inn, Pearse Street
Date: Saturday, 28th November
Time: 2pm – 6pm

We hope to see as many of you as possible there.

Also posted in Education | 1 Comment

Dylan Evans to speak to UCC Atheists

By Atheist Ireland | Published: October 8, 2009

Dr. Dylan Evans will address a meeting organised by the UCC Atheists on Tuesday October 13th on the topic Born to Believe? Evolution, Psychology and Religion. All are welcome to attend the meeting, which starts at 7 pm in room G19 of the Kane Building.

This is the first of a number of lectures that UCC Atheists will be holding to mark the 150th anniversary of On the Origin of Species, and more generally, Darwin’s bicentenary.

Dylan Evans is the author of several popular science books, including Emotion: The Science of Sentiment (Oxford University Press, 2001), Placebo: The Belief Effect (HarperCollins, 2003), and Emotion, Evolution and Rationality (Oxford University Press, 2004). He writes regularly for The Guardian.

Posted in News | 3 Comments

Michael Nugent to speak at TCD Theological Society

By Atheist Ireland | Published: October 8, 2009

Atheist Ireland chairperson Michael Nugent will speak to the TCD Theological Society on Monday October 12th on the topic Reading the Bible as an Argument for Atheism. The meeting starts at 7 pm in the Chamber, GMB.

Atheist Ireland actively encourages people to read the Christian Bible. It makes many assertions that are scientifically absurd and ethically unjust. And it undermines two key cornerstones of the Christian faith: the Ten Commandments and the story of Jesus.

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Campaign for a Secular Constitution

By Atheist Ireland | Published: October 8, 2009

Atheist Ireland is seeking your help to launch and shape a new long-term campaign with two important aims: to repeal the new Irish blasphemy law and to attain a secular Irish Constitution. Specifically, we are asking you to do three things: send us a message of support, get actively involved in shaping this project, and lobby to persuade Irish politicians to pursue these policies.

We will soon be holding public meetings around Ireland to launch this campaign. We want it to include religious and nonreligious people working together, within Ireland and with international support. The campaign has one common aim that transcends any other differences we may have: that all Irish citizens, of all beliefs and none, can live together in equality, with the State being neutral on matters of religion.

In recent decades, several independent and all-party committees (most whose members were Christians) have repeatedly called for an end to discrimination against nonreligious citizens in our Constitution. Not only has this not been done, but a new religious crime has now been created. The blasphemy law is the final straw. We need a secular Irish Constitution, and we need it now. Please help to make this happen.

Posted in News | 3 Comments