how many atheists live here now

allisbleak

I would love to know how many atheists live here now.

Its gotta be more than 20% of the population. I have never seen more written against the church and its followers than in the last year.

The fact that the times happily runs polls asking if the church should be removed from schooling our most vunerable assets. We also have a situation where the church hierarchy are self detonating.

A leader with balls would have removed them from power after the ryan report, and launched an investigation into every single diocese instead of the pathetic response from Biffo.

How many of our government are in cahoots with the biggest auctioner of stolen children, and the largest paedophile ring the world has ever known.

MistyCheese

12, maybe 12 and a half.

Sharpshooter

Moved from AHs.

Biggins

You won't get a very accurate figure.
Some will still put down "Catholic" on the next national census for a number of reasons including stigma, saving face, family history, etc...

lugha

allisbleak wrote: »

I would love to know how many atheists live here now.

Its gotta be more than 20% of the population. I have never seen more written against the church and its followers than in the last year.

It's the conduct of the leaders rather than the followers that bothers most of us.

allisbleak wrote: »

We also have a situation where the church hierarchy are self detonating.

If only.

Daftendirekt

FYI, the CC can't really be removed from power, since other than the influence it still exerts over its 'flock', it doesn't have any real power to be removed from. That's if you exclude its control over our educational system anyway.

allisbleak

Biggins wrote: »

You won't get a very accurate figure.
Some will still put down "Catholic" on the next national census for a number of reasons including stigma, saving face, family history, etc...

you know thats scary.

however i know a 36 year old woman that has a boyfriend who has a 12 year old child, and her parents do not agree with this because of god, and have broken them up several times. is this insane nowadays.

they can forgive the church for the raping, killing and selling of children.

allisbleak

Daftendirekt wrote: »

FYI, the CC can't really be removed from power, since other than the influence it still exerts over its 'flock', it doesn't have any real power to be removed from. That's if you exclude its control over our educational system anyway.

sure thats not enough power on its own then is it?.

we live in the 21st century and they are still dictating policy

Daftendirekt

allisbleak wrote: »

sure thats not enough power on its own then is it?.

we live in the 21st century and they are still dictating policy

Well, I'll admit that the power it has over our educational system is far more than it should have, but to be honest, I can't see that situation lasting forever.

Don't know about them dictating policy though... Have any examples?

eoin5

Biggins wrote: »

You won't get a very accurate figure.
Some will still put down "Catholic" on the next national census for a number of reasons including stigma, saving face, family history, etc...

Don't forget that mammy fills out the census form for a lot of young people who might care about the census about as much as they care about god.

iUseVi

eoin5 wrote: »

Don't forget that mammy fills out the census form for a lot of young people who might care about the census about as much as they care about god.

Yeah. And theres no doubt that theres a ton more atheists in terms of proportion in the younger generation. Only a handful of people in my college class of 70 are religious, thats anecdotal I know...

Xluna

259,084 people (6.11% of the population) stated they were atheists, agnostics, had no religion or did not state their religion.[3]

allisbleak

Xluna wrote: »

259,084 people (6.11% of the population) stated they were atheists, agnostics, had no religion or did not state their religion.[3]

All children under 18 should not be included as religious in the census

If you cannot vote, or join the army before 18 then how are you supposed to have picked a religion.

Dades

Remember that dissatisfaction with the catholic, or any church, does not automatically make someone an atheist.

The census stats are the only official ones we have. However for the reasons mentioned above, I don't believe they are representative at all. The next census should make for very interesting reading, though the 'mammy effect' will continue to skew the results.

allisbleak

Dades wrote: »

Remember that dissatisfaction with the catholic, or any church, does not automatically make someone an atheist.

The census stats are the only official ones we have. However for the reasons mentioned above, I don't believe they are representative at all. The next census should make for very interesting reading, though the 'mammy effect' will continue to skew the results.

Then there needs to be a rule that each individual fills in their own form

liamw

The thing is, if you take all those cafeteria Christians that tick the box, but only go to Mass on specific occasions and couldn't quote you a verse from the Bible and added them to the agnostic/atheist category (which they really are) then I reckon you would see something like 98%...

Dades

allisbleak wrote: »

Then there needs to be a rule that each individual fills in their own form

Unfortunately that rule is unenforceable, or fails due to inevitable parental pressure on their kids.

allisbleak

Dades wrote: »

Unfortunately that rule is unenforceable, or fails due to inevitable parental pressure on their kids.

Then I invoke law 8

allisbleak wrote: »

All children under 18 should not be included as religious in the census.

If you cannot vote, or join the army before 18 then how are you supposed to have picked a religion.

Dades

A noble thought, sir!

But given our school system I don't think the State agrees with the notion that children aren't ready to become good Irish catholics.

GLaDOS

Using that logic (And it is logical) they'd have to stop baptisms for under 18s, which there isn't a chance of happening.

I'd say there's a huge portion of lapsed Catholics, more than proper Catholics or conscious atheists/agnostics

seamus

allisbleak wrote: »

Then there needs to be a rule that each individual fills in their own form

But even that can't account for the Mammy guilt where people will attend Mass, take communion and put themselves down as "Roman Catholic" despite being atheist because Mammy would kill them if she found out.

iUseVi

seamus wrote: »

But even that can't account for the Mammy guilt where people will attend Mass, take communion and put themselves down as "Roman Catholic" despite being atheist because Mammy would kill them if she found out.

Yes and I cannot stress enough how strong this effect is. To my friends and random people I say "I am an atheist". To my mother I am " *cough*well....you know...I have doubts *cough*". She knows I'm atheist really, but it makes her feel better if I don't say it.

Galvasean

allisbleak wrote: »

Then there needs to be a rule that each individual fills in their own form

It's actually a criminal offense too lie on the census form.
My mammy is going to jail.

My excuse is that I was in college in another county when the form arrived. What's everybody elses?

Dades

Galvasean wrote: »

My mammy is going to jail.

Well statistically she was always more likely to go to jail than you, given she's a Christian.

GLaDOS

When is the next census anyway?

toiletduck

It's definitely more than indicated in the census. And more than the couple of hundred figure thrown around by the likes of David Quinn. I mean honestly...

muppet26

CIA worldfact book, note the word fact states that Ireland is 87.4% catholic, 2.9% church of ireland, 1.9% other christian, other religions 2.1%, 2.5% unspecified religion and 4.2% none, none might not mean atheist of course so from these figures, not a lot of atheists in Ireland I would think.

Permabear

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Permabear

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Turtwig

donegalfella wrote: »

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True. Religion still has a strong dominance over society that admitting my atheism would be to lose all credibility. It stinks, but people only listen to your logic if they trust your motives and beliefs.

iUseVi

donegalfella wrote: »

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Interesting thanks. Although....the typical Ryan Tubridy audience member...yeah not a social demographic I tend to identify with. Just goes to show how bad personal experience is with this kind of thing. Most of my friends are atheists but all that means is that I get along with that kind of person.

seamus

donegalfella wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

My wife hates filling out forms, so I'm confident that I'll be completing this in our house.

Do you reckon my testicles are worth putting her down as "Lapsed Catholic"?

Dades

seamus wrote: »

Do you reckon my testicles are worth putting her down as "Lapsed Catholic"?

Take it for Team "A". :pac:

Bduffman

Dades wrote: »

Remember that dissatisfaction with the catholic, or any church, does not automatically make someone an atheist.

True - but also remember that simply ticking the catholic box on a census form does not make you a catholic either.

herbiemcc

I wonder is it possible that a lot of people will go back to church going when they get older. A lot of people as they get into their 30's start to appreciate getting a seat in a nightclub. Some people in their 40's start thinking "you know, daniel o'donnell isn't that bad".

Maybe when they hit 40's/50's they fall back into religious ways just to come full circle.

It's true that college years are the peak for thinking new thoughts then after that we slip into 'parent mode'.

Just a thought - hopefully nonsense.

Dades

A lot of older people belong to the last real generation of catholics, or they go out of habit. Any random mass I've been to in the last couple of years has been full of 50+ or non-nationals.

Of course there were young people too - families even. But the take-up of one's parents religion can't be anything like it was a few decades ago.

Ghost Buster

herbiemcc wrote: »

I wonder is it possible that a lot of people will go back to church going when they get older. A lot of people as they get into their 30's start to appreciate getting a seat in a nightclub. Some people in their 40's start thinking "you know, daniel o'donnell isn't that bad".

Maybe when they hit 40's/50's they fall back into religious ways just to come full circle.

It's true that college years are the peak for thinking new thoughts then after that we slip into 'parent mode'.

Just a thought - hopefully nonsense.

Maybe not nonsense but hopefully so. Ive been a lapsed catholic since about 1989, agnsotic since about 1995 and finally settled on atheist in the last 5 years or so. I did the "Countmeout.ie thing this year and Im 39. HOWEVER!! My 68 year old Mother in law has just sent off her countmeout.ie letter!:D

Daftendirekt

Ghost Buster wrote: »

HOWEVER!! My 68 year old Mother in law has just sent off her countmeout.ie letter!:D

Awesome :pac:

DogmaticLefty

She'll be wailing for a priest on her deathbed.

Dades

DogmaticLefty wrote: »

She'll be wailing for a priest on her deathbed.

Look, enough is enough, we've had our fun over the last few days, but it's time to get back on track.

No more off topic or provocative remarks if you plan on staying about. We do like opposite opinions here - but only if people are genuinely willing to engage.

So now you know.

Ghost Buster

DogmaticLefty wrote: »

She'll be wailing for a priest on her deathbed.

As a prodestant raised now Wiccan priestess i dont think so. Hope she turns you into a toad though.:mad::D

Daftendirekt

DogmaticLefty wrote: »

She'll be wailing for a priest on her deathbed.

Somewhat unlikely.

MikeC101

herbiemcc wrote: »

I wonder is it possible that a lot of people will go back to church going when they get older. A lot of people as they get into their 30's start to appreciate getting a seat in a nightclub. Some people in their 40's start thinking "you know, daniel o'donnell isn't that bad".

Maybe when they hit 40's/50's they fall back into religious ways just to come full circle.

It's true that college years are the peak for thinking new thoughts then after that we slip into 'parent mode'.

Just a thought - hopefully nonsense.

I think it's a possibility. Added to the factors you've given, I'm inclined to think that in a family where one parent is an atheist and the other isn't, and given our school system, there's going to be more pressure to raise children to be religious than not.

I could be wrong, but from a personal perspective, if I was raising a child with a partner who believed in a god, and wanted to do the religious stuff, baptism, communion and so on, I don't think I'd put up much of a fight against it.

I would encourage the child to think for themselves in every possible way, and let come to their own conclusions, at whatever age, and I wouldn't keep my own opinion hidden or anything. And if they choose to follow a religion, so be it, I suppose. They might be happier.

Then again I suppose I can't say for sure until I'm in the situation.

Rb

MikeC101 wrote: »

I think it's a possibility. Added to the factors you've given, I'm inclined to think that in a family where one parent is an atheist and the other isn't, and given our school system, there's going to be more pressure to raise children to be religious than not.

I could be wrong, but from a personal perspective, if I was raising a child with a partner who believed in a god, and wanted to do the religious stuff, baptism, communion and so on, I don't think I'd put up much of a fight against it.

I would encourage the child to think for themselves in every possible way, and let come to their own conclusions, at whatever age, and I wouldn't keep my own opinion hidden or anything. And if they choose to follow a religion, so be it, I suppose. They might be happier.

Then again I suppose I can't say for sure until I'm in the situation.

I'll disown my children if they ever bring "God" into my house.

Same as I would if they came back preaching the good book of Xenu.

Irlandese

allisbleak wrote: »

I would love to know how many atheists live here now.

Its gotta be more than 20% of the population. I have never seen more written against the church and its followers than in the last year.

The fact that the times happily runs polls asking if the church should be removed from schooling our most vunerable assets. We also have a situation where the church hierarchy are self detonating.

A leader with balls would have removed them from power after the ryan report, and launched an investigation into every single diocese instead of the pathetic response from Biffo.

How many of our government are in cahoots with the biggest auctioner of stolen children, and the largest paedophile ring the world has ever known.

Good questions.
You know the church refused to let the census people include a response option of "non-believer"? There is still time to lobby your TDs to have some "values-free" response options included in the next census. That would really blow a hole in the myth that more than 90% of us are "catholics". Sweet Jesus. It is more like 5%, but they use the lie to control this sad little theocracy, as a breeding ground for sweet little children's naked bodies and supine tax-payers led by politicians who are also members of Opus Dei, Cruseo or the Knights of Columbanus.

Irlandese

allisbleak wrote: »

I would love to know how many atheists live here now.

Its gotta be more than 20% of the population. I have never seen more written against the church and its followers than in the last year.

The fact that the times happily runs polls asking if the church should be removed from schooling our most vunerable assets. We also have a situation where the church hierarchy are self detonating.

A leader with balls would have removed them from power after the ryan report, and launched an investigation into every single diocese instead of the pathetic response from Biffo.

How many of our government are in cahoots with the biggest auctioner of stolen children, and the largest paedophile ring the world has ever known.

I just checked.
The next census will be done in 2011.
The central statistics office does it.
It takes a long time to get them to change questions.
It is rumoured that two or maybe three senior civil servants involved are members
of Opus dei, so unless someone knows a great way to mobilise public opinion, we haven't a chance in hell of changing the questions designed to push us all into saying we are catholics.

DogmaticLefty

Irlandese wrote: »

I just checked.
The next census will be done in 2011.
The central statistics office does it.
It takes a long time to get them to change questions.
It is rumoured that two or maybe three senior civil servants involved are members
of Opus dei, so unless someone knows a great way to mobilise public opinion, we haven't a chance in hell of changing the questions designed to push us all into saying we are catholics.

ChocolateSauce

Rb wrote: »

I'll disown my children if they ever bring "God" into my house.

Same as I would if they came back preaching the good book of Xenu.

Shouldn't you try to convince them of your side first? And then if that fails, accept them for who they are?

I wouldn't be happy if my children became bible bashers, but I wouldn't disown them unless they started murdering abortion doctors.

allisbleak

iUseVi wrote: »

Interesting thanks. Although....the typical Ryan Tubridy audience member...

Dear Mr Dawkins, I would like to apologise for Mr Tubridys behaviour. He is a useless interviewer. I feel embarassed as an Irishperson watching that audience reaction. Thank GOD for Jimmy Carr.

"If we are all gods children then why is jesus so special"

Bduffman wrote: »

True - but also remember that simply ticking the catholic box on a census form does not make you a catholic either.

Most catholics are not actual catholics, they seem to believe they can part believe.

herbiemcc wrote: »

I wonder is it possible that a lot of people will go back to church going when they get older.

NO, once you understand the bible is fictional, and the odds are 1 in 7 people are correct about their choice of religion, the whole belief system collapses like a house of cards built on quicksand.

DogmaticLefty wrote: »

She'll be wailing for a priest on her deathbed.

This is just not funny on any level.

MikeC101 wrote: »

I could be wrong, but from a personal perspective, if I was raising a child with a partner who believed in a god, and wanted to do the religious stuff, baptism, communion and so on, I don't think I'd put up much of a fight against it.

I would encourage the child to think for themselves in every possible way, and let come to their own conclusions, at whatever age.

This is a cop out. Religion is a delusion. You cannot have it both ways.

Children cannot tell the difference in teaching between an actual subject based on reality (maths or english) and fiction (religion or astrology) if they are thought both the same way from the age of 5.

ChocolateSauce wrote: »

Shouldn't you try to convince them of your side first? And then if that fails, accept them for who they are?

I wouldn't be happy if my children became bible bashers, but I wouldn't disown them unless they started murdering abortion doctors.

Its simple. No religion in schools.

keano_afc

allisbleak wrote: »

Dear Mr Dawkins, I would like to apologise for Mr Tubridys behaviour. He is a useless interviewer. I feel embarassed as an Irishperson watching that audience reaction. Thank GOD for Jimmy Carr.

The ironing is delicious.

ChocolateSauce

allisbleak wrote: »

Its simple. No religion in schools.

That subject is irrelevant to my point, or to the point I was replying to.