Your thoughts on defection.

Vomit

Maybe someone from atheist.ie could start a facebook group reminding everyone to fill out the census form properly. I'd bet heavily on there being tonnes of non-believers.

El_Duderino 09

Tim Robbins wrote: »

I don't agree. If the Church got a bombardment of letters (I think they've got about 7,000) and the majority of these letters references the abuse scandals, they would have to get up off their *rse and do something more meaningful as a response to Murphy and Ryan. Instead their response has been pathetic. Because they know they have enough hypocrites, holy joes and apathetic people to keep their power base. They also know that even when there is a very good process for defecting that they majority of people couldn't be *rsed which tells them in their own perverse way they still have power over everyone bar a small percentage of heathens.

True their response was pathetic. Their power base is aging though. Some people my age believe in it. Most dont care and plenty disbelieve. If all the disbelievers defected they would have to think about their future power base.

You say 'small percentage of heathens' I disagree. I think it is a significant persentage take the age group 20-30 (parents of tomorrow) for example. What percentage would you think are atheist? I will resist the urge to throw out spurious numbers, but surely its considerable. (i wonder if the numbers looked right would they pack up and ship out like Dell did?)

More to the point my PP had never had anyone come to him to defect. I couldt believe it. after all that has happened, and all the means to become educated out of belief. he had never spoken to anyone in the parish except the old biddies who laugh at his jokes before he even tells them. i think it is useful to tell them how the rest of us feel about them.

Dawkins talks about the protected status of religion. It is protected in ireland. my mother kept asking me to put it off for a few weeks to think about it. i know she doesnt actually believe it but she still was saddened by my defection. When i asked her to discuss it wit me she wouldnt, or couldnt. i think she didnt have the words because she had never had a discussion like it before.

I do think its worth doing to raise the level of discussion and remove the protected status, if nothing else

Dades

Tim Robbins wrote: »

I don't agree. If the Church got a bombardment of letters (I think they've got about 7,000) and the majority of these letters references the abuse scandals, they would have to get up off their *rse and do something more meaningful as a response to Murphy and Ryan.

Hmmm, like what meaningful thing would they do? As witnessed by the Pope's response the last thing you'd expect would be complete honesty, and he calls the shots.

Dades

Vomit wrote: »

Maybe someone from atheist.ie could start a facebook group reminding everyone to fill out the census form properly. I'd bet heavily on there being tonnes of non-believers.

That is a truly excellent idea. A campaign that goes straight to the correct demographic too.

Too early now (groups need to be current), but this time next year that Facebook Group is a must.

/makes note in diary

Xluna

Could'nt be arsed tbh.

Tim Robbins

Dades wrote: »

Hmmm, like what meaningful thing would they do? As witnessed by the Pope's response the last thing you'd expect would be complete honesty, and he calls the shots.

They could have cleared out more Priests / Bishops. Given more power to laity. Plenty of things.

If thousands of people defected it would put huge pressure on them. Imagine the media getting getting into it and blowing it up even more.

It would put more pressure on the government to have civil wedding ceremonies on Saturdays and come up with something for all the heathens and defectors when they die. Because the defectors can't get a Catholic funneral whereas the people who people who tick no in the census box can and I suspect many do.

No doubt, people who tick non-religious in census have gone a bit further than the non-practisiing catholics who for some bizarre reason still tick it. People who take the time out to defect go even further.

The letters that people write will also be very good historical references why people left. Imagine in a 1,000 years time when historians are writing about the demise of superstition and the RC church.

Tim Robbins

Dades wrote: »

That is a truly excellent idea. A campaign that goes straight to the correct demographic too.

Too early now (groups need to be current), but this time next year that Facebook Group is a must.

/makes note in diary

+1

Vomit

Dades wrote: »

That is a truly excellent idea. A campaign that goes straight to the correct demographic too.

Too early now (groups need to be current), but this time next year that Facebook Group is a must.

/makes note in diary

And why even stop there? What about ad campaigns in bus/train stations? Seriously, our accurate completion of the census could be one of the strongest messages we ever send out to the world. We have a relatively small population..we can make these things happen.

Just imagine a headline like, "Ireland 67% non-religious"