Increase in people identifying as having No Religion

Peregrinus

robindch wrote: »

The RCC and our good friends, the Ionanists, use this information to justify their continued control of a significant amount of state-funded services - mostly schools and hospitals - the two refuges of the uninformed + the gullible and the sick + the receptive.

I don't think you can object to the gathering of data on the basis that someone is going to misuse the data. That's a dangerous road to go down. Your objection should be to the misuse of the data.

As for the suggestion that the decline in Catholic practice should be accompanied by a decline in Catholic identification and isn't, and therefore the identification figure must be wrong, no. You're basing that on an unevidenced and unexamined assumption that Catholic identity rests on Catholic practice, and you're ignoring abundant evidence from other countries that this need not be so, and frequently is not so. A substantial gap between denominational identification and denominational practice is common, and can persist for generations. The fact that we see such a gap emerging in Ireland does nothing to suggest that the denominational identification figures in Ireland are wrong. It suggests, rather, that Ireland is moving towards what is normal for secularised western societies.

You may not like the fact that Catholic identity does not conform to your preconceptions about what it should be, but the purpose of the census is not to confirm your worldview, and when you find the evidence challenges your worldview the proper response is not to try and skew the evidence until it confirms your worldview, but to reevaluate your worldview.

beauf

robindch wrote: »

...justify their continued control of a significant amount of state-funded services ...

Those are Govt decisions. They don't have to align themselves with any particular religion. That they do suggests there is other influence in the boards and the Govt themselves.

Its interesting to see the make up the boards in this situation.
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/i-cant-remain-a-member-of-a-board-that-is-so-blind-dr-peter-boylan-resigns-from-national-maternity-hospital-board-35659149.html

robindch

magicbastarder wrote: »

he made a joke, someone took it seriously, so he mentioned 'it was just a joke', and gets a warning?

Not a warning, just a finger-wag which - in retrospect - was misplaced given the post history :rolleyes:

PopePalpatine

Imagine making Ruth Coppinger look like the rational one in a debate - well, Michael "Walking Kerryman Joke" Healy-Rae did just that on The Last Word on Tuesday, regurgitating the same old Catholic majoritarian arguments over the enforcement of Catholic prayers in the Dail.

Pherekydes

"This is a Catholic country..."

Professional gob****e.

robindch

PopePalpatine wrote: »

[...] Michael "Walking Kerryman Joke" Healy-Rae did just that on The Last Word on Tuesday, regurgitating the same old Catholic majoritarian arguments [...]

The two Healy-Rae's showed up at a family funeral two weeks ago in Kerry, kyaps in hand, sombre look on the faces, younger guy first to check the lay of the land, then older brother to convey their condolences and press the live flesh.

We wasted no time in directing them to Popette who detained each clown for for fifteen minutes each on the evils of abortion and the gheys.

It was the least we could have done.

beauf

Politics is populist. That ain't changing.