Humanist Association of Ireland

Irish Humanism

Hello fellow Atheists and Agnostics!
I hope this is ok with the mods.
www.humanism.ie has just been re-designed.
It contains a lot of info that is of relevance to Irish atheists, agnostics and free thinkers etc. We have some info on humanist ceremonies and the current dialogue with the government. It also contains info on events the humanist society is running. There is also a link to this discussion forum in the links section.

I hope the mods don't mind the plug. It's a volunteer's organisation and we are aiming to get amongst other things equal rights for atheist and agnostics in this state.

Kind Regards

limerick_woody

Well it gets my vote as the dullest website of all-time...

Sangre

Its still only a theory...

20goto10

Site looks good. I'd like more info on your funerals but it asks for a login to Joomla.

It bugs me to think that when I'm gone I'll be given a catholic funeral with people praying to save my soul from damnation (sorry to be morbid this hour of the morning!).

A couple of things that bug me though....would a person using your services be called a Humanist or is it simply a title for your organisation? I'm just me, I don't want to be branded anything else.

Where can I get info on your ceremonies without signing up to Joomla (whatever that is)?

Dades

Irish Humanism wrote: »

I hope the mods don't mind the plug. It's a volunteer's organisation and we are aiming to get amongst other things equal rights for atheist and agnostics in this state.

No problem. Have put a link in our "Related Links" sticky also.

And as a web developer of 10+ years, I for one like the clean lines and ease of use of your new site.

Zillah

Yay! Welcome.

You spelled "perogative" and "assembly" incorrectly on the front page.

ChocolateSauce

I must say that I don't see the point of the poll "is humanism important". It would be so hoplessly lop-sided as to be irrelevant due to most traffic being the type of people who would say yes, it is important.

limerick_woody

And as a web developer of 10+ years, I for one like the clean lines and ease of use of your new site

kiss kiss...

Zombrex

limerick_woody wrote: »

Well it gets my vote as the dullest website of all-time...

yeah, where are the naked chicks and the videos of men getting hit in the testicles ... i mean what is the point of being a humanist if you cannot revel in immorality

Weidii

This interests me, though I'm fairly against organised religion and anything that wants you to donate money. It'd be nice to be able to count the number of "free thinkers" out there so we can prove to ourselves (and everyone else) that we're not a minority.

lostexpectation

when was the meeting with the cabinet

Fanny Cradock

Weidii wrote: »

This interests me, though I'm fairly against organised religion and anything that wants you to donate money.

You probably don't want to visit the donations page of the humanist association of Ireland then.

Out of curiosity, what exactly defines a 'free thinker'? Presumably rejecting the notion of spiritual agents is key.

DapperGent

I think the phrase "free thinker" fairly well defines itself.

ChocolateSauce

Fanny Cradock wrote: »

You probably don't want to visit the donations page of the humanist association of Ireland then.

Out of curiosity, what exactly defines a 'free thinker'? Presumably rejecting the notion of spiritual agents is key.

I would suggest a freethinker is someone who is able to view the world, in their day to day lives, without having to refer to an external source for guidance.

A very broad description, but it excludes anyone who relys on religion for guidance.

bus77

ChocolateSauce wrote: »

I would suggest a freethinker is someone who is able to view the world, in their day to day lives, without having to refer to an external source for guidance.

No traffic lights in a humanist world then?

You deluded fools, you'll doom us all!

Dades

limerick_woody wrote: »

kiss kiss...

... my ass.

Fanny Cradock

DapperGent wrote: »

I think the phrase "free thinker" fairly well defines itself.

Yeah, thanks for clearing that one up.

Zombrex

Fanny Cradock wrote: »

You probably don't want to visit the donations page of the humanist association of Ireland then.

Out of curiosity, what exactly defines a 'free thinker'? Presumably rejecting the notion of spiritual agents is key.

i think they mean evaluating something irrespective of one's own personal desires for a particular outcome. the freedom to evaluate something independently of wishes that one particular position be true, even independently of oneself and one's own internal influences.

I think a lot of religious people actually recognize this which is why they often try and paint humanists and atheists as desiring a selfish immoral life in an effort to come up with a bias for why they wouldn't accept a particular religion.

Fanny Cradock

Thank you for that, WN

Rev Hellfire

For the love of all that is holy or unholy lose the retina burning green !

Personally I don't get the whole humanist thing, nor the reason it seems to be associated with agnostics and atheists.

Dades

Rev Hellfire wrote: »

Personally I don't get the whole humanist thing, nor the reason it seems to be associated with agnostics and atheists.

If by "get" you mean understand what it's about - you must be trying pretty damn hard not to get it.

Humanism is an ethical philosophy of life, based on a concern for humanity, which combines reason with compassion. It is for people who base their interpretation of existence on the evidence of the natural world and its evolution, and not on belief in a supernatural power.

And considering the above definition from their homepage, the link between agnostics and atheists seems reasonably apparent to me.

Rev Hellfire

Perhaps its just me, but it seems to me to be an attempt of 'feel-good' secularism. Secularism isn't a dirty word which is the undercurrent I get from proponents of it.

For example humanist ceremonies seem to me to be just civil ceremonies dressed up, what's the point.

Different horse for different courses I guess.

Dades

If you think of the pains we go to here to explain how being atheist requires no common world views or attitudes other than disbelief in gods, then there is an obvious scope for an organisation of such individuals who wish to be actively part of something positive.

Also, I'm sure there are many obvious practical or political necessities for such an organisation to exist.

Irish Humanism

There are humanist societies in most countries. Most of them sign up to the Amsterdam declaration and they are active in some cases all the way up to the UN.

Humanist societies exist for a number of reasons:
* Equal rights. You should not be descriminated against because you don't have a religion or don't believe in a God.
* Philosophical reasons. Just like the Skeptics society facilitates the meeting up of like minded people, has some interesting speakers and all sorts of other stuff, the humanist society would also exist.

Other members would have their other reasons, but speaking for myself one very important reason to me is that I would value morality and try to live an ethical life. I do think caring about human suffering and using reason to lesson it, is very very important. I do not feel atheism alone, even though I am very much an atheist, represents this part of my belief system.

As for the comment about ceremonies. The Civil ceremony is secular but the solemniser is from the HSE and will only do the ceremony Mon - Fri, in certain places. It all depends what you want and what you feel represents your own beliefs.

Zombrex

Rev Hellfire wrote: »

For example humanist ceremonies seem to me to be just civil ceremonies dressed up, what's the point.

Well a lot of people like getting dressed up I imagine. Not everyone wants to get married in the rotting pre-fab of the local registry office :pac:

lostexpectation

Irish Humanism wrote: »

Other members would have their other reasons, but speaking for myself one very important reason to me is that I would value morality and try to live an ethical life. I do think caring about human suffering and using reason to lesson it, is very very important. I do not feel atheism alone, even though I am very much an atheist,represents this part of my belief system.

thats cos it doesn't try to, it takes them as a given.

DesignLady

Hope no one minds me re-igniting an old thread but I have a few questions about the Humanist Association. I've considered membership a few times but I don't know anyone actually involved and I just want to get a feel for the association.

I'm curious about average membership age. Is it dominated by militant atheists? (Not literally of course but I think everyone knows what I mean). I would be going to the monthly meetings on my own. I could probably convince a friend but I doubt any of them would be comfortable. So do people arrive in groups? How welcoming is it to new people. (Honest answers please!)

I guess I'm just looking for general impressions.

Thanks

Zillah

DesignLady wrote: »

Is it dominated by militant atheists? (Not literally of course but I think everyone knows what I mean).

*glances up from half made pipe bomb*

Er, yes. Not literally of course.

DesignLady

Zillah wrote: »

*glances up from half made pipe bomb*

Er, yes. Not literally of course.

See I try to keep that sort of thing for the second Sunday of the month and I don't want my weekends to be too same-y

Zombrex

DesignLady wrote: »

Hope no one minds me re-igniting an old thread but I have a few questions about the Humanist Association. I've considered membership a few times but I don't know anyone actually involved and I just want to get a feel for the association.

I'm curious about average membership age. Is it dominated by militant atheists? (Not literally of course but I think everyone knows what I mean). I would be going to the monthly meetings on my own. I could probably convince a friend but I doubt any of them would be comfortable. So do people arrive in groups? How welcoming is it to new people. (Honest answers please!)

I guess I'm just looking for general impressions.

Thanks

*cough*he is asking is it a good place to meet girls...*cough* :pac:

kiffer

Wicknight wrote: »

*cough*he is asking is it a good place to meet girls...*cough* :pac:

DesignLady sounds like a female name... so that should maybe be he is asking is it a good place to meet people (boys or girls, what ever floats your boat) ...

and she has good questions... are there any answers forthcoming?

Húrin

ChocolateSauce wrote: »

I would suggest a freethinker is someone who is able to view the world, in their day to day lives, without having to refer to an external source for guidance.

That excludes everyone.

Wicknight wrote: »

i think they mean evaluating something irrespective of one's own personal desires for a particular outcome. the freedom to evaluate something independently of wishes that one particular position be true, even independently of oneself and one's own internal influences.

I think a lot of religious people actually recognize this which is why they often try and paint humanists and atheists as desiring a selfish immoral life in an effort to come up with a bias for why they wouldn't accept a particular religion.

Both Marx's explanation of religion (it exists because it makes some people feel better) and its inverse (atheism exists because it makes some people feel better to live in a non-teleological world) are plausible.

DesignLady

kiffer wrote: »

DesignLady sounds like a female name... so that should maybe be he is asking is it a good place to meet people (boys or girls, what ever floats your boat) ...

and she has good questions... are there any answers forthcoming?

Not my intention to go looking for men (boys, pah!):p When I lived in London I loved going to the theatre but could never interest my friends in the plays I wanted to see so I heard about a theatre group and went along to meet up. Being in my twenties, I was the youngest by about 40 years and almost everyone else was a retired English teacher and there was one very strange German man who didn't speak or understand much English (we were going to see a Midsummers Nights Dream so English is useful in that circumstance). Very awkward small talk about 'youth these days' during the interval. Went back to solo theatre trips. Just trying to avoid the same sort of senario. Especially since there is a membership fee!

Denerick

I'm half tempted to bring a legal case against the founder of this website for usurping the noble name of 'Humanism' for some silly religious and/or political agenda.

Overblood

Denerick wrote: »

I'm half tempted to bring a legal case against the founder of this website for usurping the noble name of 'Humanism' for some silly religious and/or political agenda.

Good luck with that. Keep us updated.

Dades

Denerick wrote: »

I'm half tempted to bring a legal case against the founder of this website for usurping the noble name of 'Humanism' for some silly religious and/or political agenda.

Which website? The HAI one?

Whatcha on about.

pts

Denerick wrote: »

I'm half tempted to bring a legal case against the founder of this website for usurping the noble name of 'Humanism' for some silly religious and/or political agenda.

After you're finished with that I suggest http://www.god.ie/ as you're next target

Goduznt Xzst

pts wrote: »

After you're finished with that I suggest http://www.god.ie/ as you're next target

lol... wtf.ie

btw, really loving the new design of the HAI website and the change in direction towards their manifesto

http://www.hai.ie/

Bride2012

Is this site closed down now?

I'm trying to source information on a humanist wedding but can't contact them.

Dades

It seems we're next port of call for frustrated humanists!

I'm sure their site is only temporarily down to due to some technical/human glitch.

ShooterSF

Dades wrote: »

It seems we're next port of call for frustrated humanists!

I'm sure their site is only temporarily down to due to some technical/human glitch.

/Act of God