Alive! Newspaper

Chuchoter

I don't know how many of you get this through your door, but basically its a bunch of homophobic, racist bigots who are somehow allowed to publish a newspaper. As a lesbian and an atheist, I find this newspaper highly offensive and I don't want it in my house. I've rang them and told them to stop, but I keep getting the paper. How are they allowed to say what they say and how do I get rid of them?

Cabaal

Never even heard of this to be honest and by the sounds of it I'm happy I've never got such ****e through my door,

Chuchoter

They're a catholic paper, you see them at churches sometimes. This is their website but you don't really see the worst of it there
http://www.alive.ie/index.php

Cabaal

crayolastereo wrote: »

They're a catholic paper, you see them at churches sometimes. This is their website but you don't really see the worst of it there
http://www.alive.ie/index.php

Main Headline gives me an idea of the ****e they have in the rag

Women settle for less in marriage, thanks to 'pill'

:rolleyes:

looksee

We get it too, I am unimpressed by it but along with Awake and a lot of other stuff that comes through the door it goes straight into the recycling bin.

I also tried to stop the Viking catalogue that comes about twice a week, I supposedly stopped it but they still manage to sneek an odd one in, not to mention a sudden increase in emails. That one annoys me more because you have to take off the plastic cover and tear off the address before dumping it.

StormWarrior

Can't you put a sign in the window saying "No magazines, flyers, etc, anyone who deposits unwanted rubbish here will be reported for fly tipping." Or something to that effect. Aren't there any laws to stop people throwing unwanted crap into your letterbox? I personally am fed up with the millions of charity bags I get and no-one ever comes to pick them up.

ballsymchugh

to say it's a Catholic newspaper is pushing the truth too. it may be written by a Catholic (based in tallaght as far as i know) but the Church do try and distance themselves from them. it's one guy's small group and their opinions. the distributors are usually people who try to get rid of them so if you live in an apartment block with all the letterboxes beside each other it's a handy way to get rid of them all!
i tried reading it once after one of my buddies had it. i couldn't believe that he would take it that seriously. even my mother who goes to mass every day when she can knows it's nuts.

rameire

i have used a tatic that has worked for me on a few occasions.

i used to get holier than thou rubbish and kleenez stuff through the door.
what i started to do was take it from the letter box and place it just outside my door straight away.
thus when they came back to put another one in they noticed their tat sitting outside wet soggy and sun burnt.
if they did put another one through i just put that ontop of the older one.
eventually they got the message.

Miguel_Sanchez

I always thought that was a very sharp satirical publication.


Perhaps I think too much of people.

RichTea

Started a thread about it in the Christianity forum a while back.

An absolute monstrosity of a 'paper'. It's just horrific.

jimmycrackcorm

We bought a little sign from our local centra that says "No junk Mail Please" and put it on the letterbox.

looksee

But then you create a conundrum for the Awake deliverers, do they accept that their publication is junk mail, or do they consider that it is not included in the ban

Oryx

Send it back, inside a copy of something like 'Real Housewives' or 'Barely Legal' in clear packaging to:

Fr Brian McKevitt OP
Alive!,
St Mary's Priory,
Tallaght Village,
Dublin 24,
Ireland

See how he likes getting offensive material through his letterbox.

Run_to_da_hills

May I suggest you purchase one of these.

The Lovely Muffin

We get this rag too.

It goes straight into the bin.

Apollo123

OP this mightn't work as technically you're not on a mailing list but it might scare them off. My advice would be to ring up their head office. Get the name of the person who answers the phone. Tell them that as per Section 4 of the Data Protection Act 1988 you wish to be removed from their mailing list or else you will file a complaint with the Data Protection Commissioner. If they say you won't get the paper again, say "So, can you [name] confirm that I have been removed from your mailing list?". It's worth a shot .

Crann na Beatha

This post has been deleted.

the_syco

Reseal, and mark "return to sender" on it, and put it into the mailbox.

tmcw

StormWarrior wrote: »

I personally am fed up with the millions of charity bags I get and no-one ever comes to pick them up.

I used to leave these outside under the doormat, but no one comes back for them.

On the upside, I haven't had to buy bin liners for about 4 or 5 years.

monkeypants

They make excellent lining for a hamster cage. In winter, they also help light a fire.

holly_johnson

All admirable suggestions on how to recycle the paper
My fear is that my daughter will read it. She's only young and loves running to collect the post when it comes in the door.
I've had to pull it out of her hands and fire it in the bin a few times before she could read the offensive sh*te that's in it.

Benincasa

crayolastereo wrote: »

I don't know how many of you get this through your door, but basically its a bunch of homophobic, racist bigots who are somehow allowed to publish a newspaper. As a lesbian and an atheist, I find this newspaper highly offensive and I don't want it in my house. I've rang them and told them to stop, but I keep getting the paper. How are they allowed to say what they say and how do I get rid of them?

They are allowed to say what they say because, thankfully, our laws still allow free speech.

holly_johnson

Benincasa wrote: »

They are allowed to say what they say because, thankfully, our laws still allow free speech.

So are you actually saying it's accetable to have this rag delivered into the mailbox? For children to read?
It's a bigoted, incendiary and mis-informed "publication" at best.
At worst, it's a propaganda rag.
Seriously, you think this is a respectable publication, with a headline like this?

Women settle for less in marriage, thanks to 'pill' "
or
"Experts Say Kids Need Tough Love"

By all means have it in the church porch for those who want to read it, but don't shove it unwarranted through peoples letterboxes and then ignore those who contact them and ask for it to stop being delivered.

Dave!

Straight in the bin with it

Sometimes the fire

deisemum

I use it to line the floor of the hen house and put it under the perch so the hens can crap on it during the night. That's all it's fit for.

eightyfish

holly_johnson wrote: »

So are you actually saying it's accetable to have this rag delivered into the mailbox? For children to read?

Just looking through the issues on their website (slow day in work). I see a full-page anti-abortion ad with a picture of an aborted foetus.

I see many anti-gay-marriage (and in my eyes homophobic) articles disguised as articles defending traditional marriage. Homosexuality is “contrary to God’s plan for sexual love”

I see an article about child sex abuse in the church saying "Why not ask also how social workers, health boards, gardai, etc dealt with family cases of abuse; how sporting groups, youth groups, even politicians dealt with abuse in the community?" Do they not see the difference between these people and priests who are meant to be moral guardians in touch with God?

I see a ridiculous headline ‘No atheist can explain a child’s smile." and lots of stuff about the "dangers of casual sex". Not to mention their weird anti-science take on global warming, evolution, GM foods, cohabitation.

Surely this counts as hate-mail?

deisemum

eightyfish wrote: »

Just looking through the issues on their website (slow day in work). I see a full-page anti-abortion ad with a picture of an aborted foetus.

I see many anti-gay-marriage (and in my eyes homophobic) articles disguised as articles defending traditional marriage. Homosexuality is “contrary to God’s plan for sexual love”

I see an article about child sex abuse in the church saying "Why not ask also how social workers, health boards, gardai, etc dealt with family cases of abuse; how sporting groups, youth groups, even politicians dealt with abuse in the community?" Do they not see the difference between these people and priests who are meant to be moral guardians in touch with God?

I see a ridiculous headline ‘No atheist can explain a child’s smile." and lots of stuff about the "dangers of casual sex". Not to mention their weird anti-science take on global warming, evolution, GM foods, cohabitation.

Surely this counts as hate-mail?

I agree with you and see it as hate-mail.

I'd even go as far as questioning why this sort of hate mail is allowed when you take the Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act into account.

Benincasa

I didn't defend putting it in letterboxes nor did I defend everything in it or say that I even agreed with any of the content.

What I do resolutely defend is its right to exist.

Seriously, read the posts on these pages. Talk about tolerance! The comments on display here wouldn't be out of place in Nazi Germany or in the Stalinist era.

Are people here seriously advocating censorship of this paper?

holly_johnson

Benincasa wrote: »

I didn't defend putting it in letterboxes nor did I defend everything in it or say that I even agreed with any of the content.

What I do resolutely defend is its right to exist.

Seriously, read the posts on these pages. Talk about tolerance! The comments on display here wouldn't be out of place in Nazi Germany or in the Stalinist era.

Are people here seriously advocating censorship of this paper?

Nazi Germany? Stalin? Seriously? :rolleyes:

If you read my post again you'll see I said this:

By all means have it in the church porch for those who want to read it, but don't shove it unwarranted through peoples letterboxes and then ignore those who contact them and ask for it to stop being delivered.

That isn't advocating censorship. That's asking for it to be available to its target market in a suitable location. There's a difference between that and unwarranted junk mailing.

eightyfish

Benincasa wrote: »

Seriously, read the posts on these pages. Talk about tolerance! The comments on display here wouldn't be out of place in Nazi Germany or in the Stalinist era.

Are people here seriously advocating censorship of this paper?

No. They have a right to exist, of course. They DON'T have a right to post pictures of aborted foetuses and homophobic propaganda through my letterbox!

keithclancy

Benincasa wrote: »

I didn't defend putting it in letterboxes nor did I defend everything in it or say that I even agreed with any of the content.

What I do resolutely defend is its right to exist.

Seriously, read the posts on these pages. Talk about tolerance! The comments on display here wouldn't be out of place in Nazi Germany or in the Stalinist era.

Are people here seriously advocating censorship of this paper?

Isn't this going WAY off topic ?

Shouldn't it be about how to stop the junk mail coming through the door rather than the censorship/racism/homophobic issues surrounding the content ?

I get junk every so often (addressed to the previous tenant of my house) but it just goes straight in the bin, the content wouldn't even bother me tbh.

Cabaal

Problem is this is junk mail and while some people use it for bedding for chickens etc which is handy its still junk and those that have to put it in the bin have to pay to get rid of it. This is wrong considering they didn't want this ****e to begin with.

Benincasa

holly_johnson wrote: »

Nazi Germany? Stalin? Seriously? :rolleyes:

Yes, Nazi Germany and Stalinism. For sure.

My original comment relates to those who question the right of this newspaper to exist.

I never said that I defended the content, tone or method of distribution. Certainly there are those who have posted here who have only complained about receiving it in their door. I have some sympathy for them and can accept their opinion. My comments do not relate to those who hold this position.

However, there are other posters who have basically said that this paper should not be allowed to be printed and that it should be banned as hate speech or whatever.

I completely reject this proposition. And Nazism and Stalinism are very relevant: one of the forms of control that these regimes used was to ban newspapers which disagreed with their philosophy.

Such censorship doesn't become any more acceptable just because those who advocate it think that they are "liberal".

eightyfish

Benincasa wrote: »

Yes, Nazi Germany and Stalinism. For sure.

You know about Godwin's Law?

However, there are other posters who have basically said that this paper should not be allowed to be printed and that it should be banned as hate speech or whatever.

I completely reject this proposition. And Nazism and Stalinism are very relevant: one of the forms of control that these regimes used was to ban newspapers which disagreed with their philosophy.

You're correct in terms of free speech. I said it's like hate-mail. The next poster was "questioning why this sort of hate mail is allowed". Nobody said it shouldn't exist, just that it shouldn't be posted to family homes.

The comparison to Nazism is overkill.

Sleepy

Stick them in an envelope with no stamp addressed as above. That way they have to pay to get their rag delivered back to them. If enough people were to do it you might eventually hit them hard enough in the pocket to force them to stop such wanton disregard for what they stick in your letter box.

Caoimhín

While im not advocating violence in any way, I would certainly have some stern words for the people who put anything like this through my letterbox.

Benincasa

eightyfish wrote: »

YNobody said it shouldn't exist, just that it shouldn't be posted to family homes.

The comparison to Nazism is overkill.

"How are they allowed to say what they say", the first post by Crayolastereo

AND

"I'd even go as far as questioning why this sort of hate mail is allowed when you take the Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act into account" by Deisemum.

Both posts, to me, seem to me to suggest that the publication shouldn't be allowed.

If people were only saying that they didn't want it in their homes I'd agree that the Nazi reference would be overblown. But not when it comes to saying that such a publication shouldn't be allowed in the first place.

It is a simple historical fact that the nazis shut down newspapers with which the philosophically disagreed.

eightyfish

Benincasa wrote: »

"How are they allowed to say what they say", the first post by Crayolastereo

Fair enough.

Benincasa wrote: »

AND

"I'd even go as far as questioning why this sort of hate mail is allowed when you take the Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act into account" by Deisemum.

See my last post.

Chuchoter

Benincasa wrote: »

"How are they allowed to say what they say", the first post by Crayolastereo

AND

"I'd even go as far as questioning why this sort of hate mail is allowed when you take the Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act into account" by Deisemum.

Both posts, to me, seem to me to suggest that the publication shouldn't be allowed.

If people were only saying that they didn't want it in their homes I'd agree that the Nazi reference would be overblown. But not when it comes to saying that such a publication shouldn't be allowed in the first place.

It is a simple historical fact that the nazis shut down newspapers with which the philosophically disagreed.

Everyone can say whatever they want to say, offensive or not, as long as they can back it up. If there was proof the sky would fall if gay marriage or abortion were allowed they can print that rag till the cows come home. However they don't have any arguments, they just hate people who aren't like them. If they said what they say about black people as they do about gay people would you're immediate response be the same? No it wouldn't. I can't go round printing newspapers about how black people are going to eat our children and destroy society, but its ok for them to do it about me just because its their philosophy/religion? Really?!

Cabaal

Benincasa wrote: »

If people were only saying that they didn't want it in their homes I'd agree that the Nazi reference would be overblown. But not when it comes to saying that such a publication shouldn't be allowed in the first place.

So you think its ok for the publiscation to be "pushed" on people?

So does that mean the Irish times should run front page storys that black people are not as smart as white people...after all they can back it up with research (yes some people have research to say this)

No of course they wouldn't run such a front page story as they'd be crazy public backlash and backlash from numerous groups and rightly so, so why do you believe its acceptable for Alive to push this rubbish through people's letter boxes?

Do you also think that in the interest of "freedom" anybody who wants to use the word ****** to refer to black people should be allowed? After all banning the use of the word would be like the Nazi censorship by your logic

I understand your defense but in the case of Alive it just doesn't hold up

Cabaal

I find it amusing that Alive can preach that Church interference in catholic and non-catholic people's lives is ok yet government "interference" is the worst thing in the world?

All should oppose this awful Bill
THE Civil Partnership Bill is
a massive threat to our freedom.
Based on a distorted
notion of equality, it opens
the way to tyrannical interference
by the state in our lives......

Last time I checked we voted for a system of government and have a say in what it does and how it acts, the Catholic church however the normal joe has no input on any level about its decisions.

We've seen that the church doesn't give a monkeys about the average joe's view, this became clear with the Murphy & Ryan reports and people wanting bishops to resign.

whiterebel

You think Alive is bad lads, we get the cork news shoved through the door, and thats got Neil Prendeville's smarmy face on it. Now THAT should be banned......:D

deisemum

whiterebel wrote: »

You think Alive is bad lads, we get the cork news shoved through the door, and thats got Neil Prendeville's smarmy face on it. Now THAT should be banned......:D

:D:D

tatli_lokma

Oryx wrote: »

Send it back, inside a copy of something like 'Real Housewives' or 'Barely Legal' in clear packaging to:

Fr Brian McKevitt OP
Alive!,
St Mary's Priory,
Tallaght Village,
Dublin 24,
Ireland

See how he likes getting offensive material through his letterbox.

:D:D

only one problem....maybe he won't find it offensive and you'll save him a trip to get it for himself! worth the risk though. What would be more offensive to him would probably be a legitimate Gay magazine. Or a copy of cosmo with its latest sexual tips to make him last longer.....I'd say that would really irk him....:P

Caoimhín

Cabaal wrote: »

I find it amusing that Alive can preach that Church interference in catholic and non-catholic people's lives is ok yet government "interference" is the worst thing in the world?.

Cabaal, there is no point in trying to rationalise anything that these fundamentalists say or write. They are all unreasonable looneys.

Their views and tenets belong to another century, much like the Taliban.

dudara

I'm going to close this thread as I am not comfortable discussing religious issues in this forum

dudara