Party and candidate replies to secular policy questions

Michael Nugent

Atheist Ireland and the Humanist Association of Ireland are asking voters to vote for candidates who support secular policies in the General Election on Friday.

You can read a summary of the replies from parties and candidates to the six secular policy questions we sent them, and a summary of secular policies in the party manifestos, on the Atheist Ireland website.

How did the parties and candidates reply to our questions on secular policies?

Rev Hellfire

I'll have to be honest and say at this stage the secular credentials of the various parties and politicians are so far down my list of priorities they effectively don't count.

Its a shame in a way, but with the economy in tatters and people having very real concerns about the roofs over their heads it just doesn't seem that important right now. I suspect I'm not alone in that regard.

ShooterSF

Rev Hellfire wrote: »

I'll have to be honest and say at this stage the secular credentials of the various parties and politicians are so far down my list of priorities they effectively don't count.

Its a shame in a way, but with the economy in tatters and people having very real concerns about the roofs over their heads it just doesn't seem that important right now. I suspect I'm not alone in that regard.

I'm sure you're not. I myself though have decided to vote on social issues and as much as I can't stand Labour's economic policies their's seems to most likeable, followed strangely by other left wing partiers. Shame liberals.ie never took off...
The way I see it our ability to make economic decisions will be heavily hampered by those we owe money and I'd rather not have Fine Gael total control over social issues.

robindch

Not so sure. In my experience, a question about the candidate's views on church control of schools will indicate fairly quickly whether we're going to agree on anything else. Gerry Adams aside, of course.

BTW, I got speaking to Hugh Sheehy the other day outside my local Tesco. From a few minutes' chat, I'd say that he's the kind of guy who'd fit into this forum quite well. He did mention that he'd been contacted by Michael Nugent, so I suggested he should get back to him. His answers are at the top of this page:

http://www.atheist.ie/information/2011-general-election/dublin-south-east/

...and while I don't agree with all of them, they are the kind of fairly thoughtful, measured responses that other candidates seem reluctant to publish.

Bottle_of_Smoke

Though the workers party and Sinn Fein gave the best responses tbh. And even at that the workers party one was superior. Funnily enough the workers party evolved from the Official IRA/Official Sinn Fein who referred to he provos as ''the rosary brigade'' in the early 70s

Rev Hellfire

robindch wrote: »

http://www.atheist.ie/information/2011-general-election/dublin-south-east/

...and while I don't agree with all of them, they are the kind of fairly thoughtful, measured responses that other candidates seem reluctant to publish.

He seems more pragmatic than most, based solely on those responses.

panda100

I agree with Robindch and Shooter.

I really dislike the way this election has just focused on economic agendas. Personally, I disagree that the best society's and countries to live in are those with the most money to splash around. Even during the boom years, Ireland was a massively inequitable place to live with high incidences of emotional distress, depression, suicide and inequality. I don't think economic agenda and the ruthful arrogance of capitalism should supersede people's chance to live a fulfilled life.

Anyways, totally going of the point....I agree with Robindch that someones views on religious domination of our health services and education, speaks volumes about their outlook for a modern, progressive Ireland.

sink

Clare Daly of the socialist party was they most representative of my views in my area. However we're polls apart economically and her views on religion and secularisation will not sway me to vote for her.

panda100

sink wrote: »

Clare Daly of the socialist party was they most representative of my views in my area. However we're polls apart economically and her views on religion and secularisation will not sway me to vote for her.

Ah thats so unfair, I would love to vote for Clare Daly, but have no one to vote for here down in West Limerick!!

ShooterSF

I would hope though you don't equate capitalism with the social backwardness of this country. Sure the two may have been happening at the same time but I can't see why we can't have a socially liberal paradise powered by a free market capitalist economy.

There in though lies my (and a seemingly surprisingly large portion of A&A posters) problem when it comes to who to vote for as no party seems to fit both.

Dev 17

Some replies weren't even answered at all. If you put a fair question to a politician and if they can't give a straight honest answer in writing, probably not worth voting for them even if you do agree with them in other areas.

Then you get replies like this:

Thank you for your email. I am a deeply committed catholic and a deeply spiritual person. I have many reasons for this. If I should have had no belief in God, then my demise would have come about many years ago. I have had four miraculous interventions in my life. At each point I was faced with imminent death. There is nothing in this world which could change my belief.

Because of its importance to me I would love to give the same hope and trust that I have to everyone. It has fulfilled my existence so much that I cannot imagine life without God. I feel that people who do not share in God’s grace as much as I do miss so much happiness.

Because of my love for everyone I promise you that I will spend a considerable amount of time in prayer for you and your organisation. I will be asking God for enlightenment for you.

Edmund Butler could agree with you 100% on every social and economic policy but after reading this there is no chance of me or any like minded person voting for him.

Nailz

They should have sent the questions to the Christian Solidarity Party for the craic of it.

TheStickyBandit

A big thanks to the OP for highlighting this!
Im now a lot happier with my choice of candidate!

panda100

Nailz wrote: »

They should have sent the questions to the Christian Solidarity Party for the craic of it.

We can see what we're missing out on with this classic video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgmamxyUZ7I

Rev Hellfire

Rev Hellfire wrote: »

I'll have to be honest and say at this stage the secular credentials of the various parties and politicians are so far down my list of priorities they effectively don't count.

I think it's very important that we leave the vestige of Catholic Ireland behind forever. Perhaps it's just me, but I want to vomit every time I think of stereotypical, backwards FF/FG believers running the country; their mentality is very much still in the 50s and they have little capacity for progressive thought or embracing science. There is just something about them which makes my skin crawl.

dcmraad

Deleted User wrote: »

I think it's very important that we leave the vestige of Catholic Ireland behind forever. Perhaps it's just me, but I want to vomit every time I think of stereotypical, backwards FF/FG believers running the country; their mentality is very much still in the 50s and they have little capacity for progressive thought or embracing science. There is just something about them which makes my skin crawl.

well said.

Labour want to leave the church alone.

Sinn fein want to remove every trace of it (brilliant)

no one else called to my house, actually FF called but i was too busy telling them that "you <EXPLETIVE-DELETED>" should never be allowed in power again, we didn't get to discuss anything else.

.

Don't want Sinn Féin in power either. :pac::pac::pac::pac::pac:

ChocolateSauce

Well it looks like Sinn Fein are the party which socially and economically most closely matches my own ideals. I had no idea they were so pro-secular.

And to think until just 3 months ago they were anathema to me.

robindch

Don't be tempted

panda100

Lots of atheists winning seats, Joe Higgins, Eamon Gilmore, Clare Daly, Ming Flanagan ........They may have to scrap the prayers before the start of the dail sessions

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

Did SWP/PBPA have anything to say at all?

Galvasean

Nailz wrote: »

They should have sent the questions to the Christian Solidarity Party for the craic of it.

No seats in 2007. No seats in 2011. No fear of them getting any influence so. They had a candidate in my constituency in 07. None this year. Same for Sinn Fein actually.

As Panda100 said, I wonder if they'll have to scrap the prayer considering the amount of non-believers getting elected.

Zombrex

looks like Ivana Bacik has failed to get elected in Dun Laoghaire

Galvasean

Wicknight wrote: »

looks like Ivana Bacik has failed to get elected in Dun Laoghaire

Won't complain. Atheism doesn't excuse sexism.

robindch

Looks like it, but on the plus side it seems likely that her transfers will put Richard Boyd Barret of the Monster Raving Loony "People Before Profit" in front of Mary Hanafin.

Zombrex

robindch wrote: »

Looks like it, but on the plus side it seems likely that her transfers will put Richard Boyd Barret of the Monster Raving Loony "People Before Profit" in front of Mary Hanafin.

Democracy, the least worst system we have

PDN

Wicknight wrote: »

looks like Ivana Bacik has failed to get elected in Dun Laoghaire

But Luke Ming Flanaghan got himself elected without the help of either God or of Atheist Ireland.

I would ask him how he managed it, but he was probably too stoned to remember.

strobe

PDN wrote: »

I would ask him how he managed it

By being honest, consistent, forward thinking, articulate, intelligent, progressive and basically an all round decent human being.

It's radical I know... :pac:

panda100

Delighted that Mary Hanafin lost her seat as she made a big push for a Catholic pro-life vote in the last two weeks of her campaign. There was lots of scare mongering in that constituency over Richard Boyd Barrett atheism and pro choice views, so Hanafin getting ousted is a big two fingers up to the RC church.