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An Post and Religion

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    #32
    Obliq
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,371 ✭✭✭Obliq


    Ah god love ya! wrote: »
    where do we draw the line?
    FouxDaFaFa wrote: »
    They're not being rammed down your throat, just offered.
    Manach wrote: »
    If the OP see a gap in the market go for it
    endacl wrote: »
    There are bigger issues to be worrying about
    Sonics2k wrote: »
    Removing religion from schools and so is a tad bit more important than a card in a post office
    Penn wrote: »
    pick your battles.............
    Like Sonics2k said, removing religion from schools would be a battle worth fighting. An Post isn't.

    Where we (might) draw the line was answered mate :) AND what we can do about it. Get your atheist mojo on and make some cards......would be nice to have an alternative, I get that.


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    #33
    Benny_Cake
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,205 ✭✭✭Benny_Cake


    MagicMarker wrote: »
    May as well post this here.

    Does anyone know what the story is with the statue of Mary in the Ringsend Bus Depot? :confused:

    bd-pearsemary-1-620x899.jpg

    Interesting..can't find anything about it online but others asking the same question. As far as I know, that depot has been there since the 1950s and prior to that it was a tram yard I think? The statue has probably been there a long time and is retained for sentimental reasons or as a memorial for deceased staff members. All supposition on my part of course.


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    #34
    Sulla Felix
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,442 ✭✭✭Sulla Felix


    Ah god love ya! wrote: »
    I don't get why it's not ok for the church to have influence on a state body in the educational sense but it's ok if it's other senses so long as some think it ok, such as you do on this issue.
    Because some things matter more. They really do. I, and most people have a limited amount of rescources (time, energy, whatever other measure you choose).
    Also, strategically, you run the risk of alienating people on the sidelines if relatively trivial subjects are picked for scrutiny.
    The perceived harm being done by these cards is close to zero. If we, as a group of people bound only by a single criteria, were to mount an offense against the mass cards in post offices across the country we may actually succeed in getting them removed. Some of that group will then "retire", uninvolved members of the public will be fatigued by the media coverage and so forth, so when it comes time to mount the next campaign, it can actually be less effective.
    I'm probably not explaining this quite well, but there's quite a body of work behind advocacy and lobbying strategies, the primary tenet being that no group can hope to change everything all at once, so start with the most harmful and move on from there.
    Put yourself in the shoes of the audience of your proposals, ie Joe Public. How is a campaign to remove mass cards going to look? We're on the cusp in this country of changing attitudes to schooling, people are beginning to see the point. I'm not sure they'd care similarly about the mass cards and precisely because of that I think it'd engender hostility.


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    #35
    jank
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 13,018 ✭✭✭✭jank


    Ah god love ya! wrote: »
    Just to clarify; this branch is purely An Post. No shop attached.

    I wonder what their view would be if I tried to set up a stand with secular sympathy cards? I doubt I would be allowed for fear every organisation, charity and what-have-you would try the same...

    I agree, pick your battles but I can't help begrudge the special place the Catholic Church still seem to have in what should otherwise be a neutral environment.

    Don't an post sell normal cards like birthday cards, thank you cards and the like. Wouldn't they be 'secular'? WTF is a secular sympathy card anyway and why would you want to send one? Begrudge is of course the key word in your post. Australia post sell Christmas cards, easter cards and cards for Jewish holidays as well as a whole host of other things. It's a non issue and waste of time.


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    #36
    Akrasia
    Registered Users Posts: 22,335 ✭✭✭✭Akrasia


    magicbastarder wrote: »
    how the hell can you granularise a homeopathic remedy?

    actually, never mind. not much point in asking it to make sense.

    there's nothing wrong with selling dehydrated water


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    #37
    Pherekydes
    Registered Users Posts: 16,131 ✭✭✭✭Pherekydes


    jank wrote: »
    WTF is a secular sympathy card anyway and why would you want to send one?

    It's a sympathy card with no religious connotations. For people who are not religious. Straightforward, no?


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    #38
    sbsquarepants
    Registered Users Posts: 11,812 ✭✭✭✭sbsquarepants


    Akrasia wrote: »
    there's nothing wrong with selling dehydrated water

    True. It's buying it i have a problem with!


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    #39
    endacl
    Registered Users Posts: 22,259 ✭✭✭✭endacl


    sbsquarepants wrote: »
    True. It's buying it i have a problem with!
    http://www.buydehydratedwater.com/


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    #40
    kylith
    Registered Users Posts: 17,736 ✭✭✭✭kylith


    endacl wrote: »
    Can't be homeopathic if its snake oil. Snake oil contains snake oil. No room for water.

    :)

    It could be homeopathic snake oil; 1 drop of snake oil dissolved in all the water on the planet.


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    #41
    recedite
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,993 ✭✭✭✭recedite


    Ah god love ya! wrote: »
    Just to clarify; this branch is purely An Post. No shop attached.....
    I agree, pick your battles but I can't help begrudge the special place the Catholic Church still seem to have in what should otherwise be a neutral environment.
    +1. If this was a subcontractor who was running their own shop, they could sell whatever nick knacks they liked. But if its a semi state agency it should be religiously neutral.
    People are making a mistake in this thread when they assume Mass cards are just like any other goods for sale. They are not, the card itself is not what is being sold. The card is simply a receipt to say a prayer has been purchased. It's a religious fundraiser, equivalent to selling "indulgences" in the old days.

    By comparison, if scientologists tried to use An Post as a collection agency for payment of some imaginary service that would be "delivered" later, they would rightly be thrown out of the premises. So this is an example of the RCC receiving preferential treatment, simply because they have a tradition of legitimacy among the people.
    Having said that, just because An Post are wrong in allowing this, does not mean that it is wise for secularist campaigners to launch a big campaign against the practice, as some posters have already pointed out.


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    #42
    Ah god love ya!
    Registered Users Posts: 27 ✭Ah god love ya!


    Doesn't have to be a campaign. Why not even just raise the topic with an email? An Post management ain't going to want to be seen as anything other than unbiased and fair to all in society.

    This is what An Post has to say:
    An Post do not sell mass cards as part of our official product range. We do not favour or act on behalf of any religious institution. Our policy would be to respect everybody's right to practice any religion or none as they so choose. We would deal with every and any religious organisation who wish to avail of our services, in a courteous and respectful manner regardless of their beliefs. We do not profit from the sale of any kind of greeting card unless it is posted with us and the appropriate fee is paid for the service.
    So, Santry (Omni) must be in breach of official An Post policy then...


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    #43
    endacl
    Registered Users Posts: 22,259 ✭✭✭✭endacl


    kylith wrote: »
    It could be homeopathic snake oil; 1 drop of snake oil dissolved in all the water on the planet.

    Ah, you'd need more water than that!


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    #44
    swampgas
    Registered Users Posts: 3,540 ✭✭✭swampgas


    MagicMarker wrote: »
    May as well post this here.

    Does anyone know what the story is with the statue of Mary in the Ringsend Bus Depot? :confused:

    bd-pearsemary-1-620x899.jpg

    Is that Mary with a set of rosary beads? What does she say when she gets to all those Hail Marys - "Hail me, mother of God, blessed am I among women" ?


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    #45
    endacl
    Registered Users Posts: 22,259 ✭✭✭✭endacl


    swampgas wrote: »
    Is that Mary with a set of rosary beads? What does she say when she gets to all those Hail Marys - "Hail me, mother of God, blessed am I among women" ?

    Nope. Mary was a Buddhist. Those are Buddhist prayer beads, not catholic prayer beads!


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    #46
    Sarky
    Closed Accounts Posts: 31,967 ✭✭✭✭Sarky


    Maybe those beads aren't, ahem, for prayer? >_>


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    #47
    endacl
    Registered Users Posts: 22,259 ✭✭✭✭endacl


    Sarky wrote: »
    Maybe those beads aren't, ahem, for prayer? >_>
    Don't be ridiculous. Who's name would she call out while using them?


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    #48
    L1011
    Registered Users Posts: 68,116 ✭✭✭✭L1011


    Ah god love ya! wrote: »
    Just to clarify; this branch is purely An Post. No shop attached.

    Still very likely a private business operating under contract. There's very very few non-central post offices owned by An Post.

    If an An Post-owned office was selling them I'd be rightly annoyed but I'm fairly certain this one isn't theirs.

    Your other option in Santry is to use Santry Avenue PO :eek:


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    #49
    Geomy
    Registered Users Posts: 1,296 ✭✭✭Geomy


    Whatever you do stay away from rural post offices, you might get rightly offended.

    Do ye remember those dirty cartoon postcards from the 80s, down in my local shop they were placed right beside the mass card's.

    As kid's we'd alway s go in have a look for a giggle lol

    Those were the day's


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