Less than half of Irish people consider themselves religious

dttq · 07-08-2012 07:54PM

Dave! wrote: »

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/survey-claims-many-irish-people-are-questioning-faith-562085.html

http://www.newstalk.ie/2012/news/ireland-drops-in-religious-countries-survey/

Interesting!

Would like to know more about the details of this survey, but it seems to be only reported on 3 news sites at the moment.

Good news, let's get working on the other half now.

dttq · 07-08-2012 07:58PM

AnonoBoy wrote: »

"I'm not religious like but shure I still go to Mass the odd time like just to be sure like."

You forgot to add "I go to mass every Sunday to be seen, yet act in every way contrary to the teachings of Christ during my weekly musings and ramblings with everyday ordinary people when I'm not under the spotlight of the priest or fellow mass-goers".

dttq · 07-08-2012 08:02PM

Knex. wrote: »

It's like in Terry Pratchett novels, the atheists are too afraid to say that they're atheist in case the get smited by the Gods.

:pac:

It's often nothing to do with been smited the gods, and more to do with what Mary and Joe down the road will think, that a lot of people never let their true feelings on the matter be known publicly.

Stompbox · 07-08-2012 08:07PM

Zoria wrote: »

Perhaps the answer lies within the question. As Ireland grew more prosperous religion wasn't something they thought much about, and if they did they were less likely to feel bad about their lack of faith. Regarding poorer countries being more religious, I think faith and hope are tightly bound on that one.

Your argument depends on whether or not we equate 'being religious' with 'believing in the existence of a God'.

Your theory is possibly the cause. I'd wager that it has more to with the improvement in education that is a by-product of our prosperity.

dttq · 07-08-2012 08:08PM

robp wrote: »

The Dark Ages? That mythical perception of a period of history that only now survives in the endless exaggeration in Internet forums? I am completely digressing but I'm just tired of history being abused.

Mythical? You are aware that the church tortured "unbelievers", and condemned women as witches to be burnt at the stake for having believes the church disapproved of. Attempt to casually disregard the history of the church and treatment of those non-adherents all you like, but historical fact and documentation of torture and killings speak for themselves, more-so than any contemporary internet ramblings ever could. And it's important not to forget that the church today is a lot less powerless than in centuries past. I honestly wouldn't put it past someone with the frame of mind ofPope Benedict XVI to burn witches and persecute unbelievers, providing he had the power to do so, without the force of the modern state and national laws, born through the enlightenment preventing him from doing so.

paddyandy · 07-08-2012 08:20PM

And the half that are'nt religious might spend a while watching Dr. Raymond Moody's vids. on u tube .There is stronger stuff on the net ....

Zoria · 07-08-2012 08:24PM

Stompbox wrote: »

I'd wager that it has more to with the improvement in education that is a by-product of our prosperity.

I agree with both in fact.

John Doe1 · 07-08-2012 08:32PM

The benefits of giving grants for 3rd level education:D

Colmustard · 07-08-2012 08:38PM

Catholics Jews Moslems atheists sure aren't we all Christians anyway.

paddyandy · 07-08-2012 11:51PM

Colmustard wrote: »

Catholics Jews Moslems atheists sure aren't we all Christians anyway.

A Minestrone of everything most of them .

mauzo · 07-08-2012 11:54PM

Ill be shot for this, I consider myself Catholic and religious. I havent been to mass in years. I stopped going for personal reasons but I am planning on going again in the near future.

Here's where I sound crazy (and even crazier for knowing it sounds crazy)....

But no matter what life throws at me, I automatically jump to religion. Sh*t hits the fan and I find myself praying. It really does get me through hard times.

You can tell me it would have happened anyway, and I dont believe in any of that horse crap on psychics and the other world etc, but I genuinely believe in God.

*nutcase*

amadain17 · 08-08-2012 08:38AM

"I dont believe in any of that horse crap on psychics and the other world etc, but I genuinely believe in God"

Do you mind me asking why you believe that a god exists? There is as much evidence for the existence of god as there is for leprechauns. The old testament part of the bible has been shown incorrect (no global flood, no garden of eden, languages did not evolve from a tower building tribe). As for the new testament - nobody who ever met jesus wrote anything down (you think miracle workers would merit a few words from one of their contemporaries). The earliest gospel written was at least 20 years after the alleged death of Jesus and was most probably written in 70ad (~40 years after the alleged death). The Romans, a military power, saw no advantage in a person who could cure wounded, resurrect dead soldiers and feed armies with no more than a few loaves and fishes. The new testament gospels differ in accounts (all 4 resurrection stories are different) and besides resurrection was commonplace (lazarus resurrected and not one extra-biblical account of this was ever found). The Romans had historians throughout the empire and we have many accounts of different events in the empire coming from roman contemporaries of Jesus but not one of them even put 2 words together about this miracle worker. The entire christian religion is built on a foundation of sand. Knowing all this (check it out) why would you believe in the existence of god?

Duggys Housemate · 09-08-2012 11:50AM

dttq wrote: »

Mythical? You are aware that the church tortured "unbelievers", and condemned women as witches to be burnt at the stake for having believes the church disapproved of. Attempt to casually disregard the history of the church and treatment of those non-adherents all you like, but historical fact and documentation of torture and killings speak for themselves, more-so than any contemporary internet ramblings ever could. And it's important not to forget that the church today is a lot less powerless than in centuries past. I honestly wouldn't put it past someone with the frame of mind ofPope Benedict XVI to burn witches and persecute unbelievers, providing he had the power to do so, without the force of the modern state and national laws, born through the enlightenment preventing him from doing so.

Vast majority of witch burning was Protestant.

Cú Giobach · 09-08-2012 12:04PM

dttq wrote: »

Mythical? You are aware that the church tortured "unbelievers", and condemned women as witches to be burnt at the stake for having believes the church disapproved of. Attempt to casually disregard the history of the church and treatment of those non-adherents all you like, but historical fact and documentation of torture and killings speak for themselves, more-so than any contemporary internet ramblings ever could. And it's important not to forget that the church today is a lot less powerless than in centuries past. I honestly wouldn't put it past someone with the frame of mind ofPope Benedict XVI to burn witches and persecute unbelievers, providing he had the power to do so, without the force of the modern state and national laws, born through the enlightenment preventing him from doing so.

It's a common miss-conception it was just the church doing the above, when it was actually the Church and State, the two were inseparable at the time and anti-church was very much anti-state judging by the zeitgeist of the age.
As Duggys Housemate says above it went much further than just the RCC, those involved in The Salem Witch Trials for example were hardly in the thrall of the Vatican.
I personally have no fondness for religion, but I just thought I'd mention it.

Colmustard · 09-08-2012 12:10PM

Religious people p1ss me off, but atheists p1ss me off even more. I would regard myself as a non-believer but I never evangelised that. I really don't care about peoples beliefs or non-beliefs as long as they shut up about it and don't interfere with my life.

Duggys Housemate · 09-08-2012 12:18PM

Cú Giobach wrote: »

It's a common miss-conception it was just the church doing the above, when it was actually the Church and State, the two were inseparable at the time and anti-church was very much anti-state judging by the zeitgeist of the age.
As Duggys Housemate says above it went much further than just the RCC, those involved in The Salem Witch Trials for example were hardly in the thrall of the Vatican.
I personally have no fondness for religion, but I just thought I'd mention it.

Actually it is generally wrong. The first Roman Catholic encyclopical on witches is in the 15th century, around the time of the reformation and when the church is in decline in it's power. There were hundreds of laws allowing the State, or local Sherriffs to kill people, but the inquisition never ran in the UK, or Ireland.

People also over-estimate the power of the Church, the Barons and Kings were more powerful, of course. English Kings often picked their own Bishops during the Catholic era; and most wars were for materialistic reasons - the wars of the history cycle in shakespeare are not religious for instance.

amadain17 · 09-08-2012 12:20PM

Colmustard wrote: »

Religious people p1ss me off, but atheists p1ss me off even more. I would regard myself as a non-believer but I never evangelised that. I really don't care about peoples beliefs or non-beliefs as long as they shut up about it and don't interfere with my life.

In Ireland we have a blasphamy law. That interferes with peoples lives. In this country the schools are predominantly religious teaching fairytales as true to young minds. That affects future generations. The church weighs in on every referendum affecting the laws of the state and everybody in it. If you don't care then why would you comment in a thread such as this. A lot of people in this thread do actually care

Duggys Housemate · 09-08-2012 12:24PM

amadain17 wrote: »

In Ireland we have a blasphamy law. That interferes with peoples lives. In this country the schools are predominantly religious teaching fairytales as true to young minds. That affects future generations. The church weighs in on every referendum affecting the laws of the state and everybody in it. If you don't care then why would you comment in a thread such as this. A lot of people in this thread do actually care

The blasphemy law doesn't ever seem to be used. Unlike the UK we have laws on the books which are not really prosecuted - the most recent trial I can think about re indecency was in London. As in yesterday. And it was Britain which persecuted both Wilde and Turning.

As for education, the Catholic education system has not convinced 50% of the population. Thats because, as we all know, the Catholic education system is not really religious.

Colmustard · 09-08-2012 12:25PM

amadain17 wrote: »

In Ireland we have a blasphamy law. That interferes with peoples lives. In this country the schools are predominantly religious teaching fairytales as true to young minds. That affects future generations. The church weighs in on every referendum affecting the laws of the state and everybody in it. If you don't care then why would you comment in a thread such as this. A lot of people in this thread do actually care

A typical atheist view, this is what I am talking about. I make a point as to my feelings and I commit a sin against the church of atheism. Forgive me.

Colmustard · 09-08-2012 12:31PM

x sorry wrong thread.

amadain17 · 09-08-2012 12:32PM

Colmustard wrote: »

A typical atheist view, this is what I am talking about. I make a point as to my feelings and I commit a sin against the church of atheism. Forgive me.

You make a point to your feelings and I respond with my feelings. Am I a figurehead now? Atheism is the lack of belief in the existence of a god or gods. For a lot of people that lack of belief came from actually looking at the available evidence. Does it really piss you off when people point out that this is no evidence to back the claims of one of the most powerful institutions in the state?

amadain17 · 09-08-2012 12:38PM

Colmustard wrote: »

A typical atheist view, this is what I am talking about. I make a point as to my feelings and I commit a sin against the church of atheism. Forgive me.

Also do you actually think that a thread entitled 'Less than half of Irish people consider themselves religious' should not contain any religious/non-religious opinions simply because opinions other than yours simply piss you off?

Colmustard · 09-08-2012 12:46PM

amadain17 wrote: »

You make a point to your feelings and I respond with my feelings. Am I a figurehead now? Atheism is the lack of belief in the existence of a god or gods. For a lot of people that lack of belief came from actually looking at the available evidence. Does it really piss you off when people point out that this is no evidence to back the claims of one of the most powerful institutions in the state?

Awwww did I offend your church are you going to have me stoned. You's are becoming more a religion everyday with your utopian dreams of a better atheistic society, you even have your celebrity saints, Dawkins, Hitchens, Fry, Pinker etc etc.

Are you one of these "spiritual" atheists, well I am not I have no spiritual beliefs, I don't believe in them.

But I agree with John Gray over Dawkin's and Pinker. Religion is in our genetic make up, it has been with us in all places for all time since modern humans evolved (probably 75,000 years ago). You place a bunch of children on a desert Island without cultural interference. they will naturally develop a form of communication and grammar, a sexuality and religion.

You can be as atheistic as you think you are but you hit your thumb with a hammer you will scream a profanity at some "imagined" deity.

scholar007 · 09-08-2012 12:47PM

I wouldn't consider myself that religious, thanks be to God!

Colmustard · 09-08-2012 12:49PM

amadain17 wrote: »

Also do you actually think that a thread entitled 'Less than half of Irish people consider themselves religious' should not contain any religious/non-religious opinions simply because opinions other than yours simply piss you off?

I believe I am allowed to express an opinion on topic in any thread in AH unless I am banned from doing so.

So now you are forming atheistic commandments.

Dyr · 09-08-2012 01:11PM

Duggys Housemate wrote: »

Vast majority of witch burning was Protestant.

Sure the Protestantism would turn anyone to witchcraft

Duggys Housemate · 09-08-2012 01:11PM

Bambi wrote: »

Sure the Protestantism would turn anyone to witchcraft

Dyr · 09-08-2012 02:12PM

Duggys Housemate wrote: »

It's mad stuff altogether, they're repressed to f**k for religious types. At least the papists let their hair down with all sorts of supernatural hijinks

Mr Benevolent · 09-08-2012 02:14PM

Dave! wrote: »

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/survey-claims-many-irish-people-are-questioning-faith-562085.html

http://www.newstalk.ie/2012/news/ireland-drops-in-religious-countries-survey/

Interesting!

Would like to know more about the details of this survey, but it seems to be only reported on 3 news sites at the moment.

Why is this interesting? Isn't it extremely obvious?

Osgoodisgood · 09-08-2012 02:19PM

Colmustard wrote: »

But I agree with John Gray over Dawkin's and Pinker. Religion is in our genetic make up

No it's really not. Catchy phrase though.

You place a bunch of children on a desert Island without cultural interference. they will naturally develop a form of communication and grammar, a sexuality and religion.

Possibly. Add a decent library to the mix however and the chislers won't be so quick to blame the sky-fairies for the lightning and thunder.

Less than half of Irish people consider themselves religious

Comments