Catholic schools often argue that they are inclusive, and that they do their best to make all children feel included. They are correct. They do want to make all children feel included, but by this they mean included in the Catholic religion, faith, and ethos....
Religious trauma and your brain – why is it so difficult for many people to discard harmful religious beliefs? Atheist Ireland hosted Dr Darrel Ray, psychologist and president of Recovering from Religion, to give this talk at Buswells Hotel, Dublin. The Talk: Religious Trauma and...
The State still funds Catholic chaplains in ETB schools and colleges with over €10 million a year to assist Catholic parents with the faith formation of their children. That sits uneasily with how ETBs are marketed as the alternative to denominational schools. What the law...
Why is it so difficult for many people to discard harmful religious beliefs? Dr Darrel Ray, psychologist and president of Recovering from Religion, will discuss this in Buswells Hotel on Saturday 27 September at 3pm. Admission is free. The Talk: Religious Trauma and Your Brain...
Of every ten Irish people, only one now says they are religious only, three say spiritual only, and another two say they are both. Another three say they are neither, and one doesn’t know. That’s from a recent survey by Amárach for the Iona Institute....
The recent marriage figures that Atheist Ireland obtained from the CSO show that there is a major cultural shift in Irish marriages. One group with a significant increase is those who have spiritualist ceremonies. Spiritualist marriages are defined legally as religious marriages. They are counted...
Article 44.2.4 of the Constitution singles out religious instruction over the teaching of other school subjects, and makes it the responsibility of the Oireachtas, not the Executive. Article 44.2.4 makes vindicating the right to not attend religious instruction a condition of state aid to schools....
The Department of Education, and school patron bodies, are defying the Constitutional right to not attend religious instruction in publicly funded schools, as well as laws that protect that Constitutional right. In doing this, they use Circular Letters that have no statutory power and that...
Why is curriculum Religious Education a ‘core subject’ in Irish schools? Catholic and ETB schools say it is in order to uphold the religious ethos of the school. But is this necessary and proportionate to pursue this aim? Before the curriculum Religious Education course and...
The state pays out approx 10 million a year for mainly catholic chaplains in ETB schools (there are some COI chaplains). Chaplains are paid by the state to help Catholic parents with the religious formation of their children. We know this because there was a...