- Derek Walsh, Editor

Atheist Ireland News

• There are now student tickets available for the Empowering Women through Secularism conference at the dramatically reduced price of €50. Get tickets now. 
• Our Facebook page has just passed 5,000 likes. Additionally our Facebook grouphas more than 1,600 members, our Twitter account has more than 4,300 followers, and our YouTube channel has more than 2,000 subscribers and almost 200 videos. Our Kiva team has over 30 members who have raised more than $3,500 in loans.
  Many of the above are people who support our aims but are not members of Atheist Ireland. If you’d like to know more about becoming a member, here’s how and why to join.

Profile: PZ Myers

Every week until the Empowering Women through Secularism conference, we’ll be profiling one of the speakers.

Paul Zachary Myers is a professor of biology and a prolific science blogger. He has an inordinate fondness for cephalopods.
PZ (pronounced American-style “Pee Zee”) incurred the wrath of Catholics everywhere in 2008 when he “desecrated a host” (i.e. disrespected a cracker).
At the World Atheist Convention in Dublin 2011, he said something that upset David Quinn.
He claims to have written a book called The Happy Atheist  which will be published later this year.

• PZ’s blog, Pharyngula
• PZ on Twitter
• PZ discussing Islam and embryology with the IERA outside the World Atheist Convention, Dublin 2011

News Digest

compiled by Barbara Monea

IRELAND

• Battle against normalising suicide one of society’s great challenges
• Equality expert to examine if Croke Park proposals are “anti-women”
• Deputy Mulherin: Website’s advice on threesomes is ‘far from healthy’
• Ireland’s pro-choice activists risk prison with mass leafleting campaign
• Tone of bishops’ language on abortion an echo of other days

WORLD

• Francis still shuns papal quarters
• What the new Pope means for the Franks of this world
• The gay airman who took on the US military
• North Dakota outlaws most abortions
• We Were All Wrong; The True God is Polynesian
• Anglican in Angola
• Sylvia Browne: TV Psychic Under Fire For Telling Family Kidnapping Victim Was Dead
• Dalai Lama urges respect for non-religious
• Hong Kong transsexual wins fight to marry her boyfriend

SCIENCE

• Scientists want to bring 22 animals back from extinction

ANALYSIS

• Are we “getting” Islam?
• Lisa McInerney: Rape culture is a stupid, cruel response to a dark reality
• Efforts to reduce male suicide ‘mistaken’
• Archbishop Diarmuid Martin speaks of the ‘critical juncture’ of the Catholic Church
• What percentage of philosophers believe in God?

Calendar

• Monday 20 May, 8:30 pm, McSwiggans Bar and Restaurant, Woodquay, Galway (map)
  Galway Skeptics in the Pub #57.Facebook event page
• Sunday 26 May, 12:00 noon, Galway Lawn Tennis Club, Galway (map)
  Humanists West, Galway are having their monthly meeting. Open to all. Facebook event page
• Saturday 1 June, 12:00 noon – 2:00 pm, GPO, O’Connell St., Dublin 1 (map)
  Brendan Maher and co. will be outside the GPO with a stall promoting atheism, secularism and humanism. Email Brendan if you want to help or for further information.
• Sunday 2 June, 4:00 pm, Buswell’s Hotel, Molesworth St., Dublin 2 (map)
  Monthly meeting of the Humanist Association of Ireland. All are welcome. Facebook event page
• Sunday 2 June, Quay Co-op, Cork (map)
• “Confessions of an ex-Scientologist.” The Cork Humanists’ monthly meeting with guest speaker John Duignan. Facebook event page
• Saturday 29 & Sunday 30 June, O’Callaghan Alexander Hotel, Dubln 2 (map)
  “Empowering Women Through Secularism” An international two-day conference featuring some of the biggest names in atheism, skepticism, secularism and feminism. Buy tickets now

Bloggery

I had to overcome the fear of hell and God’s many other consequences and satisfy my own conscience that the source of these punishments came from Mohammed who was not a Prophet sent by God. God himself cannot punish you but the enforcers of Mohammad’s religion are the only ones carrying out the punishments when a person willingly apostates. - Geoff hosts a guest post from a now ex-Muslim

I’d never felt that I’d missed out by being an atheist, but one thing I could use is an occasional nudge away from narcissism. It’s easy to lapse into self-absorption when convinced there’s no master plan or purpose for life, let alone afterlife. - Clerical Whispers on Pope Francis as a leader for believers and atheists

- Derek Walsh, Editor

News

• Our Kiva micro-lending team has to date, raised over $US3,500 in loans for more than 130 entrepreneurs worldwide. If you haven’t already joined, remember, you can get a free loan when you sign up. Join now

Profile: Máirín de Burca

Every week until the Empowering Women through Secularism conference, we’ll be profiling one of the speakers.

Máirín de Burca is an Irish writer and activist. She was a founding member of the Irish Women’s Liberation Movement, and has been involved in numerous other social justice groups including the Dublin Housing Action Committee, the Irish Voice on Vietnam, the Anti-Apartheid movement,  the Prisoner’s Rights Organisation and lately Right to Die Ireland.
Along with Mary Anderson, she was instrumental in forcing a change in the law to enable women to serve on juries.
Her commitment to direct action meant she often found herself on the wrong side of the law, and spent three months in jail for  her anti-Vietnam war activities, specifically for smashing bottles of cow’s blood on the steps of the American embassy and burning the American flag. When Richard Nixon visited Dublin, Máirín showed her distaste by throwing eggs at his limousine, an act that earned her a fine of £2.
She and two others broke into Leinster House while protesting the Seanad’s refusal to read a bill that would have legalised contraception, and found themselves in the men’s toilets. Máirín was later involved in organising the famous “Contraception Train” action, where a group of forty-seven women travelled to Belfast to obtain the contraceptive pill which was illegal in the republic. Máirín herself did not go as she thought it would look bad for a single woman to be buying contraceptives!
Máirín has largely stayed out of trouble since the 1970s but remains a commited advocate for feminism, secularism and social justice for all.

• If there is a right to life, there must be a right to death
• An episode of RTE’s Off The Shelf featuring Máirín

Calendar

• Wednesday 15 May, 8:00 pm, Absolute Hotel, Sir Harry’s Mall, Limerick (map)
  The Mid West Humanists are meeting. As well as old and new attendees (new people always welcome) getting to talk about life as an atheist or humanist, they are continuing their plan to meet TDs in the region, on the Constitution, starting when the Blasphemy article arises in the Convention.
• Sunday 26 May, 12:00 noon, Galway Lawn Tennis Club, Galway (map)
  Humanists West, Galway are having their monthly meeting. Open to all. Facebook event page
• Sunday 2 June, Quay Co-op, Cork (map)
  “Confessions of an ex-Scientologist.” The Cork Humanists’ monthly meeting with guest speaker John Duignan. Facebook event page
• Saturday 29 & Sunday 30 June, O’Callaghan Alexander Hotel, Dubln 2 (map)
  “Empowering Women Through Secularism” An international two-day conference featuring some of the biggest names in atheism, skepticism, secularism and feminism. Buy tickets now

Blogology

“We know what the law is about excommunication, about abortion, that’s a fact.” said Brady. He has a doctorate in something called Canon law – a system of in-house rules peculiar to his institution that has no standing in the Irish state – yet he delivers his promulgations on abortion and excommunication ‘law’ without trace of irony. - Geoff examines Sean Brady’s comments on abortion.

The battle lines are being drawn up for what will be a major turning point in church and state relations in Ireland, a debate that is no doubt occupying the minds of many Fine Gael backbenchers are the moment. I think this has been a particularly important weekend which will show the waning influence of the Catholic hierarchy in Irish politics.  - Michael Fisher also looks at Brady, abortion and the separation of church and state.

I couldn’t even begin to explain just how hypocritical it is for this man, this celibate cleric to think that he has a say in X case legislation. This is a man who stood over and actively covered up the systematic rape and abuse of children by priests. - Brady again obviously. By a blogger known to us only as “Oriental Cutlery“.

I will detail as much research as I could find which shows that same-sex parenting has the same benefits to children as married biological parents. And I will also supply some large scale national surveys which David somehow missed even though some are a number of years old. - Peter Ferguson lists a plethora of studies that David Quinn couldn’t find.

Other contributors to the book include Dermot Lane, Patricia Kieran, Robert Jackson, Terence Merrigan, Suzanne Dillon, Andrew McGrady, Marie Parker-Jenkins, Gavin D’Costa, Anne Looney, Elizabeth Osewska, Gareth Byrne, Niall Coll, Anne Hession, Jones Irwin, Rik Von Nieuwenhove and Michael Hayes.

Here is an extract from the chapter by Michael and Jane.

Only Secular Schools Respect Every Person’s Human Rights Equally

There is one fundamental question that informs all debate about pluralism and patronage in education. That question is posed here as an option:

1. Do you wish to bring about an education system that satisfies the desires of a majority of parents and children, (perhaps to satisfy the desires of those who happen to share your own personal religious beliefs) regardless of the wishes of minority groups?

2. Alternatively do you wish to bring about an education system that respects equally the human rights of all parents and all children, without sacrificing the human rights of a minority in order to satisfy the desires of a majority?

The manner in which a person answers these foundational questions determines what conclusions they arrive at.

It is understandable that many parents, and representatives of particular religions, have as their priority an education system that satisfies their own desires, and the desires of those who think like them. However the role of the state should be to counteract this self-centred approach, and to ensure that the education system respects equally the human rights of all parents and all children. In practice, the only way to ensure this is for the state to establish a secular education system.

A secular education system would be neutral on the question of religion and non-religion, and it would allow further educational options to develop as a supplement and not a replacement to that secular system. Religious schools or atheist schools should be an added extra for parents who want to avail of them, if they can afford them. However having religious schools as the foundation of the educational system creates only the illusion of choice.

Secular Schools

This chapter argues that society should be pluralist and not the state. Indeed, the only way to protect the rights of everybody in a pluralist society is for the state to be secular. The state has a positive obligation to ensure fairness for everybody. The State should not be a partisan player that focuses on the desires of the majority ahead of everybody’s rights. Furthermore, contrary to the belief of many people in Ireland, there is no human right to have the state fund a religious education for every family in the country.

In advance of outlining why secular schools must be the foundation of an equality-based education system, it is important to explain that a secular school is not identical to an atheist school. If a religious school would teach that a god exists and an atheist school would teach that no gods exist, then a secular school would be neutral on the question of religion. Secular schools do not teach that gods either do or do not exist. Instead, a secular school teaches children in a critical, objective and pluralistic way about the different beliefs that different people have about gods, and leaves it up to parents and churches to teach specific religious beliefs outside of school hours.

There are good philosophical reasons for establishing secular schools that are neutral on the question of religion. It is good for society that all children can be educated together. The recent history of Northern Ireland illustrates how segregated schooling contributed to the difficulty children experienced in understanding and respecting each other across religious divides. Secular schools bring children together. They teach children subjects that have a basis in scientific fact, such as mathematics and languages and history and critical thinking. Secular schools teach children common ethical values such as fairness, tolerance, compassion, justice and civic cooperation. They teach them about different religious beliefs and help them to understand other beliefs and respect other people. Therefore, outside of school hours, the children’s parents and churches can teach them more about their own specific beliefs about the nature of reality and personal morality.

Secular Education and Human Rights

In practical terms, the establishment of secular schools is the only way to ensure that everybody has their human rights respected with regard to education. The education policy of Atheist Ireland is based on the human right to be educated without being indoctrinated with religion and to be free from proselytism. Atheist Ireland is equally opposed to children being indoctrinated with atheism.

This policy is based on international human rights legislation. In considering the demand for diversity, the human right to respect the religious and philosophical convictions of all parents, and not just those of a majority, should not only be considered but guaranteed without discrimination in the Irish educational system. By ratifying the European Convention on Human Rights and various other United Nations Conventions, the Irish State has already agreed to guarantee to respect all parents’ religious and philosophical convictions in the Irish education system, and not just those of a majority.

In theory, it could be possible to respect everybody’s rights by having different schools for parents and pupils of every religion, in addition to schools for parents and pupils of no religion, and to have enough of each of these schools built and operating in every part of Ireland to make it possible to vindicate every parent’s rights in practice. However, in reality, this is financially and logistically impossible. In a pluralist society, the only way for an education system to vindicate everybody’s rights to freedom of conscience, religion and belief, and to respect the convictions of all parents as opposed to the majority, is to establish a state secular education system that is neutral on the question of religion. For it is simply not feasible for the State to support financially the funding of various types of secular or religious schools in every area. Delivering the education system through private bodies where the state funds education on the basis of a particular majority in a given area instead of protecting the human rights of individuals, only results in segregation, discrimination and the denial of basic human rights.

Plurality of patronage will never achieve pluralism in education as no state can guarantee provision of education in accordance with the religious or nonreligious affiliation of every child’s parents. Therefore the patronage system cannot safeguard the preservation of the ‘democratic society’ as conceived by the European Convention. The European Court of Human Rights has stated that the ‘travaux prèparatoires’ of Article II of Protocol 1 (the Right to Education) of the European Convention aims at safeguarding the possibility of pluralism in education which possibility is essential for the preservation of a ‘democratic society’ as conceived by the Convention.

It must also be stressed that the patronage system cannot achieve respect for the religious and philosophical convictions of all parents, because human rights are guaranteed to individuals and not to the religious majority in a given area. The current Irish situation of education represents an abuse of a dominant position. The patronage system in Ireland reinforces the identification of members of society on religious grounds and the provision of services according to religious affiliation. This patronage system coerces parents into identifying with various religious groups in society, with whom they have no real affinity (especially in situations where their children might be refused access to the local school in the event of a shortage of places) simply to access the educational system. In effect parents are being forced to uphold a school’s religious ethos through the act of procuring an education for their children.

Remainder of chapter

The remainder of this chapter covers the United Nations and Ireland’s education system and the impact of the Irish education system on non-religious parents.

The book is published by Columba Press and arose from two conferences held on pluralism in Irish education, in Mater Dei Institute of Education in Dublin in 2011 and in Mary Immaculate College in Limerick in 2012.

I respect the contributions that Dick and the current HAI Board members have made to the advancement of secularism in Ireland, and I consider several of them to be personal friends. But I believe that they have lost perspective on this issue.

I have waited a week to respond, because I wanted to enable others to read Dick’s letter on its own merits, without me shifting the focus by immediately responding. I hope that we can tease out or differences reasonably.

Because Dick’s letter says very little about the Civil Registration Act itself, I have confined myself here to responding to the points that he made in his letter. I will deal with the detail of the Civil Registration Act elsewhere.

1. Response to Dick Spicer’s open letter to Atheist Ireland

Dick Spicer: Dear Atheist Ireland members, It has been a great joy to me and other humanists to see the development in Ireland of a determined Atheist group such as yours. I see it as a really healthy sign for Irish society and its development to have secular groups like AI and the HAI in existence pursuing their respective agendas. Indeed this perspective led me to play a modest role in the formation of both groups and decades before that in the Campaign to Separate Church and State (CSCS).

I agree with Dick that it is healthy for Irish society and its development to have Atheist Ireland and the HAI promoting our respective agendas. And I think Dick is modestly understating the role that he has personally played in advancing secularism in Ireland over the decades.

Dick Spicer: It pains me doubly therefore to see a degree of confusion emerging which might damage the Irish secular movement as a whole.

This is a useful starting point around which we can unite. Dick’s reference to ‘the Irish secular movement as a whole’ only makes sense if both groups are promoting secularism, which is both a social and political cause. Any confusion about this is emerging from the current board of the HAI, and not from Atheist Ireland or from the general membership of the HAI.

The position of Atheist Ireland is crystal clear: we promote the political cause of separation of church and state. We want a secular Irish constitution, a secular Irish parliament, secular Irish government, a secular Irish education system and a secular Irish healthcare system. We promote this by a combination of public awareness campaigns and political lobbying.

The position of the HAI has up to recently been similarly clear. Indeed, the HAI website is explicit about this. It says: “The HAI campaigns for equal treatment by the State of the non-religious with the religious; the abolition of religious privileges; and ultimately the total separation of Church from State. It aspires to a balanced, secular society.”

Some of us as HAI members want the HAI to continue to promote the political cause of the total separation of church and state. However, most but not all of the current HAI board want to change this position, without debate among the members, to a position of the HAI not promoting a political cause.

They want to do this in order to satisfy the requirements of the Civil Registration Act, so that humanist celebrants can also solemnise marriages, despite the fact that the Act discriminates both against nonreligious citizens and between nonreligious citizens, and that the HAI will not be able to legally promote the political cause that would be necessary to change even this Act in the future.

Dick Spicer: I am referring here to the pattern of the AI leadership taking issue with the HAI approach to gradual reform and the ‘Open Letter to HAI members’  being circulated by Michael Nugent and others.

Atheist Ireland is not taking issue with the HAI approach to gradual reform. It is entirely up the members of the HAI what approach the HAI takes. But this issue is not merely about ‘gradual reform’ versus immediate reform. It is also about the HAI having to sign up to a declaration that it does not promote a political cause at all. This prevents the HAI from pursuing even the ‘gradual reform’ that Dick mentions.

Also, the open letter that Dick refers to is not from Atheist Ireland to the HAI. It is from one HAI member, Andrew Rattigan, to his fellow HAI members. The reason that Atheist Ireland published this letter is because the current HAI board had refused to convene a HAI members meeting to discuss the issue, and had refused to allow the issues to be discussed at the scheduled monthly meetings.

Atheist Ireland will continue to facilitate reasoned respectful debate on secular issues, including by publishing letters such as Andrew’s and Dick’s and this. As atheists and humanists and freethinkers and secularists, we should encourage reasonable debate among our members rather than try to close it down.

Dick Spicer: Michael is a talented representative of the Atheist perspective (as I knew he would be when I suggested him as a likely Chairperson) but his approach sits uneasily, clashes even, with the humanist philosophical perspective as I see it.

I appreciate and reciprocate Dick’s compliment. And I accept that my approach may well clash with ‘the humanist perspective as Dick sees it’. But another way of phrasing that would be that Dick’s approach may well clash with ‘the humanist perspective as I see it’. There is no objective ‘humanist perspective’ against which we must all measure our approaches.

Dick Spicer: However, if it did not – then there would be no logical reason for the separate existence of the two groups?

In my opinion, the strongest reason for the separate existence of the two groups is that some people prefer to self-identify primarily as atheists, and some people prefer to self-identify primarily as humanists. Having two groups allows more people to get involved at whatever level of self-identification they feel most comfortable.

Dick Spicer: My expectations were that with the public foundation and existence of an atheist group, an outlet would be given to those secularists of a definite atheist outlook who wished to promote atheism intellectually and politically and garner support accordingly. The role of our Irish humanist group with it’s moderate philosophy and provision of services to those non-religious who require them is obviously somewhat different. A degree of overlap is to be expected of course as humanists look for secular advance in society but the humanist perspective in general could be expected to be a more encompassing less militantly anti-religious one.

That is all fine as Dick’s personal expectations, but it was not the reason that either Atheist Ireland or the HAI were founded. There is nothing inherent in either atheism or humanism that would make one group necessarily more or less assertive or moderate, or more or less political or non-political. Many countries have distinct atheist, humanist, freethinking, secular and other groups, each of which has an ethos that derives from the wishes of its members, and not from anything inherent in the name.

Dick Spicer: The logic of promoting an atheist group is that one can have a more hard-hitting, focused political pressure group alongside the more service orientated humanist group and no one would deny that under Michael’s leadership AI has functioned thus. The HAI over many years, has developed its services to the non-religious community, (indeed requests for such were the impelling factor in its formation) whilst supporting changes in society which benefit that community.

Again, that is all fine as Dick’s personal preference, but it is not the reason that Atheist Ireland was founded. Committee members of Atheist Ireland and the HAI have met several times to discuss the relationship between the two groups. We have repeatedly agreed the following broad areas of overlap and distinctions:

• Atheist Ireland and the HAI both promote the political cause of separation of church and state.
• Atheist Ireland also promotes atheism and challenges the harm caused by religion.
• The HAI also provides services such as wedding, funeral and baby-naming ceremonies.
• Both groups will encourage members of the public to consider joining either or both of the groups, depending on which suits their personal preferences.

But there is nothing in that scenario that suggests that Atheist Ireland is a purely political pressure group, or that the HAI is a purely service-driven group. For example, Atheist Ireland is also involved in promoting social diversity and inclusiveness, and we raise money for charitable activities including lending to third world businesses through Kiva. And the HAI is directly involved in political lobbying on a range of issues.

Dick Spicer: The damaging confusion I see emerging is that AI seems to be seeking to influence the HAI to become a mirror image of itself – i.e. to become a militant political pressure group.

The confusion is coming from the current board of the HAI, and not from Atheist Ireland. And the confusion is added to by the use of the loaded phrase ‘militant’ to describe Atheist Ireland. It is the current HAI board that is trying to change the HAI’s political position, without debate among the members, to a position of the HAI not promoting a political cause, in order to facilitate the requirements of the Civil Registration Act.

Dick Spicer: By directly intervening  as chair of the AI and challenging the HAI to change its perspective Michael is destroying the logic of having two separate groups with differing approaches, agendas and philosophies. He is leading others who might have joint membership of both groups in the same direction and I am saddened by the degree of hostility this is engendering and I hereby appeal to Michael (as one committed to ‘dialogue’) to reconsider his intervention before more serious damage is done.

None of this is accurate. In fact, the opposite is the case. I have on many occasions chosen not to voice my opinion, as a member of the HAI, on issues where I had a valid opinion, specifically because I am also chairperson of Atheist Ireland. I am not leading others who have joint membership in any direction. Please have more respect for the independent thinking of the members of our organisations.

The statements that Atheist Ireland has made on this issue relate to the legal implications of the Civil registration Act, how it discriminates both against nonreligious citizens and between nonreligious citizens, and the options that are now open to the HAI as a result of the law being passed.

To oversimplify, those options are

• to not solomnise marriages now, and to continue to promote the political cause of separation of church and state;
• to solemnise marriages now, and to cease to promote the political cause of separation of church and state; or
• to sign up to the requirements of the Act by making a false declaration, and supporting that with false documentary evidence .

But whichever option the HAI chooses, this is not a dispute between Atheist Ireland and the HAI. It is an internal policy difference within the HAI, that has leaked into the public arena because the current HAI board has refused to allow internal debate on the issue.

Dick Spicer: I think this does necessarily raise the issue of the advisability of people having joint membership of both groups as the natural tendency (without implying any malice) of this practice is a drift towards a common program which will alienate many. I appeal to those whose commitment is primarily to AI and its political approach to not pursue their agenda within the HAI on the issue of the reforming of legal solemnisation of marriage (and there will probably in the nature of such things be other issues in the future).

There are two assumptions in this paragraph which are factually inaccurate.

Firstly, and to repeat, the HAI does in fact promote the political cause of separation of church and state. Indeed, the HAI website describes its aim as complete separation of church and state. I have included below some further documentation showing that the HAI does promote this political cause.

Secondly, most of the HAI members who are seeking an EGM are not in fact active in Atheist Ireland. They include a current HAI board member, senior activists in the Cork and Galway Humanists, and some former Board members who have a long and proud record of contribution to the HAI.

Dick Spicer: It would be far healthier for both groups continued existence and amity if those with joint membership made their choice of group commitment and wished the others well for the future. That way the non-religious community who both groups exist to serve (from differing perspectives) will continue to have two strings to their bow and draw in support from those who who would balk at the purely AI approach on the one hand or the HAI on the other!
Dick Spicer

There is no reason to ask people to choose between being members of Atheist Ireland and the HAI. One of the positive aspects of secular philosophy over theology is the recognition that there are nuances and overlaps in life and that we all have multiple layers of self-identity. We are reasonable people. We can work this out together.

2. Does the HAI promote a political cause?

The core of understanding this issue is recognising that the starting point is that the HAI does in fact promote the political cause of separation of church and state.

The current HAI Board and Dick’s letter create the impression that this is not the case. They are implying that the HAI has not been involved in promoting a political cause, and that those seeking the EGM are trying the change the status quo.

In fact, the opposite is the case. It is most of the current HAI Board that is trying to change the status quo, without debate among the members, and by instead sending a letter to the members seeking support on the basis of an appeal to authority.

Here are several examples of the HAI promoting the political cause of separation of church and state.

2.1 Examples of the HAI promoting separation of church and state

• About the HAI – as published on HAI website
• Campaigns – as published on HAI website
• Political policy document on Equality for the Non-Religious
• Engaging in dialogue process with Irish Government
• Seeking meetings with opposition political parties
• Making sure organs of the state hear what the nonreligious want
• Supporting legislation to permit and regulate abortion
• Lobbying Taoiseach and Minister for Justice
• Appealing to the electorate to vote for secular candidates
• Working internationally on state and church relationships
• Assessing the dialogue process with the Government
• Campaigning for this law was itself promoting a political cause

2.2 About the HAI – as published on HAI website

The HAI website, as relaunched in April 2013, on its ‘About Us’ page, says the following.

What we do: The HAI provides a forum for Humanists and other non-religious people to meet and share experiences and develop their personal ideals in an informal, friendly environment. More formally, the HAI campaigns for equal treatment by the State of the non-religious with the religious; the abolition of religious privileges; and ultimately the total separation of Church from State. It aspires to a balanced, secular society. Specifically, the HAI [list follows of things that the HAI does, including] … makes appropriate submissions to Government for changes in the Constitution, Legislation and State practices.

2.3 Campaigns – as published on HAI website

The HAI website, as relaunched in April 2013, on its ‘Campaigns’ page, says the following.

The HAI is working towards a secular state and the equal treatment of people of no religion in the Constitution, in legislation and other practices of the State and its agencies by campaigning on behalf of the non-religious in Ireland in a number of areas. On an ongoing basis, the HAI seeks to have a secular Constitution and has identified the need for change in the following areas:

The Constitution itself by deleting:
the religious preamble
the requirement for religious oaths/declarations for judges and holders of high office
its concept of blasphemy

Changes in State practices relating to:
ceremonies
Oireachtas prayers
religious oaths for jurors and witnesses
the use of State property for religious purposes
primary and secondary education (including primary teacher training, school chaplains and the religious curriculum)
medical care
religious symbols in public places
the national Census
the use of State employees for religious purposes
These and other topics are more fully described in the HAI publication ‘Equality for the Non-Religious’

2.4 Political policy document on Equality for the Non-Religious

The HAI has published a policy document titled ‘Equality for the Non-Religious: The treatment of people of no religion in the Constitution, in legislation and by other practices of the State and its agencies.’  The introduction to this policy document states:

In its relationship with the State the HAI seeks to ensure that State institutions are not biased towards any particular belief group, that differences of belief or philosophy are fully and equitably respected in policy and accommodated in practice by public authorities and that the Constitution, laws and practices of the State reflect this approach.

The document then details the following areas where the HAI is campaigning for political change:

1 THE CONSTITUTION
1.1  Preamble
1.2  Derivation of Powers
1.3  Religious Oaths
1.4  Blasphemy
1.5  State Endorsement of Religion

2 LEGISLATION
2.1  Equal Status Act 2000
2.2  Employment Equality Act 1998
2.3  Civil Registration Act 2004
2.4  Charities Act 2009
2.5  Tax Exemption Arising from Charitable Status
2.6  Electoral Act
2.7  Defamation Act 1961
2.8  Other Legislation

3 STATE PRACTICES
3.1  State Ceremonies
3.2  Dáil and Senate Prayers
3.3  Court Service – Oaths
3.4  Polling Stations
3.5  Use of State Property for Religious Purposes
3.5a  State Broadcasting Company
3.5b  Burial Rights
3.6  Choice of Primary School
3.7  Choice of Secondary School
3.8  Rights of Minorities in Schools
3.9  Primary Teacher Training
3.10  State Support of School Chaplains
3.11  Religious Education Curriculum
3.12  Provision of and Support for Hospitals
3.13  Rights of Non-Religious Hospital Patients
3.14  Ethics in Denominational Hospitals
3.15  Symbols in Hospitals
3.16  Overseas Development Assistance
3.17  Census of Population
3.18  Prison Chaplains
3.19  Use of State Employees for Religious Purposes
3.20  State Observance of Religious Festivals
3.21  Other State Practices

2.5 Engaging in dialogue process with Irish Government

The HAI is a partner in the structured dialogue process between the Irish Government and religious and nonreligious philosophical bodies. The relevant Minister for State at the Department of the Taoiseach has described this process in the Dail as being intended to assist the Government in developing policies into the future:

I make these comments at a time when the State is undertaking an important process of church-State dialogue, an institutional dialogue not just with the Christian churches, Catholic, Protestant and eastern Orthodox churches, but also the Islamic community, Buddhists and the Humanist Association of Ireland among others. This dialogue which is being established by the Taoiseach’s Department will take place between the State on the one hand and church and faith based communities and non-confessional organisations on the other. This is a healthy, progressive and even historic development, reflecting the Ireland of today which, as we all know, is a multi-ethnic and multicultural society. I have no doubt that these organisations, churches and individuals with their wealth of experience and knowledge will assist us greatly in developing our policies into the future.

2.6 Seeking meetings with opposition political parties

The HAI in its July/August 2012 newsletter, in ‘Board News’, wrote:

The Board also decided that, in addition to meeting with the Taoiseach and other departments and ministers under the stalled ‘dialogue process’, the HAI will try to meet with opposition parties, to present our case on state legislation and practice to make these more secular.

2.7 Making sure organs of the state hear what the nonreligious want

The HAI in its May/June 2012 newsletter, in ‘Board News’, wrote:

Non-religious people need organisations like the HAI to make sure that organs of the state hear what people without religion want. So there is more work to do in communicating with the government and their departments and agencies, and in preparing our submissions and responses.

2.8 Supporting legislation to permit and regulate abortion

The HAI in its May/June 2012 newsletter, in ‘Board News’, wrote:

The Board decided unanimously to support the enactment and implementation of legislation to permit and to regulate therapeutic abortion to the full extent that the Constitution permits, as the Supreme Court decided in the X case in 1982.

2.9 Lobbying Taoiseach and Minister for Justice

The Irish Times wrote on 4 June 2011:

A FEW WEEKS ago Brian Whiteside of the Humanist Association of Ireland addressed a gathering that included Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Minister for Justice Alan Shatter as well as various religious leaders. He used the opportunity to raise the issue of our religious presidential oath, which he says is just one example of State discrimination against the growing godless community.

The oath, the wording of which is enshrined in the Constitution, is taken in “the presence of Almighty God” and is a non-negotiable promise that must be given by whoever is elected president. It concludes, “May God direct and sustain me.”

“I talked about how embarrassing it would be for this country if a successful candidate decided that in all conscience they couldn’t give that oath because they didn’t believe in God,” says Whiteside. He was gratified to observe Kenny requesting that Shatter make a note of this potentially awkward eventuality…

A referendum would be required to remove these religious references from the Constitution, which Whiteside believes “are not appropriate in a 21st-century modern democratic republic”…

He adds that while their strategy may differ from Atheist Ireland’s, the “endgame” of a more secular country is the same.

2.10 Appealing to the electorate to vote for secular candidates

At the 2011 Irish General Election, Atheist Ireland and the Humanist Association of Ireland jointly asked voters to vote for candidates who support secular policies. We collectively said:

We realise that most people will vote based on economic policies or party allegiance. In such cases we are asking people that, if several candidates share your views on these wider issues, to please choose the candidate that most supports a rational, ethical, secular Ireland.

2.11 Working internationally on state and church relationships

HAI Secretary Ann James wrote in the Irish Times on 23 July 2010:

As Secretary to the Humanist Association of Ireland (HAI) since it was formed from what was the Association of Irish Humanists in 2003, I have also been HAI delegate to many European Humanist Federation and International Humanist and Ethical Union meetings where the different models of the state and church relationships are often discussed… The HAI has no wish to end the teaching about religion or discussion of it in schools. But neither do we see a place in this day and age for religious instruction/faith formation paid for by taxpayers in State-funded national schools.

2.12 Assessing the dialogue process with the Government

HAI chairman Dick Spicer wrote in the Irish Times on 5 April 2010:

EQUALITY AND parity of esteem for the non-religious community is being achieved – but at a pace so slow it can sometimes evoke justifiable impatience… That said, however, the State and its institutions have made significant beginnings in areas requiring reform. Those registering progress are education, health and law reform. Of these, the key problematic area in our State has long been securing the rights of children in primary education.

In the area of health, one has to give credit to the Health Service Executive for developing and launching a best-practice guide outlining the requirements when dealing with non-religious clientele and other minorities. Again, implementation will take time if it is to be effective, but it is a pointer to how State bodies could set about addressing the achievement of parity of esteem for all.

The Humanist Association of Ireland has been included in relevant seminars and workshops over the past couple of years. In our quest as part of the dialogue process with the Government we submitted a document entitled Equality for the Non-Religious, which laid out our areas of concern. A full consideration of the issues in that document reveals that much has yet to be addressed.

2.13 Campaigning for this law was itself promoting a political cause

The HAI website, on its ‘Campaigns‘ section, says:

A successful HAI campaign, spearheaded by our Director of Ceremonies, Brian Whiteside, came to fruition with the passage of the Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill to give legal status to Humanist marriage through the Dáil and Seanad in late 2012. At the time of writing (April 2013) the HAI  are in touch with the General Register Office and working through the process of having HAI celebrants approved as marriage solemnisers.

The Irish Times wrote on 1 May 2012:

Brian Whiteside of the HAI said that, in the past, it had been “left out in the cold” but persisted in its efforts to obtain the right to solemnise marriages and have “parity of esteem” with religious bodies. There had been “no real progress” until the change of government last year, when Ms Bacik agreed to take up their cause. “As the law stands presently a couple cannot have a legally binding, nonreligious marriage ceremony on a Saturday, as the State registrars work only Monday to Friday,” he added.

This dilemma was explicitly raised in the Dail by Aengus O Snodaigh TD:

The Humanist Association of Ireland will be one of the main beneficiaries of the provisions in this Bill, which is welcome, but a quick perusal of its website suggests that even this organisation might not satisfy the definition of “secular body” as contained in section 3, with specific reference to the exclusion of any body promoting a political cause.

Its home page, for example, has a campaigns section, one of which is aimed at lobbying politicians to amend the principal Act. Ironically, that very activity could be seen to exclude the organisation under the definition set out in section 3 of the Bill. The content of the website is inherently political, including, for instance, a cheap shot at politicians in respect of holiday entitlements. There is also an inference that Fianna Fáil is bad and the Labour Party good. In fact, Senator Ivana Bacik is described as the perfect combination of lawyer, Senator and atheist. It is fine to express such views but they are undoubtedly political…

Summary

The HAI has a record of promoting the political cause of secularism that it should be proud of. Some of us as HAI members want the HAI to continue to promote the political cause of the total separation of church and state. However, most but not all of the current HAI board want to change this position, without debate among the members, to a position of the HAI not promoting a political cause.

They want to do this in order to satisfy the requirements of the Civil Registration Act, so that humanist celebrants can also solemnise marriages, despite the fact that the Act discriminates both against nonreligious citizens and between nonreligious citizens, and that the HAI will not be able to legally promote the political cause that would be necessary to change even this Act in the future.

And the HAI Board is trying to take this significant step unilaterally, without allowing any debate among the members. That approach will not work. The Board should reconsider it.

- Derek Walsh, Editor

News

• Discussions and disagreements are ongoing regarding the Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill and what it means for the non-religious in Ireland.  Dick Spicer, former chair of the Humanist Association of Ireland, has written an open letter to Atheist Ireland on the topic – or at least on what he believes the behaviour of members of each organisation should be when there are disagreements. We have published it here.
  This follows the open letter by Andrew Devine-Rattigan to members of the HAI, which we published a few weeks ago here.
  The comments on both letters show a wide range of opinions on the matter.
• On Wednesday, Michael Nugent and Jen Keane were on 98FM discussing whether teaching children religion as fact amounts to child abuse. Listen here

Profile: Taslima Nasrin

Every week until the Empowering Women through Secularism conference, we’ll be profiling one of the speakers.

Taslima Nasrin (or Nasreen) is a Bengali writer and former doctor. An outspoken feminist, atheist and secularist, Taslima was exiled from Bangladesh in 1994 due to her writings which were critical of Islam. She has since lived in a number of countries, and currently lives in India. She has written more than thirty books including novels, autobiographies and collections of essays and poetry.
Taslima has been the recipient of numerous awards for her literary output and for her humanist and feminist activism.

• Official site – taslimanasrin.com
• Taslima’s blog
• Twitter account
• Taslima at the European Atheist Convention in Cologne, 2012 (video)
• Taslima at the Global Atheist Convention in Melbourne, 2010 (video)

Calendar

• Monday 29 April, 7:30 pm, The Roundy Bar, Cork (map)
  Cork Humanists Film Club. This month, the film is The Ledge (IMDB). Facebook event page
• Saturday 4 May, 12:00 noon – 2:00 pm, GPO, O’Connell St., Dublin 1 (map)
  Brendan Maher and co. will be outside the GPO with a stall promoting atheism, secularism and humanism. Email Brendan if you want to help or for further information..
• Sunday 5 May, 4:00 pm, Buswell’s Hotel, Molesworth St., Dublin 2 (map)
  Monthly meeting of the Humanist Association of Ireland. All are welcome. Facebook event page
• Sunday 12 May, 12:00 noon, multiple locations
  Second Sunday brunches. Details soon.
• Wednesday 15 May, 8:00 pm, Absolute Hotel, Sir Harry’s Mall, Limerick (map)
  The Mid West Humanists are meeting. As well as old and new attendees (new people always welcome) getting to talk about life as an atheist or humanist in a society with a religious-biased culture, they are continuing their plan to meet TDs in the region, on the Constitution, starting when the Blasphemy article arises in the Convention.
• Saturday 29 & Sunday 30 June, O’Callaghan Alexander Hotel, Dubln 2 (map)
  “Empowering Women Through Secularism” An international two-day conference featuring some of the biggest names in atheism, skepticism, secularism and feminism. Buy tickets now

Blogism

The moderate Christian has his or her cake and eats it. They get to be a part of the club, and get the full VIP treatment; they are at least morally higher in the food chain than them damn atheists, abortionists and lesbians. They get the name tag, but lack the conviction to act upon what their holy book teaches. After all, you can’t be full of vitriol and moral superiority all day long, eventually you have to do the food shopping. - Jason Murdock on why moderate Christians are going to hell

So far, in his opposition to equal marriage, Quinn has misrepresented one research paper, cited another by a discredited fraudster, and has refused to acknowledge the vast amount of research compiled over the decades which all conclusively show that the outcome for children reared by same-sex couples is the same as those for children of two biological married parents. -Peter Ferguson continues the theme of pointing out David Quinn’s dishonest tactics

If we assume that God is good (and all-powerful) then the question is whether God, in fact, ordered those massacres. If this is to be a reasoned inquiry, we must begin with the idea that God may or may not have been responsible. We must begin with both possibilities on the table! The data must guide us–not preconceived doctrine. Which view best fits the data? Are these massacres of men, women and children more likely the work of a god who is morally perfect or a god who is morally defective? - HJ Foley on the faulty logic behind the defence of biblical massacres.

Dear Atheist Ireland members,

It has been a great joy to me and other humanists to see the development in Ireland of a determined Atheist group such as yours. I see it as a really healthy sign for Irish society and its development to have secular groups like AI and the HAI in existence pursuing their respective agendas. Indeed this perspective led me to play a modest role in the formation of both groups and decades before that in the Campaign to Separate Church and State (CSCS).

It pains me doubly therefore to see a degree of confusion emerging which might damage the Irish secular movement as a whole. I am referring here to the pattern of the AI leadership taking issue with the HAI approach to gradual reform and the ‘Open Letter to HAI members’  being circulated by Michael Nugent and others. Michael is a talented representative of the Atheist perspective (as I knew he would be when I suggested him as a likely Chairperson) but his approach sits uneasily, clashes even, with the humanist philosophical perspective as I see it.

However, if it did not – then there would be no logical reason for the separate existence of the two groups?

My expectations were that with the public foundation and existence of an atheist group, an outlet would be given to those secularists of a definite atheist outlook who wished to promote atheism intellectually and politically and garner support accordingly. The role of our Irish humanist group with it’s moderate philosophy and provision of services to those non-religious who require them  is obviously somewhat different. A degree of overlap is to be expected of course as humanists look for secular advance in society but the humanist perspective in general could be expected to be a more encompassing less militantly anti-religious one.

The logic of promoting an atheist group is that one can have a more hard- hitting, focused political pressure group alongside the more service orientated humanist group and no one would deny that under Michael’s leadership AI has functioned thus. The HAI over many years, has developed its services to the non-religious community,  (indeed requests for such were the impelling factor in its formation) whilst supporting changes in society which benefit that community.

The damaging confusion I see emerging is that AI seems to be seeking to influence the HAI to become a mirror image of itself – i.e. to become a militant political pressure group. By directly intervening  as chair of the AI and challenging the HAI to change its perspective Michael is destroying the logic of having two separate groups with differing approaches, agendas and philosophies. He is leading others who might have joint membership of both groups in the same direction and I am saddened by the degree of hostility this is engendering and I hereby appeal to Michael (as one committed to ‘dialogue’) to reconsider his intervention before more serious damage is done.

I think this does necessarily raise the issue of the advisability of people having joint membership of both groups as the natural tendency (without implying any malice) of this practice is a drift towards a common program which will alienate many. I appeal to those whose commitment is primarily to AI and its political approach to not pursue their agenda within the HAI on the issue of the reforming of legal solemnisation of marriage (and there will probably in the nature of such things be other issues in the future).

It would be far healthier for both groups continued existence and amity if those with joint membership made their choice of group commitment and wished the others well for the future. That way the non-religious community who both groups exist to serve (from differing perspectives) will continue to have two strings to their bow and draw in support from those who who would balk at the purely AI approach on the one hand or the HAI on the other!

Dick Spicer

- Derek Walsh, Editor

News

Our forthcoming international conference Empowering Women Through Secularism now has its own website, Facebook page and Twitter account.

Topics discussed at the conference will include:

• How religiously-inspired laws discriminate against women
• How secularism protects freedom of conscience
• Healthcare, sexuality and reproductive rights
• Combatting violence against women

Tickets are €100 and available here.

Profile: Ivana Bacik

Every week until the Empowering Women through Secularism conference, we’ll be profiling one of the speakers.

Ivana Bacik is a member of Seanad Eireann since 2007. She also practises as a barrister, and teaches courses in Criminal law, Criminology and Penology, and Feminist Theory and Law at Trinity.
She is a member of Atheist Ireland and has spoken at a number of our events including the World Atheist Convention in 2011.
Ivana has campaigned for many years on social justice issues including abortion, equal marriage and minority rights.

• Ivana’s website
• Twitter
• Video of Ivana at World Atheist Convention, 2011
• Ivana greets Sanal Edamaraku at a briefing in Leinster House
• Addressing the crowd at March4Choice, October 2012

Calendar

• Monday 22 April, 8:30 pm, McSwiggans Bar and Restaurant, Woodquay, Galway (map)
  Galway Skeptics in the Pub #55.Facebook event page
• Thursday 25 April, 7:30 pm, Trinity Capital Hotel, Pearse St., Dublin 2 (map)
  Dublin Atheists in the Pub. Facebook event page
• Monday 29 April, 7:30 pm, The Roundy Bar, Cork (map)
  Cork Humanists Film Club. This month, the film is The Ledge (IMDB). Facebook event page
• Saturday 4 May, 12:00 noon – 2:00 pm, GPO, O’Connell St., Dublin 1 (map)
  Brendan Maher will be outside the GPO promoting atheism, secularism and humanism. Email Brendan if you want to help.
• Sunday 5 May, 4:00 pm, Buswell’s Hotel, Molesworth St., Dublin 2 (map)
  Monthly meeting of the Humanist Association of Ireland. All are welcome. Facebook event page
• Saturday 29 & Sunday 30 June, O’Callaghan Alexander Hotel, Dubln 2 (map)
  “Empowering Women Through Secularism” An international two-day conference featuring some of the biggest names in atheism, skepticism, secularism and feminism. Buy tickets now

Blog Special: David Quinn & Co.

Newspaper columnist and founder of the Iona Institute David Quinn made a submission to the Constitutional Convention opposing marriage equality. Quinn was accused by Senator David Norris of deliberately misleading the Convention (video) and several bloggers have taken up the case this week.

In my opinion, manipulating the findings of experiments or being economical with the statistical validity of a report is morally as unforgivable as making up a quote or not counting all of the votes in an election.  -  Dr. Peter Stafford, a research analyst, questions the standards of Quinn’s research.

Here Quinn presents us with a catch 22. He will (presumably) support same sex marriage as a child rearing institution once we have significant data on children raised in same sex marriages. But we cannot have marriage equality till we have the survey, and we cannot have survey participants till we have marriage equality. -Geoff Lillis calls out the hypocrisy inherent in Quinn’s position.

What is the Iona Institute?   Well, it’s a construct of David’s imagination, comprising a small group of mutually-reinforcing, unelected, unrepresentative right-wing Catholics who nevertheless have unlimited access to our publicly-funded broadcaster’s air time, for no obvious reason.  - Bock the Robber takes apart Quinn’s claims line by line.

I find it interesting that in the above argument the key words are “that we know of”. Words so key that Mr Quinn has never used them before, so key that this is the first time  Mr Quinn has employed this line of argument. I believe the only key aspect about those words is that it gives Mr Quinn a route to try and wiggle out of the hole he has put himself in. - Peter Ferguson notices the not-so-subtle change in Quinn’s position

David Quinn was not the only member of the Iona Institute to catch the attention of bloggers this week though. His colleague Breda O’Brien also managed to raise some hackles:

It is entirely possible to believe that having both a mother and father has value and allows for situation where there are gay parents for them to allow to marry, in the same way that society allows single-parent families. Very few people would think that the value of having both a mother and father would supersede a single parent’s right. - Paul Moloney picks apart O’Brien’s defence of her anti-gay position

The most worrying aspect of the fact that O’Brien and her Iona ilk are allowed unfettered access to our national airwaves on an almost constant basis, despite, in this case a lack of any relevant qualification, raises questions about the media’s laziness in attempting to find qualified dissenting voices. - Anne-Marie laments the lack of a better class of bigot.

- Derek Walsh, Editor

News

• While most of the focus on marriage equality in the country recently has been on same-sex marriage, there is also an issue of inequality between religious and secular organisations. Andrew Devine-Rattigan, a member of Atheist Ireland and of the Humanist Association of Ireland has written to the latter organisation expressing his concerns about the amendment to the law that permits Humanist celebrants to solemnise marriages. Read more

Profile: Anne Marie Waters

Every week until the Empowering Women through Secularism conference, we’ll be profiling one of the speakers.

Anne Marie Waters grew up in Dublin but lives in London. She is co-spokesperson and co-director of One Law for All, a campaign against Sharia and other religious tribunals in Britain. She is a council member of the (British) National Secular Society. She is a committed trade unionist and is the current Trade Union Liaison Officer of LGBT Labour.

• Anne Marie Waters website
• Twitter
• Video: Speaking Out Against Blasphemy Laws at the World Atheist Convention in Dublin 2011
• Video: Sharia Law and Human Rights at Queen Mary University 2012
• Article: Opposing Sharia Law Is a Defence of the Rights of Muslims (Huffington Post)

Calendar

• Wednesday 17 April, 7:30 pm, Quay Co-op, Cork (map)
• Cork Humanists’ book club. This month the book being discussed is Alain De Botton’s Religion for Atheists. More
• Wednesday 17 April, 8:00 pm, Absolute Hotel, Sir Harry’s Mall, Limerick (map)
  The Mid West Humanists are meeting. As well as old and new attendees (new people always welcome) getting to talk about life as an atheist or humanist in a society with a religious-biased culture, they are continuing their plan to meet TDs in the region, on the Constitution, starting when the Blasphemy article arises in the Convention.
• Monday 22 April, 7:30 pm, The Roundy Bar, Cork (map)
  Cork Humanists Film Club. This month, the film is The Ledge (IMDB).Facebook event page
• Monday 22 April, 8:30 pm, McSwiggans Bar and Restaurant, Woodquay, Galway (map)
  Galway Skeptics in the Pub #55.Facebook event page
• Saturday 4 May, 12:00 noon – 2:00 pm, GPO, O’Connell St., Dublin 1 (map)
  Brendan Maher will be outside the GPO promoting atheism, secularism and humanism. Email Brendan if you want to help.
• Sunday 5 May, 4:00 pm, Buswell’s Hotel, Molesworth St., Dublin 2 (map)
  Monthly meeting of the Humanist Association of Ireland. All are welcome. Facebook event page
• Saturday 29 & Sunday 30 June, O’Callaghan Alexander Hotel, Dubln 2 (map)
  “Empowering Women Through Secularism” An international two-day conference featuring some of the biggest names in atheism, skepticism, secularism and feminism. Buy tickets now

Bloggage

Religious quacks and fraudsters have been around since the beginning of time.  They range from those claiming psychic ability to self-proclaimed visionaries and angel gurus.  The practitioners of these acts of charlatanism prey on our desire for comfort, hope and a yearning for meaning.  Every year new variants of the same scam come onto the market. - Cyril takes on psychics and spiritualists

A strong point could be made that the Christian Bible falls into the category of poetry – and is most certainly a brilliant example of early literature as an art form. The texts of Psalms and the wordplay during key scenes are exemplary (In contrast, some also underwhelm – such as the dire creation story). Of course this is a man made text, and there is no reason one could acknowledge that the text contains any god given input in its creation, but as an historical relic it is a wonderful example of our species first attempt at creating a collection of literary output. - Jason Murdock on the cocktail of art and religion

I address you all in relation to the Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill that came in to law after being passed by the Dail in December 2012. Many of you may feel that on the face of it this is a victory for the Humanist Association as it will allow for non-religious people to have their marriages legally solemnised by a celebrant from the HAI.

Previously, couples seeking a non-religious ceremony would firstly have had to go to a registry office in order to be legally married, and then have had a Humanist ceremony to celebrate their marriage. The new change in the law will now cut out the need for couples to have to attend two ceremonies as the Humanist solemniser now has legal recognition that he or she previously did not have.

Perhaps many of you will think this is a progressive step, but a clear reading of the law itself, and the requirements that the HAI must fulfil, reveals that this law runs contrary to the stated aims of the HAI and conflicts with the core values of humanism itself. The new law prohibits any secular body that might nominate a solemniser from promoting a political cause, as well as a whole list of other exclusions to adhere to, in order to obtain a licence to solemnise marriages. However, religious organisations are not excluded from solemnising marriages according to the same criteria.

The stated aims of the HAI

The reasons that I joined the HAI are best expressed by the stated aims on our website:

“The HAI campaigns for equal treatment by the state of the non-religious with the religious; the abolition of religious privileges; and ultimately the total separation of Church from State. It aspires to a balanced secular society.”

In light of what our stated aims are, how can we in the HAI agree to a law that has a list of exclusions for secular organisations that seek to solemnise marriages, whilst this same list of exclusions doesn’t apply to religious bodies? For us in the HAI to endorse such a law is a clear breach of our purported aim to seek the equal treatment of the non-religious with the religious and the abolition of religious privileges.

In endorsing this legislation, it is clear that the Board of Directors of the HAI are satisfied to allow the HAI to be discriminated against and treated unequally, and thus are acting in contravention of the aims that are outlined on our website.

Just what is it that is motivating the Board to endorse legislation that actually contravenes the very aims of the HAI itself?

The Board seems comfortable to allow the HAI to have to comply with a list of exclusions in the new legislation that religious bodies do not have to adhere to, thus the HAI is complicit in discriminating against the non-religious, the very thing we claim to be against.

However, there is one of the exclusions that the HAI doesn’t comply with, and that is the clause in the Act that prohibits any secular nominating body from promoting a political cause, which the HAI clearly does.

Debate after Sunday’s HAI meeting

After the last meeting of the HAI in Dublin on the 7th April, a debate ensued between several members who are in support of the new law, including a member of the Board of Directors, and several of us who are opposed to it.

Those of us who opposed the law pointed out both the fact that it discriminates against the non-religious and also that legally we wouldn’t even be able to comply with the new law, in that the HAI promotes the political cause of separation of church and state. Those members in favour of the new law argued that the HAI is not involved in promoting any political cause, but rather is engaged in the advancement of various social causes and therefore the granting of the first legal licence to a HAI solemniser is in full accordance with the law, even if it is a discriminatory law (my emphasis).

It is my opinion that these members don’t even believe this themselves and are just using semantics to try and justify supporting a law that discriminates against the aims of the HAI, and allows them to argue that the HAI is complying with a law that it is clearly in breach of.

Besides, all social causes have a political dimension in that to advance a social cause you have to engage with the political process and state institutions, thus also making them political causes. Surely the total separation of the church and state is as explicit a political cause as one can find?

Our website states that one of the activities of the HAI is that it “makes appropriate submissions to government for changes in the Constitution, Legislation and State practices.” By simply stating the aims of the HAI are a social cause in order to comply with a discriminatory piece of legislation doesn’t negate the fact that they are also a political cause.

Orwellian doublethink

All in all to argue that we are not involved in a cause that we clearly are, and to try and argue that the HAI exists primarily to campaign for equality whilst it endorses a law that is grossly unequal and discriminatory, is to engage in an egregious display of Orwellian doublethink which is:

“The power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them… to forget any fact that has become inconvenient.”

I believe that we in the HAI in order to be consistent with our declared aims on our website should have stood together with Atheist Ireland in opposing such a blatantly discriminatory piece of legislation.

At the very least we could have made applications to the registrar for licences for solemnisers and then openly declared that we would be in breach of the legislation as we do engage in promoting a political cause. This could have been an opportunity to publicly highlight the continuing discrimination against the non-religious and the special privileges still maintained by religious organisations.

Instead the HAI has endorsed a law that violates its own principals and aims. For the HAI to endorse such a piece of legislation calls in to question the integrity of the HAI as an organisation that purports to seek equality for the non-religious.

Seeking an EGM for members to discuss issue

I believe that the best way to deal with this issue is by way of constructive dialogue between us, the ordinary members, and the Board of Directors, who are of course also members.

In accordance with the Companies Act which governs the activities of the HAI, I along with several other members of the HAI will be seeking to convene an Extraordinary General Meeting to discuss the issues raised in this letter.

We will be writing to the membership of the HAI to garner the ten per cent support required to convene such a meeting.

I appeal to the individual members of the Humanist Association to ask yourself in good conscience if you believe that the HAI should endorse a law that is blatantly and clearly at odds with the principles of equality and non-discrimination, and if supporting such a law furthers the aim of building a more secular state or contributes to perpetuating discrimination of the non-religious?

Yours sincerely,

Andrew Devine-Rattigan

- Derek Walsh, Editor

News

• Our conference Empowering Women Through Secularism is taking place at the end of June, and while the price is as low as we can make it and excellent value for a two-day event with world-renowned speakers, we appreciate that times are hard and €100 is a lot to spend. If you can’t afford to go, but would really like to, let us know and we’ll try to work something out. Conversely, if you want to help someone deserving attend the conference, you can donate (as much or as little as you like) on our website.
• The Humanist Association of Ireland has announced that it has received approval to solemnise marriages. While in principle, this is a positive step towards our shared goal of a secular state, the wording of the Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill and its implications have been cause for concern for Atheist Ireland since the bill was first debated. Read more

Profile: Annie Laurie Gaylor

Every week until the Empowering Women through Secularism conference, we’ll be profiling one of the speakers.

Annie Laurie Gaylor co-founded the Freedom from Religion Foundation (with her mother Anne Nicol Gaylor) and is its current co-president (with her husband Dan Barker, profiled last week).
She is the editor of the FFRF’s newspaper Freethought Today and has written and edited a number of books.
Annie was a speaker at the World Atheist Convention in Dublin in 2011 and we’re looking forward to her return.

Some videos of Annie speaking:

• “Secular Education and Human Rights” at the World Atheist Convention 2011
• “The History of Women in Freethought” at CFI’s Women in Secularism conference 2012
• “No Gods, No Masters” at an atheist convention in Reykjavik, 2006

Calendar

• Monday 8 April, 8:30 pm, McSwiggans Bar and Restaurant, Woodquay, Galway (map)
  Galway Skeptics in the Pub #54.Facebook event page
• Wednesday 10 April, 9:00 pm, The Exchange, Temple Bar, Dublin 2 (map)
  Dublin Skeptics host Richard Saunders, Australian paranormal investigator. Facebook event page
• Thursday 11 April, 7:30 pm, Porterhouse, Sheares St., Cork (map)
  Cork Humanists “Think and Drink”. This month the subject for discussion will be ” A world without religion”. Facebook event page
• Sunday 14 April, 12:00 noon, Trinity Capital Hotel, Pearse St., Dublin 2 (map)
  The third Second Sunday brunch thing. All are welcome. Just pay for your own food. Facebook event page
• Sunday 14 April, 12:00 noon, Salthill Hotel, Galway (map)
  Galway’s Second Sunday brunch.Facebook event page. You can also contact Peter Ferguson for more details.
• Sunday 14 April, 12:00 noon, A Casa Mia, Tobergal Lane, Sligo (map)
  Sligo’s Second Sunday brunch.Facebook event page
• Wednesday 17 April, 7:30 pm, Quay Co-op, Cork (map)
  Cork Humanists’ book club. This month the book being discussed is Alain De Botton’s Religion for Atheists. More
• Wednesday 17 April, 8:00 pm, Absolute Hotel, Sir Harry’s Mall, Limerick (map)
  The Mid West Humanists are meeting. As well as old and new attendees (new people always welcome) getting to talk about life as an atheist or humanist in a society with a religious-biased culture, they are continuing their plan to meet TDs in the region, on the Constitution, starting when the Blasphemy article arises in the Convention.
• Monday 22 April, The Roundy Bar, Cork (map)
  Cork Humanists Film Club. This month, the film is The Ledge (IMDB).Facebook event page
• Saturday 29 & Sunday 30 June, O’Callaghan Alexander Hotel, Dubln 2 (map)
  “Empowering Women Through Secularism” An international two-day conference featuring some of the biggest names in atheism, skepticism, secularism and feminism. Buy tickets now

Bloggery

We must remember the context in which Iona misrepresented the research. It was in a submission to the Constitutional Convention. They were attempting to sway the opinion of the Convention members to oppose same-sex marriage legislation. To do so in such a dishonest manner is quite disgusting and warrants a retraction and an apology: both of which David has completely failed to do in the above post. -Peter Ferguson responds to the Iona Institute’s reply to his previous blog post

Every chapter is scary and revealing, with women suffering under strict social conventions all drawn from religious justifications and yet an inspirational story when seen as a personal liberation from that oppressive life. The only problem I had with the book, however,  was dealing with how angry and frustrated I got whenever I sat down to read it. - Paul Kelly reviews Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s memoir Infidel