• Archives

  • Categories

  • Named one of the top Atheist / Agnostic Blogs by Unreasonable Faith

  • Recent Comments

    nancyabramsblogger's avatarnancyabramsblogger on World Blasphemy Day
    peterohara's avatarpeterohara on Respect for persons; no respec…
    Shane's avatarShane on Respect for persons; no respec…
    Laura's avatarLaura on Constitutional Convention Dead…
    peterohara's avatarpeterohara on HAI’s EGM on 26 June 201…
  • Locations of visitors to this page

  • Meta

  • Wikipedia Affiliate Button

What the Mid West Humanists sent to the press and radio on 08 January 2013

Posted on January 9th, 2013 by peterohara

As planned I sent the following to 13 local newspapers and 4 local radio stations by email on 08 01 2013, and later by post. I sent this information document to those on the email and phone lists on 20 12 2012, and again on 07 01 2013.

—————————————————————–

Mid West Humanists

(People without religion)

General Information about the Mid West Humanists

The Mid West Humanists are a group of people (from Limerick, Clare, and Tipperary) with no religion, or leaning that way (since 2008).

The Mid West Humanists meet monthly in Limerick, at present in the Absolute Hotel, 3rd Wednesday of the month at 20:00

The Mid West Humanists seek social and political changes, that society and the state should – (1) be secular; (2) treat equally people who have religion and people who have no religion; (3) be more open to people who have no religion.

How to contact the Mid West Humanists

Peter O’Hara is contact person for the media on Humanism, Secular society, or any connected matters.

Website                midwesthumanists.com

The contact person can speak (and obtain further people to speak) both on people’s personal experience of humanism and the change from religion, and also on government and non-government structures that create difficulty for or are unfair to people who have no religion (and the changes needed). Continue reading →

Filed under: announcements, constitution, cultural issues, education, ethical issues, humanism, ireland, Meetings, political issues, Press, radio, religion | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Decemeber 2012 meeting: plans to encourage the press to contact us

Posted on December 20th, 2012 by peterohara

Although the Mid West Humanists have met every month since 2008, at times stories arise in the news here, and we the local group have not put input into local radio or newspapers.

From the meeting in September 2012 the members have wanted to encourage the local press and radio to take input from us on  stories affecting humanist, atheist, and secular people, including cases of discrimination against them.

At the meeting on 19 December 2012 those present edited an information document for the press, and a press release which is due to be sent when the Constitutional Convention starts to look at the Blasphemy provision.
We plan to send the general information document to local newspapers and to local radio stations in the second week of January 2013. It will describe the group and its aims, and provide a contact number and email for any paper or station who want a secular, humanist, or atheist view on any news items in the Mid West region.

We hope this will mean that the local media will give our point of view some airing. We hope this will contribute to changes in society, towards a secular society.

Filed under: atheism, humanism, Meetings, political issues, Press, radio | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Changes the Mid West Humanists seek to the Constitution summer 2012

Posted on July 24th, 2012 by peterohara

The meetings in June and July 2012 decided in favour of a list of changes to the Constitution of Ireland.

The Mid West Humanists seek these changes in order to make the Constitution fit with a secular state. People should have freedom to have a religion, or not have a religion. The State should not show different levels of favour to people or organisations of different religions, or different levels of favour between those with religions and those with no religion.

The State should not put any value on people having a religion. It should be indifferent to this. The State’s concern is that people should obey the law.

The list of the changes that the Mid West Humanists favour is on the Meetings Report page.

The next meeting of the Mid West Humanists is on the Next Meeting page. At the meeting on 15 August 2012, we will discuss the plan to take the list of changes to the TDs in the Mid West region of Ireland, that is, Limerick city and the counties of Limerick, Clare, and North Tipperary. We hope to make these visits in the remaining months of 2012.

Filed under: announcements, blasphemy, constitution, humanism, ireland, Meetings, political issues, presidency, religion | Tagged: , , , , | 2 Comments »

Changes the Mid West Humanists seek in the Constitution of Ireland – decided at meetings 20 June and 18 July 2012

Posted on July 23rd, 2012 by peterohara

This post dates from 23 July 2012, but I added a bit from the meeting on 15 August – on Article 6.

The meetings of the Mid West Humanists in the Absolute Hotel Limerick on 20 June and 18 July 2012 examined the Constitution of Ireland, examined its articles that include parts that are unfair to people of no religion and are contrary to a secular society and government.
The Mid West Humanists seek to change some parts of some articles.

This is so that groups of at least 2 Mid West Humanists will go to every Mid West TD’s clinic, over the following months, to show them the list of changes we seek, and to explain why we seek them.

Here are the articles which the meetings thought ought to be changed. I list each article first as it is in force now. Text that the Mid West Humanists want to be deleted is in italic letters. The text as it is today has an asterisk * where our suggested new version has extra words. After each article I list the same article as the meetings thought it ought to be, and any new words the Mid West Humanists want to be added are in bold letters.

Continue reading →

Filed under: humanism | Leave a comment »

Meetings summer 2012 on the Constitution

Posted on July 9th, 2012 by peterohara

The June 2012 meeting looked at features of the Constitution of Ireland that have religious content and are incompatible with a secular state. These articles discriminate against people who have no religion.
The meeting voted that many parts of articles would be best removed.
At the next meeting on 18 July 2012, the meeting is to examine further articles.
When the list of articles that should be changed in order to make the Constitution fully secular is complete, some of the Mid West Humanists will visit the TDs in the region to put the case for these amendments to the Constitution.

Filed under: blasphemy, education, humanism, ireland, political issues, politics, presidency, religion | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a comment »

Hiatus

Posted on April 7th, 2012 by Jason

This blog has taken something of an extended break over the last few months. We’re hoping that’ll change and that we’ll have new posts soon.

In the meantime you can find details of our meetings here and contact us here.

You can also visit some like minded sites –

Atheist Ireland

Irish Skeptics Society

Humanist Association of Ireland

Cork Skeptics

Hopefully those groups will provide something for everyone.

Filed under: atheism, humanism, Meetings, skepticism | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »

Doubt Your Religion? You Can Be Happy Without It

Posted on September 12th, 2011 by larry1506

In July the report on the (bad) management of sexual abuse claims in the Cloyne diocese was published, and our Taoiseach Enda Kenny spoke soon after in the Dáil about how we should not have a religious institution (or a foreign state) obstructing our laws and procedures that we have to protect our children. So at our meeting in Limerick on 20 July 2011 the group thought that people who might be leaning towards not having religion, but who did not know anyone else inclined that way, might be in more need than usual of meeting other such people. So we plan to hold a facilitated discussion with this as our title on 21 September at 20:00 in the Carlton Castletroy Park Hotel, Limerick .

Filed under: humanism | 3 Comments »

“What Should Replace Religion?” – Daniel Dennett

Posted on January 25th, 2011 by Jason

I’m very late adding this but the UCC Atheists are hosting a free lecture by Daniel Dennett on Friday 28th of January at 18.00 in Boole 4 on the UCC Campus.

Professor Daniel C. Dennett is arguably one of the greatest philosophers alive today, and one of the most prominent voices in the debate on scientific explanations of human consciousness and free will. He is co-director of the Center for Cognitive Studies in Tufts University, as well as a noted atheist and advocate of Darwinian evolution. He has written such widely popular books as ‘Consciousness Explained’, ‘Freedom Evolves’, ‘Darwin’s Dangerous Idea’, and ‘Breaking the Spell’.

On Friday the 28th of January he will be speaking in UCC on the decline of religion in Western society in recent years, and what future, if any, we see for it.

This event is open to all and FREE. (His talk at Seminars in Dublin the night before costs €40 per ticket!)

Please come along and invite any friends you think might be interested! Arrive early to avoid disappointment!

You can get more details and indicate you’re going on Facebook here, or just turn up on the night.

Filed under: announcements, atheism, cultural issues, debate, humanism, Meetings, religion | Leave a comment »

Questions for Election Candidates

Posted on January 20th, 2011 by larry1506

 

Time for us all to go into election mode.  I’ve seen a lot of elections and to my shame I’ve never properly engaged with politicians.  They came to my door, shook my hand and muttered some platitudes and comments about me doing my best for them on polling day and that was it.  How were they to know what my priorities really were?  Well not any more – I intend to ask each canvasser a small number of questions about the issues that matter to me.  Their answers will inform my decision about how I will vote and hopefully my questions will inform them about the kind of issues I’m concerned about.

We discussed this at the January meeting of the mid-west humanists.  There was general agreement that it is a good idea and that perhaps we should go further.  Some organisations issue questions to candidates and publish the answers as a kind of voters guide.  It is a very good way for an interest group to let politicians and the wider public know about their concerns.  See this example from the Atheist Community of Austin.

We decided to draw up a list of questions relating to humanist/atheist/skeptic concerns that we could send to candidates and publish their answers.  The very fact of sending out a press release will generate interest in the topics chosen and in our work because the media is always looking for new angles during an election.  Listed below are some suggested questions. 

  1. Do you favour bringing education fully into state control?
  2. Do you favour having no law against blasphemy?
  3. Do you favour removing the requirement in the constitution that judges and the president swear a religious oath on entering office?
  4. Do you favour the introduction of legislation to regulate abortion?
  5. Do you favour the removal of funding for religious chaplains in state funded institutions?

Please feel free to suggest amendments or additional questions in the comments.

Filed under: humanism | 8 Comments »

Independant Roman Catholic

Posted on January 20th, 2011 by larry1506

 

It seems to me being in Fianna Fail is a lot like being in a religion.  And like a religion it’s hard to leave.  So what does a TD or Senator do when they have a difference of opinion with the party?  They become Independent Fianna Fail.  Is this the answer for Catholics who still subscribe to the principles of their religion but want to express their disdain for the organisation and its failings?  Style themselves as Independent Roman Catholic.  And it could be a bit like moving from a contract phone to Pay as You Go – make a contribution when they go to mass and pay for any ceremonies needed like weddings, funerals etc.

Filed under: humanism | 1 Comment »

« Previous Page — Next Page »