There are two things that certainly will be in the news these days, a story about Israel and housing and a story about a priest who abused children while the church gazed off into space. Still another example emerged when Bishop Seamus Hegarty announced that he had known about a priest who sexually abused an [...]

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The ongoing saga of paedophile priests in Ireland continues with an apology from Cardinal Sean Brady for his failure to adequately handle a case of child abuse in 1975 when two children were compelled to take a vow of silence while the church conducted an investigation. Cardinal Brady now admits the police should immediately have [...]

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Every so often a group of humans passes a law or expresses an idea which is so ludicrous as to deserve some sort of award for stupidity. The Irish government has passed a “blasphemy law” which makes it a crime to tell a member of a religion that his ideas are weird or lacking in [...]

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According to fox News haters of democracy, the only way to save the city or to save the nation from the bomb ticking in a subway is to torture someone into revealing the place of explosion so the 24 crew can rush to the scene and prevent mayhem. However, in real life, solid police work [...]

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Over the past twenty years, Ireland has witnessed the arrival of new immigrants from African, Middle Eastern, and South American countries. At a recent conference, many Irish human rights advocates demanded passage of a law that would declare illegal female genital mutilation(FGM). According to Labor Senator Ivana Bacik, “there is a lack of clarity as [...]

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It is all too common on blogs to single out stories concerning abuse by priests or nuns as examples of the failure of religion. For example, a priest in Ireland is accused of sexually assaulting a young girl, and after the abuse making her say 10 Hail Marys in order to seek penance. Obviously, the [...]

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A new strict blasphemy law in Ireland makes it a serious crime punishable by a fine of up to $44,000 for anyone who has the audacity to deny the existence of the Almighty. The law defines blasphemy as “publishing or uttering matter that is grossly abusive or insulting in relation o matters sacred by any [...]

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A recent report on the existence of child sexual abuse in Catholic churches continues to reverberate throughout Ireland. Bishops Eamon Walsh and Raymond Field were the latest members of the Catholic clergy to resign after evidence emerged there had been neglect in protecting the rights of children. They issued a statement: “As we celebrate the [...]

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Pope Benedict accepted the resignation of Bishop Donal Murray in Ireland because of his “inexcusable” mishandling of child abuse cases. Over the years, parents and children made complaints regarding the behavior of priests, but the good bishop decided to ignore their statements because of his firm belief that priests were men of God, not [...]

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Three Irish women are appealing to the European Human Rights Court to have the right to an abortion in their native land of Ireland. Although Ireland in 1992 granted the right to an abortion if the life of the mother was threatened, the plaintiffs argue most doctors are afraid to draw upon that law because [...]

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