Not your pleasant, nice to hear melodic church
me if you can' domineering and monotonous
early morning up until sometimes quite late in the

day. Sometimes the peels sound in three bursts of

DOES THE CHURCH STILL DOMINATE IRELAND?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Religion is a mighty weird subject. It has been responsible for the murder of more people than any single motive in the world, even greed, all in the name of something ‘good’. Religion. Holding on to the belief that somehow things are going to get better ‘in the next life’ whilst, for many, the things of this life are scorned, even abstained from.

Odd that. Religion has always been good for similes, so how about this. It can be compared with someone who lives surrounded with ample food in a field without an exit, but who never eats of the food because of a belief that there is something ‘better’ to come. I leave you to form your own opinion.

It is no secret that the Catholic Church held Ireland in a rigid grip of steel for many decades by a clergy bent on instilling fear and guilt into a population for their own power domination purposes and not for any beneficial religious or spiritual education of their flock. In truth, looking at the facts of history, the spiritual education of the flock was the very least beneficial aspect of the actions of the Church.

Regardless of poverty( see The Poverty Truth) in the population, the Church has long been one of the most affluent bodies in Ireland, keeping its riches far removed from the reach of the average man in the street. Today the Church is extremely wealthy, wealthy enough to replace the heavy, loudly insistent single church bells with softer, more appealing, more aesthetic and certainly more socially acceptable bells. Why then doesn't it?

It didn't and hasn't because the church bell was and still is perceived by those serving the church as a symbol of its and their power. It cut through the thoughts of all within hearing. It left no room for avoidance. It was and still is the church exerting its latent dominance.

Moving on, I was approached by two dear ladies while sitting in a public park in the centre of Limerick in Ireland on a fine sunny day. They said they were from a Catholic order and joined me on my bench.

I was suprised when one of them began stating her belief that the Catholic faith and religion was the “one true religion”, as she put it, and the “only direct line to God”.

Religion has a great deal to answer for, notably all that has been wrongfully done in its name down the years. The stoic adherence to such dogmatic thought as revealed by the two ladies in the park is itself worrying.

Those who live life with all thoughts on the so-called hereafter do life itself a grave injustice. They diminish the true value of life itself in a simple cop out, placing the beauty of its existence beneath their egotistical pedestals of dogma.

Whatever comes after the close of our lives comes after and there ain't nothing we nor anyone on the face of the earth can do about it. How we live our lives is our own business too. Life itself is a learning process for all and some are more fortunate than others in having more time, help or ability for inward reflection.

If this is not enough to ponder on, may I suggest that you pore through the Newsmedianews Interviews With God, by reporter Nickumbonjoi Unkleshstroodlestom.

Meanwhile, if you follow religion for any reason and wish to air your thoughts, send them to news with the word religion as subject.

Peace.

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