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Post by An Fear Dubh on Apr 9, 2007 23:33:29 GMT
A survey for the RTE program '30 Bliain Ag Posadh' says that 50% of the south's Catholics attend mass every week compared with 90% in 1977 in a survey for RTE then.
Atheists now accout for 12%, compared with 1% in 1977.
Parents are now indifferent to what religion their children follow compared to 1977, when Catholic parent were more insistant. In 1977 7% said their children were free to make up their own minds on religion compared to 82% in the recent survey.
Is the fall of the supremacy of religion a good thing or does it indicate a breakdown of morals in society?
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Post by Wasp on Apr 10, 2007 1:07:09 GMT
Mmmm good question. First of all IMO family values help protect society further. Sadly many parents split up and this can affect the kids. But even worse is the fact that some of these parents don't give a toss about their kids and aren't bothered about going to see them. Even families who have remained together have this same problem.
IMO family values are central to helping children and of course they need to be taught and chastized when they do wrong, and praised when they do right. Rleigion can and does play a central role but sometimes they overstep the mark. After a period of time people start to resent this role of the church and then that particular religion's churchs etc can be demonized by the very people who used to attend. I think religion should be down to a matter of choice not having it be forced upon you.
Hope I am making sense as that is a good and interesting question.
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Post by bearhunter on Apr 10, 2007 1:17:07 GMT
How can it be anything but a good thing. People are clearly sick of having fairy tales rammed down their throats and being told how to conduct their private lives and fair play to them. The country is a better place than it was in 1977, when small town Ireland was still the Valley of the Squinting Windows and mass attendance was based on what the neighbours would say rather than any commitment to God.
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Post by An Fear Dubh on Apr 10, 2007 9:09:57 GMT
50% SAID they went every week, some may have been telling fibs.
And yes, Wasp you are making sense this time, and I can agree with a lot of what you are saying.
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Post by Shades40 on Apr 10, 2007 11:09:13 GMT
If a country is poor people turn to relegion.
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Post by Republic on Apr 10, 2007 11:14:04 GMT
Im agreeing with bearhuunter on this one. The sooner the influence of the RCC is gone, the better.
SEtanta is right too, its the older generation who are keeping the figures up. wait and see what attendances are going to be like in 20 years. The only thing i can see keeping up RCC attendances is the polish immigrants and the 'nominally' catholic, ie those who are conditioned to say they are catholic, but in practice, actually aren't.
The sindo has actually wrote some good articles about Irelands ''protestant catholics''!!!!!
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