How many of you would like to see this being implemented in Ireland? Personally I’d be in favor, make the informed decision when you’re an adult.

19 comments

  1. Couldn’t do it at the minute, every day of school would be illegal for 90pc of kids!

    I think it would be great though. I remember my niece went from a curious kid who questioned, after going to school changed to thinking god did everything so no need to question anything.

  3. It isn’t about making informed decision though, it is about preventing specific types of abuse mentioned in the article. Not being able to make informèd decision would not count as abuse

  5. I think this is more a response to former Japanese PM Abe’s murder (motivated by his party’s links to a cult) than to do with kids not having to go to mass.

  7. This would mean secularising all schools. Definitely in favour of, but even people who support the idea would probably stop short of this.

  8. That’s a step in the right direction !

    I think you should only be allowed to learn about religion once your 18 so you can recognise the complete fairytale horseshit it is,the world would be a more peaceful place that’s for sure.

    Religion is distilled superstition and complete mental abuse full stop.

  9. I don’t know what religion class is like these days. I remember back in the 90s it was basically catholic class. I wouldn’t be opposed to kids learning about religion as a whole, take the Christian bias of it and it becomes a very different kind of class that would be beneficial to kids.

  10. Yea please! The kid rapists club should be kept far away from being able to inflict their will on children especially during the school day when parents and guardians aren’t there

  11. I think religion could be taught as a general Humanist or Philosophical studies, comparing faiths with each other, showing how their myths all intersect etc. Maybe more like folklore studies, or Anthropology.

  12. Would this mean Islamic parents couldn’t make their child wear religious garb of any kind? Or Jewish parents couldn’t circumcise their child for religious reasons?

  13. assumed Japan was relatively secular. The traditional Shinto philosophy less about sycophantic groveling worship of an intangible deity.

    …More about transmitting traditional ideas of the collective interest, duty, the value of kind deeds and personal responsibility that will ensure the ongoing stability of Japanese society/ “good Kami”.

    South Korea is relatively Christian. The Moonies cult originating there decades ago being one example of meslionic type cuit based upon an interpretation of Christianity. Ultimately collapsing into scandal and disrepute..

    There was that terrible sarin gas terror attack years ago in Tokyo, one of their subway systems targeted by members of some sort of deranged yoga and meditation doomsday cuit..

  16. Reading the article, you’d find this:

    > The law stipulates four types of abuse: physical, sexual, neglect and psychological.

    > Inciting fear by telling children they will go to hell if they do not participate in religious activities, or preventing them from making decisions about their career path, is regarded as psychological abuse and neglect in the guidelines.

    Basically the children can still be forced to participate, just not abusively.

  17. Every cultural, societal, ethical norm is pushed onto kids without their will. Don’t see why religion is any different. That what it means to be a child.

  18. Religion should be an adults only pursuit. It would be hard to prevent parents from instilling religion into their own children though.

  19. How many adults in Ireland do you know who remained religious after all of being raised Catholic. Maybe a few outliers but no one is practicing it in Ireland if they don’t want to.

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