Murphy Report and a secularist challenge to the church
national |
rights, freedoms and repression |
other press 
Thursday December 03, 2009 22:33
by Anne Mc Shane
Annegmcshane at eircom dot net
This article forcuses on the significance of the recent revelations in the Murphy Report for the left. Anne Mc Shane argues that the left needs to take up the struggle for democracy against the Irish state. With the church exposed once again for their sanctimonious hypocritical and abusive behaviour the time is right for such a challenge.
The Irish state embodies theocratic and reactionary rule. The Church has a great deal of influence and power, particularly on social questions. Article 6 of the constitution states: “All powers of government, legislative, executive and judicial, derive under god from the people.” Organised religion - specifically the Catholic church - is the ultimate power. This system must end. We can and must fight for a democratic, secular republic. The working class has every interest in constitutionally separating the church from the state. Tax breaks and charitable status must end and catholic schools become state schools. The church should be stripped of all riches.
Comments (1 of 1)
Jump To Comment: 1And personally I agree that the church needs top be removed from our lives and we need to have a secularist society. However in recent times I have watched how such a secular part of society is so easily hijacked by capitalism and consumption for it's own sake. It seems to me that the weaker minded in society need some thing to fill that meaningless void. They have not the strength to come to terms with the utter arbitrariness of a cold empty uncaring universe and their utter insignificance within it as meat machine carriers of mindless genes for which they do the bidding.
This will eventually lead to social collapse unless we replace it. What we need is to break society down into smaller interdependent and autonomous communities where people have strong bonds with each other and engage in fulfilling communal activities, so they don't have this gaping emptiness and sense of futility eating at them. However that is diametrically opposed to capitalism which would like us all to be individual consuming units sitting on front of a screen accepting their consumer reality with superficial relationships and communication with others to inhibit the indoctrination.
So..the way forward:
(0)Revolution...march on the dail and physically kick out the government. they'll never leave of their own accord
(1)kick out the church and ban religion
(2)start the process of forming smaller autonomous eco- collectives where people have purpose, interdependency and meaning
(3)reject capitalism and it's cynical destructive values
How likely do you think any of this is to happen? I'd say Nil alas. People are too stupid to face reality and see what is really good for them in the long run. Perhaps it's just easier to leave them to Fianna fail and their daft gods. The alternative social breakdown may be just as bad (except for the guilt, repression and rampant abuse of course)
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