Ireland losing its religion - among top ten atheist countries

I tried a program of spiritual starvation - atheism- and it was a failure. Here are people talking about proof of God's existence. God exists in the heart of good men and women and how they treat other people. And what exists in the hearts of good people can't be destroyed by the words of unbelievers. What is in the hearts of good people does not depend on the existence of a particular building and will survive the rejoicings, insults and sneerings, the attempts to destroy faith in others by logic of the unbeliever.

Dean. What colour is the sky in your world? Even if the logic held up (which it doesn't) where is the verifiable evidence that the risen Jesus revealed his risen self to 2,000 witnesses. You can hardly view the bible as such.

Presuming the article is accurate, it can be attributed to the spread of degenerate materialist doctrines from the anglo-sphere. Every great nation in history has had a solid spiritual underpinning to its society (Sumeria, Egypt, Greece, etc.).

This is the sort of concocted 'news' that Irish Central loves to propagate. Never a positive, always the pathetic Irish. Are you ever there to go to Mass in rural towns I wonder. Whenever I go there there is plenty of activity, and even 'dropping in' to say a prayer during the day will always find someone else there already.

Ireland has regained The Shirt Off Its Back, but has lost its First Holy Communion, Pray For Us St. Christopher medallion ?

The Gallup International Poll findings in Ireland are inconclusive. These Irish atheists, were they entirely Catholic atheists,or were some Protestant atheists? Only asking.

I'm always skeptical of polls but when the total adds up to 101% ... hmmm. There is of course a difference between atheism and just not going to church.

When a country falls away from God and his teachings, the country will fall. Also, there will come a Day when the atheist will say, "Jesus, I really messed up".

I believe in a supreim being or entity I just don't believe in some snot nose kid with a collar to tell me all about it. Stephen IV dug up his predecessor Formoses in 800 something, put the corpse on trial, found him guilty and had his bones thrown in the Tiber. Suicide was declared a mortal sin in the 14th century during the plague in Europe because free serf labor was becoming hard to find. Oh and don't forget "we are going to burn you to death for the good of your soul" I was watching "Imus in the morning" this AM and he had on some kid who couldn't have been 30 yet who had the gall to tell me and the audience that "God wants me to be happy" that's what brought on this rant.

I suspect its not as it seems. There are probably far more people just not saying what they practice or believe. You see with so much of the "troubles" having been painted "Protestant" vs "Catholic" more so than Loyalists vs Republicans, I suspect the great majority of people have already put it behind them with the hope of building a new and less violent future. Unfortunately, one way to "keep the trouble sleeping" is to not shout aloud your religious belief. Not sure, just what I think.

Thank God im an Atheist !

Just goes to show what becomes of a well-educated population. Similar results would be evident in the better-educated sections of the US.

The smart alec comments of the likes of Brian Delaney and Gordongoblin will rapidly change when they face a crisis , then they all suddenly find God and ask for help ! I frequent a Catholic Church each week and do not see this fall off in numbers attending as a hostile media tries to report . The Catholic Church has established traditions ,beliefs and rules . Anyone who does not conform to these is free to leave and do their own thing . The fact that they dont obey the rules does not make the Church wrong for stating its own position and being expected to change to suit these people .I dont like all the traffic going from the airport ,the police are wrong in not allowing me to drive on the other side of the road so that I may get to my destination quicker . Very narrow minded and traditional these police , I should have the right to do my own thing according to my conscience ! By the way these polls are a load of crap with a bigoted agenda and will never achieve the desired result , namely the extinction of the Church .

without St Patrick's existance the Irish would have contributed little to the world - few would would know of them - their Eirhinn would've been long incorporated like Wales by their mother occupier. Simple enough to understand - eh what?

Great news for Ireland!