Ireland losing its religion - among top ten atheist countries

DeanJackson could you clarify what you mean?

Metaphysical concepts such as the existence of a deity will never be definitively proven or disproven by mechanical science - anyone conflating the two makes a basic category error (that said, DeanJackson makes good inferential points). IDFRason makes excellent points - like it or not history shows humans to be spiritual beings - when this is abandoned, something must fill the void (Nietzsche recognized that Western Europe's abandonment of spirituality would lead to nihilism - currently blunted primarily by mass consumption/instant gratification).

10% convinced Atheists? Big deal, I would assume if this poll was taken 25 years ago the number would have been much lower purely due to the stigma of being an Atheist. 47% consider themselves faithful or religious, 44% not religious - would that be those who don't attend church on a regular basis ? or those that believe and just don't bother to go? 50,000 respondents polled, what is the cross section? Rural vs urban? education levels? etc ?

Seems it is much easier to cast off religion and all its "Requirements" in this age of instant gratification, plurality, conformity, the rise of ME, the rise of so called Reason. I am fairly neutral one way or another but nothing annoys me more than a boisterous self serving Atheist who feels the need to tell everyone about their beliefs or lackthereof and how those that are deists are just sheep or somehow primitive. Almost as bad the selfrighteous religious. I have been to both theocracies (Saudi Kingdom) and so called atheocracies (?) China is probably the most atheistic country i have had the pleasure to work in, and honestly I don't see how the poeple are any better for it. Folks in Pakistan, Saudi, etc are definitely more clearly defined in their beliefs and the theocracy of their government and I fail to see their betterment for it. Fact is take away relgion and we will quickly replace it with something else, some other Ism or Ideology, capitalism, communism, so called humanism.

Whew! Now we have someone in charge of the "right to call yourself Catholic" posting below. "Lemme outa' here!"-- as the one in five Irish who gave up on religion have already said.

Besides my own beliefs, for this forum I'll side with Pascal.

princess, what does indeciscision between Obama and Romney have to do with calling ones self Catholic? Mr Obama's beliefs have been charectarized as liberal Protestant (Rev Wright's Church in Chicago) shaped by Marxist philosophy (God is dead movement) but tempered by Islamic tradition of his father and step father (Ah, there's the connection, a prime tenet of Islam is "submission" and of the R.C. church it's "obedience."). Mr Romney's faith, however, has an all male defined priesthood with a church head that has some devine authority. Nothing like RC doctrine, eh? Ironically, both say they wish to help the poor and downtroden, it's just that they advocate such different policies to achieve these goals. That means that WE have to quit throwing stereotypes and start thinking and using that God given (if you believe) intelligence to do the best thing. This is important, not only for the USA, but, because we are the 800lb gorilla in the room, it affects everyone from Dublin to Dubai.

If you're undecided about Obama or Romney then you've all forgotten Jesus' message and you've forfeited any right to call yourself Catholic

I think a lot of people were turned off by religion due to seeing hypocrisy and even experiencing pedophilia/sexual abuse at the hands of the so-called "shepherds" of their flocks. Maybe those are isolated incidents but it takes just a few apples to spoil the proverbial bunch; freedom of religion is a right we share, just as not believing is a right as well. Make your own choice and live with the consquences.

DeanJackson, and forget about your conspiracy theories. These polls represent ex-members of various churches and denominations, and all have pretty much the same reasons for leaving and for rejecting "doctrine" and church "authority." Nothing to do with communists in the Vatican and everything to do with the behavior of churchmen and their followers at the parish and diocesan levels.

DeanJackson, I doubt that anyone will reply to your rehashed Augustinian Neo-Platonic ideas about the existence of God. Failure of intellectual conviction is NOT the problem recorded in this poll. Do some research; read the Pew Forum surveys, which researchers analyze to understand why people are abandoning organized religion. A profound failure of moral authority in clergy and hierarchy, a crisis of legitimacy stemming from coverups and criminal-level corruption, the deterioration of houses of God into sloganeering political protest groups determined to subjugate women to papal doctrine, forays by bishops into courts and legislatures to impose their discredited--indeed widely rejected-- theology on the laws that govern us all, their obsession with lashing human sexuality up in rules and doctrines, subjecting women and LGBTs to inequality and discrimination, censorship of dissent, etc. You're doing your cause no good with your approach. Take a look around. "Church" has become to many, especially 18-29-year-olds, just a dangerous, fearsome mob tending toward tyranny. That's the situation these data represent. Try working on that, and forget about your "proofs."

misneac Yes, be a good obedient little sheep, do as your told, do not question anything and believe you know what is on the other side of the veil. Oh one day you will find out how you were conned and groomed to believe the lies. But for the moment live in your illusion.You are the one who projected a crisis onto others here- remember, the mirror of Tem.

Nicomax, My Episcopal church here in the Washington, DC region of the USA is full of successful, bright, highly educated people with college and university degrees and many of them well-traveled having been to Europe and Asia, etc. Some are lawyers, foresters, one of the parishioners is employed at a prestigious scientific institution, etc. One is a man from Germany working at an very important agency in the USA ... FDA (Food and Drug Administration that does lab work toward food and drug labeling standards, etc). Many of my fellow parishioners are not only highly educated, talented and skilled people, but many of them are liberal in political belief. Showing that just because you are liberal, modern, up-to-date, highly educated and successful doesn't mean you don't want a faith tradition of some kind.

gordongoblin, Is drochsceal e sin. Eire gan chreideamh, Eire gan anam.

Cillowen, Simpli go leor a thuiscint.