(July 23, 2013 at 4:22 am)Fidel_Castronaut Wrote: Well Vicki do you have evidence of atheists propagating violence in NI?
Are you seriously suggesting that there aren't atheists involved in the violence?
I'm reminded of the old joke:
A journalist, researching for an article on the complex political situation in Northern Ireland, was in a pub in a war-torn area of Belfast. One of his potential informants leaned over his pint of Guinness and suspiciously cross-examined the journalist: "Are you a Catholic or a Protestant?" the Irishman asked.
"Neither," replied the journalist; "I'm an atheist."
The Irishman, not content with this answer, put a further question: "Ah, but are you a Catholic atheist or a Protestant atheist?"
Quote:Whilst I would certainly agree that the divide in NI as as much political as it is religious, the political terms you mention above can only be used to describe one religious community or the other.
I agree however that a lot is being done by inter-community groups to help foster greater unity and less partition. However, it must also be said that an equal number of groups are doing just as much to undermine that.
It is worth remembering that at various times in the Troubles, significant numbers of Protestants signed up for the Nationalist cause and some of these, such as Wolf Tone and Charles Parnell, are extremely important in the Irish Nationalist story. And indeed there is a significant Catholic Unionist community.
I'm not pretending that religion isn't a factor in all this, but anyone suggesting this is playing out like Shia/Sunni seriously needs to read a good book on Irish history.
I think I would, up to a point, go along with your suggestion that if religion is creating issues, it is also trying to solve them. I'm sure you picked up from my link that 174 Trust is an overtly Christian organisation seeking resolution across the communities.
