Dawkins Urges Constitutional Reform to Remove Church Role [Ireland]

Irish Times ^ | 6/6/11 | Patsy McGarry

[marshmallow]

FREEDOM OF expression and of religion “should be limited only by the need to respect the rights and freedoms of others”, according to the Dublin Declaration on Secularism and the Place of Religion in Public Life, adopted unanimously at the World Atheist Convention yesterday.

The declaration also states that “the sovereignty of the State is derived from the people and not from any God or gods”.

Speaking to The Irish Times yesterday, well-known atheist Prof Richard Dawkins said the Irish Constitution should be reformed to “remove all influence of the Roman Catholic Church and all other churches . . . incorporating tolerance for all religions”.

Referring to the oath that must be taken by Irish presidents and judges, he said they might as well take an oath “to Zeus or Thor” as to God.

He “rejoiced” at the growth of secularism in Ireland and when he read the papers “about the pathetically diminished number of priests”.

He hoped the churches would “wither away”, describing the Catholic Church as “an evil institution . . . by far the worst where the churches are concerned”.

The three-day convention also launched Atheists Alliance International, a newly restructured umbrella group for atheists worldwide, whose first chairwoman is Tanya Smith of the Atheist Foundation of Australia.

[pnh102]

Yawn. So we're supposed to be impressed by another coward who preaches in a land where his right to do so is protected, ironically based on Christian teachings.

Let's see this guy go do the same thing in Tehran or Riyadh.

[Elendur]

” “should be limited only by the need to respect the rights and freedoms of others”, “
///
Sharia law, which is THE law, for hundreds of millions, by definition gives less rights and freedoms to women, gays, and all non-muslims.
...it is by ANY objective standard, orders of magnitude worse than the Irish constitution.

next year, instead of sitting safely in Dublin Ireland, Dawkins should show some real courage, and have in conference in Mecca, or Tehran, and apply his same princicples there...

[Old Landmarks]

Richard Dawkins, a left wing ‘statist’ who also wants big government bureaucrats to take away the right of parents to teach their own children any view of reality which disagrees with Richard Dawkins. What an arrogant big government blowhard.

[Cronos]

describing the Catholic Church as “an evil institution . . . by far the worst where the churches are concerned”.

That's a compliment if Dawkins says it. One thing -- the Devil really knows who his big earthly enemy is!

[circlecity]

"The declaration also states that “the sovereignty of the State is derived from the people and not from any God or gods”."

Which is just another way of saying "might makes right."