Calling atheists in Northern Ireland
February 23, 2012 by Mark Embleton
Filed under Atheism
Please get in touch or we’ll miss the opportunity.
It was some months ago that we put out our original call for atheists living in Northern Ireland to contact us with a view to forming an active group there. We had quite a bit of interest and a few people tried to organize a local meeting to get the group started, but this has not materialized.
More recently, one of our Northern Ireland members, Tom Johnston, kindly volunteered to persevere with this and coordinate setting up the inaugural meeting, but the response has been disappointing. Here is a recent message from Tom:
“I am determined to fight the religious hatred here in NI once and for all. I cannot and will not stand by and watch those I love being decieved by hatred. I will uphold the fact that there is no god and that people are not going to suffer in hell. I am a former teacher with the International Bible School, and I can fight the religious bigots, but I need your help. So come on Northern Ireland, let us stand together. Please please contact me and I’ll do my best go get this group going, but I need your help!
You can contact Tom here.
Atheism UK was set up for active atheists who want to make a difference - it’s time for action!
Yet again no response, I have decided that I will work alone and just post any news from NI on the Atheism site. I have given people ample time to contact me and yet no one has done so.
My 6 year old grandson was told in school that if he didn’t give up playing his xbox for lent, he would be letting god down. This sort of thing is totally out of order, what does a 6 yr old know about god, aprt from the lies they are taught on their RE classes.
Tom
Alright Tom. There is quite a few atheists here on the facebook page for Humanist society of Northern Ireland has 100+ members and we regularly post material. Theres is a always people who want to fight against the overwhelming power the churches have here. Times they are a changing and with the new census data coming out soon we’ll get a good look at the numbers
I regitered my interest when this was first mentioned but received no further emails. I popped onto the site today and this is the frst thing I have heard since then.
Tom doesn’t appear ot reply to emails!
If there is any assistance that the AtheismUK Council could provide to help out, please let us know!
what about paying for an advertisement for AtheismUK in Northern Ireland to be featured in ‘Hi!’ or ‘Humanism Ireland’ which is the all-Ireland Humanist magazine?
I’ve just sent Tom an email. Thought this would have happened by now. Keep me informed peeps
i am a anti-theist atheist living in northern ireland im ready to do whatever it takes to rid normal none fairy tale believing people of these stupid ill educated knuckle dragging pond scum.
ok … that’s @ least 3 of us guys. we can organise this from here (I still havn’t had a reply from Tom) How about this … I will set up an AtheismNI facebook group and we can move forward from there? (Is this ok with AtheismUK given that Tom had been nominated to co-ordinate ??) If so, once I’ve set up the group I will notify here.
THE OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE SHOWN AN INTEREST ON HERE WOULD OF COURSE NEED TO SAY HERE THAT THEY WOULD JOIN THE GROUP ON FB … OTHERWISE THERE WOULD BE NO POINT. ALTERNATIVELY- LET ME KNOW IF ANYONE HAS A GOOD IDEA FOR THIS TO PROCEED IN ANOTHER DIRECTION.
Hi All
Wolfhound, I have never received any of your emails. Also my laptop was being repaired so I haven’t beeen able to contact anyone. By all means feel free to set up a facebook, I am more interested in setting up a website for Atheism NI, where we can have a forum etc, any help to set this up would be apreciated.
Again let me apoligise but circumstances were beyond my control, I will now be on here mostly daily if I can. My email address is in the UK site so feel free.
Hope you all understand, and I do have a lot to offer atheism in NI.
Tom
Hi Tom
I did email, maybe I typed the address wrong or something (I guess I should have checked that before now.)
Thanks for getting back to us on here and I see no need to set up a FB group if you are in process of developing another avenue. There is not pont in splitting our efforts & resources when our numbers are already so small.
I will be glad to help in any way possible.
Ray
Hi Ray
Thanks for getting back to me again, I would apreciate any help you could give me with setting up a website, or if you know anyone who clould help us with this?
Maybe we could get together sometime and talk some things over?
A lot of people have let me down and at one point I felt like just working on my own, we can’t let the creationists have all there own way its been happening for to long. Let me know what you think of the website Ray and lets see what w can do.
Thanks again
Tom
Tom
I will fire you through an email within the next week.
All
We’ve added a new public thread on our Forum called:
‘Northern Ireland atheists (public forum)’
See link below (or click the Forum tag in the menu bar):
http://www.atheismuk.com/forum/?mingleforumaction=vforum&g=6.0
There has been a dedicated NI forum on this web site for some time now, but it was only visible to those who asked to be added to it and has not been used recently.
This new addition is visible to everyone, so we hope this will make it easier for atheists living in Northern Ireland to contact each other and discuss issues, actions and ideas.
Over to you to start posting…
Not too sure what’s going on but I seem to have lost the main forum, it’s not showing up anywhere and I can’t find it!
Hi Graham
Just click on form at the top and scroll down you will see a forum for Northern Ireland. Also my email address is tomjohnston50@yahoo.co.uk
Graham
Just one of those web site glitches – now fixed.
I fired that initial email through Tom. I’m hoping others here are emailing through also.
Hi Ray
Your email came through as spam for some reason. It wont let me reply.
The Atheism UK site has reopened a forum for NI only.
However I would like to set up a Atheism NI website.
I agree with you about childrens education here, my 6 yr old grandson was told by his teacher not to play with his XBox over lent or he would be very bad.
I think we need to oppose this strongly in our schools.
Tom
Just watched a BBC programme on the abuse of children by the RC church, and surprise, surprise, the all Ireland leader of the RC church Cardinal Brady knew all the details and told no one, yet he refuses to resign. He is a self serving power hungry bastard. He could have stopped the abuse in 1975 yet he failed to contact police or the childrens families. The RC church should be finished after these revelations, all religion is the same, they look after their own to hell with the ordinary people. God does not exist, and if he does he is not fit to be worshipped, if he is all powerful why didn’t he stop the abuse. Why doesnt he do something abut the 500,000 children who die yearly in Africa. Come on people! God is not real. We are real we can change things.
Pressure growing on Brady to resign, he should take the rest of the church with him, and let people live a real life, with no fear of going to hell. I would really love to debate one of the church leaders in Northern Ireland.
I would like to hear from all those NI Atheists. Please contact me.
Ray (Wolfhound) you haven’t been in touch again.
There is forum for NI on the UK site please use it.
And once again here is my email. tomjohnston50@yahoo.co.uk.
It won’t do any harm to write on here or to contact me and who know what we can together.
What the last line should read is…who knows what we can do together.
Hi folks I think a face book page for atheists would be easier too set up than a web site. I follow a lot of f/b pages on atheism. I would love to see the day when our kids no longer get brainwashed in primary schools.
Once again Atheists in NI don’t seem interested. There is a forum here guys use it.
Please lets do our bit for those who are trapped in religion, they need help and advice, I can’t do it alone I need help so come on. Where are all the people who emailed me? Where is wolfhoundgrowl? You can write to me here, or in the forum or email me my email address is on the site. So come on!!
For those who believe in god ask yourself was, Mary a whore or was your god a rapist?
Hi Tom
I did write, I asked you ro outline your vison for AtheismNI as an organisaton/movement or whatever it is.
I need to know what the concept s please.
ie FFRF are pursuing a case to remove a war memeorial which features a cross for public property, I consder this petty and a waste of resources, I’m not interested in that sort of thing.
I am interested in breaking down the privileged access which the Churches use to gain access to the minds of young children in schools. I’m interested in ending proselytising among the innocent. I’m interested in campaigning for the scouts to create an alternative oath for children from non-religious backgrounds. I’m interested interested in seeking secular representation in governemnt as we are currently overrun (for the most part, not in totality) wth right-wing fundamentalist Christians in NI.
I don’t think a discussion forum is really what I’m looking for, I’m looking for a pressure-group for issues which will affect future generations.
I want to know what your vision is, I don’t yet know whether we are on the same page.
Hi Ray
I did write back telling you that your email went into my spam, anyone else that emails me the go to my normal email.
I wouldn’t be interested in interfering with war memorials.
I want to oppose the teaching of religion in schools, and I want to know why evolution is not taught.
Im interested in stopping the sex abuse of children by priests and others.
As for the scouts, I agree that non religious kids shouldn’t take an oath.
Right wing fundamentalists are not the only ones forcing religion on people, ALL religious groups are at at. There is secular representation in Government, David Ford is a humanist and si is Anna Lo.
Yet if you are talking about a political party of Atheists I would be up for that, but there are rules that prevent us from excluding people who don’t agreee exactly with our thoughts.
The forum here is good you should use it, and if you feel like going your own way feel free if you think we are not on the same page. You seem hostile and we need calm heads to fight religion, let the churches get hostile, because in the end we will win.
Hope this helps and if you decide you need more or someone else to oppose things then I won’t mind, but if you want to help me I would be pleased, I have a feeling things will move quickly now, with the latest RC Church scandal and that dirty bastard Berendan Smyth, his mate Brady should resign.
All for now bye.
I’m not at all hostile, in fact I don’t want to oppose religion, I simply want civic equality for the non-religious along with the removal of religious privilege for religious organisations. I certainly do not wish to oppose religion, just to put us all on an equal footing (as per the vision of the Brights)
I do want to oppose religion from whatever quarter it comes, it spreads nothing but lies and distrust.
I understand why you say that, but I’d rather he a part of co-operating with those facets of religion which wish to transform religion into something appropriate.
Also, it’s simply not factually true that religion spreads nothing but lies and distrust, it has some good aspects to it as well. Also, fighting religion is fighting with people’s emotions, not their minds, so therefore I don’t think it’s a good idea (except where it explicity abuses the adherents, as in the case of Smyth and the lack of action by Brady or the nurturing of suicide bombers, these thimgs need to be fought), I’d rather engage with the emotions of religious people with a view to transforming.
That’s y I mentioned FFRF war memorial case, not because it’s a war memorial but because it’s fight for fights’ sake, it’s not engaging the religious and it’s not a necessary battle as it’s not taking advantage of any1.
I still think a bigger group is needed . Only a few ppl on here voicing opinions.a f/b page could be the place to start.
BY all means feel free to set up a FB, I however will carry on trying to set up a group that can meet face to face, I wish you luck with it, and religion is full of lies and distrust, I have been there and seen it all.
I will oppse religion in all its form.The churches have been fighting with peoples minds for centuries its time they got a dose of their own medicine.
I cannot and will not stand back and watch people being conned by a god who does not exisit, only in their minds.
I was a preacher Tom. I’ve had a very close relationship with religion too. If you’re Christopher Hitchens debating publicly then a ferocious approach is appropriate, I love Hitchens, he’s my hero, but I’m not Hitchens. When you’re on the ground (as we are) dealing with people in day-to-day living a more gentle approach is required. We’re not on a podium, so it’s probably best not to conduct ourselves as if we are.
A FB group would be a great place from which to build a face-to-face gathering. Movements can be initiated very successfully through FB.
I am a big Hichens fan, and we do need to debate the religious people.
A gentle approach is ok when dealing with ordinary church folk, I am talking about the leaders of the churches, they need to be debated they are the ones peddling the lies, abusing children, hiding behind a false image. The debate can’t stop becuase Hitch has gone, he would want us to carry it on. I been on a podium and maybe will be again, and if I am not then I will still make my voice heard, I wish you nothing but the best, and as I said go and set the FB up, its just not for me, but coming at religion from different angles will do us both good. So good luck with it Ray.
Ok, Tom. I’ll be blatantly honest, it doesn’t look like you’re really that interested in working to set up a group. We have offered a step forward and you have suggested that we therefore go our own way. You don’t want to come with us and you don’t offer an alternative group step. Fair enough. Good luck mate.
The future is bright the future is secular.
Bring on the enBrightenment feverpitch.
No problem Ray. I hope you and feverpitch do well.
Ray, I am totaly dedicated to setting up a group, but the group isn’t about me its about meeting other Atheists and working out a strategy to oppose religion here in NI. I hope you and feverpitch are happy on FB. I really do.
You seemed hostile towards me from the start it is plain to see that all you wanted all along is FB, well I can certainly see it doing some good. I would rather be on the ground talking and debating than doing it on FB, but each to their own.
Thanks for your time Ray and good luck!
Tom (Atheism NI)
I hold no hostilities towards you Tom. None @ all.
I have begun setting up a fb account . Name north Ireland. I will set up a group for atheism in NI very soon.
Cheers. Fever.
Email me at atheist.ni@mail.com
ha, I came here to notify that I was about to set up a facebook group but yes go on ahead mate. I was thinking a good name might be ‘North Irish Nontheists’
It has a bit of alliteration as it rolls, it keeps politics out of it as North Irish is a term which can be embraced by Unionist, Nationalist and Centrist positions (Northern Ireland might sound exclusive to some) and the word ‘Nontheist’ may help with encouraging numbers as agnostics would not feel excluded (as they might feel with the term Atheist- may even attract deists who live without a God even though they may postulate God- we need to be as open as possible to attract numbers because of the culture and society we have in Northern Ireland.)
What do you think?
Or … shall I go ahead and set up a group under ‘North Irish Nontheists’ and set us both as administrators? You ok with that feverpitch? (I’m just being acutely aware that we need to move on this together otherwise there is no foundation upon which to build)
Hi guys, it’s good to see some action happening. Anything I can do to help?
You guys know that a “Atheism: Northern Ireland” blog and fb page already exists. Should we not just talk to them? Join their group?
Have just been made aware of the following link by a friend … seems this is the answer for any of us serious about pursuing this.
http://atheismni.com/
FYI- the friend who pointed me to the site is contacting them regarding forming a group. Feverpitch, Tom, Graham, Mark … I will update here with the response. This is a good next step to consolidate all of our efforts!!!
Good man wolfhound.
I won’t be joining you wolfhoundGrowl, on two counts. One, I’m in England so I’ll just wish you all well over there. Two, I’m not on facebook and have no intention of joining up to that horrid $£%&*$£%* site ever again.
I just seen the Atheism NI site that Ray left the link for, it must be a seperate thing from what I am trying to set up, and I have written to them requesting more info. I and others who feel likewise abut setting up a group can still refer to ourselves as AtheismNI
Come on people lets arrange a first meeting, facebook and twitter etc are ok and useful but we need a group to co-ordinate things.
Thanks for your time.
Tom Johnston. Atheism NI
we’re still waiting lol … but I will update as soon as we have a response
Northern Ireland Atheist alliance is now up and runing on Face book.
I have decided to just stick with the UK site, there are too many people wanting to set up there own site not willing to co-ordinate all our efforts. So Ray and Feverpitch, I leave it all in your hands good luck with it.
You will still be able to get in touch with me through the UK site.
This is a real pity, NI atheists really need to get the finger out.
Bye all.
hey guys you have another one in good old NI. Im in Carrickfergus, Co/Antrim. Where are you guys from? I think a facebook page would spread the word easyer. What you think??