The Church’s abuse of Irish children 23 May 2009 [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RplWGisGoXY&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_embedded&fs=1] That’s one country. How about all the others? I have heard so many stories… Religion
Education Bigotry in the sunshine state 2 Dec 2008 The only problem with Queensland, apart from the occasional severe storm, is that they filled it with Queenslanders. Here’s a bunch of northern bigots protesting a Muslim school being built on the Gold Coast “because they won’t integrate” with Australian society by being, I don’t know, Christian or something. Resident’s… Read More
Politics Secularism as protection for religion 9 Oct 200818 Sep 2017 As some of you may have figured out by now, my overarching Evil Plan is to get people thinking about their basic assumptions. Even when those people are the “good guys” and free thinkers. So in service of that I am giving a public talk for the Secular Freethinkers society… Read More
History No Father Christmas? also no Jesus. Get used to it. 25 Dec 2008 So what is it with Christians who are so able to debunk and demythologise the myths of everyone else, and fail to see that exactly the same logic applies to their own mythology? A priest in northern Italy told kids there was no Father Christmas at a children’s mass. Great…. Read More
In Canada, the government set up residential schools to “aggressively assimilate” the children of aboriginal populations. These schools were run by churches–mostly the Catholic church, but the Anglican, Presbyterian and United churches were also involved. The mental and physical abuse that happened in those schools, and the destructive affect this has had on aboriginal societies, is still felt to this day. See this FAQ at CBC:http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/05/16/f-faqs-residential-schools.html
Not just the natives either (though that’s arguably the larger national disgrace). The same bunch now being implicated in Ireland also ran a branch plant operation in Newfoundland: http://www.mountcashelorphanage.com/ The fallout from both these sordid episodes has been popping in and out of the news for the past 20 years or so, as one or another inquiry or compensation suit proceeds.
Canada, at least, closed the schools and offered an official apology from Parliament and some monetary compensation. There is still much to be done. The Roman Catholic Church continues to cover up. I’ve updated my link to your site. Please consider adding mine to your blogroll. Thanks.