That thing twenty-somethings only talk about when it’s getting close to sunrise at the shallow end of bottle of vodka. That thing the Irish mammies hold dear. That thing the small town gentries do because they know they’re supposed to. That thing young parents do because Catholic schools are the better option. That thing kids do because their parents tell them to. Is the world better for its existence? Probably? Possibly? Potentially? Yes? No? That thing people do because it gives them hope, happiness, charity, community, and some form of answer. That thing people don’t do because of corruption, paedophile protection and jihads.
Stephen Hawkins said that "the universe is governed by the laws of science. The laws may have been decreed by God, but God does not intervene to break the laws." Charles Darwin said we evolved from apes. Sarah Palin holds that the Genesis story of the creation of man and the universe over the course of seven days should be taught as fact in schools. Clearly, the Adam and Eve story could not be considered fact by most level-headed individuals but ought to be considered simply as the story it is – a story about the first ever instance of free will and the agricultural revolution, that moment where knowledge became man’s weapon for survival, a metaphor of women cultivating fruit and vegetables while the men hunted, and if the God and serpent characters are removed, enough substance would probably remain for the story to still work.
At this time every year there is the usual talk on Irish radio about the pubs being closed on Good Friday, the ways around the law like moving trains, private clubs, airports and the emerging tradition of Good Friday barbeques, along with talk of the law being out of date and ‘why should the government decide what I can and can’t do’. Two years ago, Irish Hoteliers declared that Easter should be the same day every year because it was too close to Saint Patrick’s Day for people to take two weekends away – the Vatican were found to be deaf in one ear and not listening with the other. This year Limerick, suffering more than most in the depths of the recession, ‘need’ their pubs open on Good Friday because there’s a Munster-Leinster game on, due course will find how hard of hearing the Irish courts are. Staunch atheists will give up sweets and crisps for Lent because they’re trying to lose weight. Some will ask why the church decided we can start eating meat on Fridays when we weren’t allowed before and give out about it for a while, and they’re probably entitled to – the Catholic Church have done plenty of such similar things.
The problem isn’t the faith or the religion itself as such, religions invariably teach love, compassion, forgiveness and respect for your neighbour, the problem for religion is the men who organise it – all of them are inherently lent to the corruption brought on by the trappings of power. Most organisations in Ireland, indeed around the world will be found corrupt if they last long enough, banks, multinational conglomerates, sporting groups, charities, volunteer agencies, law enforcement and especially governments, so why not organised religions as well. Yes there are a lot of things wrong with religion, but there is also plenty of good in them too. Whether you sip a beer with a rump steak on Good Friday or kiss the cross at three o’clock and go home for some Donegal Catch instead is your own decision, the government won’t decide that, no atheist can prove he, ahem He doesn’t exist just as no believer can prove He does (although Catholics will point to their miracles,) so enjoy whichever and don’t get belligerent about it either way.
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