On Tuesday I took part in a debate about euthanasia in UCD at the invitation of the Law Society. The evening was further evidence that arguments based on ‘choice’ have almost overwhelming power in the present culture. I was teamed up with Peter D Williams of Right to Life UK, and Jason Conroy who is...
David Quinn of the Iona Institute, and Mike Nugent of Atheist Ireland, have been debating the relationship between morality and religion in the last few weeks. The challenge for atheists is to give a convincing, non-utilitarian answer to the question of why we should treat everyone equally, if we are simply the product of evolution....
The French parliament is debating a new law which will extend assisted reproduction to single women and lesbian couples as well. What is interesting is the fact that no less a body than the National Academy of Medicine has objected to the proposed reform on the ground that will be permit the deliberate creation of...
My debate with Michael Nugent of Atheist Ireland continues. The basic question we have been considering is why are we morally obliged to treat each other well? I think it is because we are all made in the image and likeness of God and therefore each of us is of infinite moral worth. Obviously, an...
Senator Ivana Bacik (Irish Times 11/9) has taken serious issue with Archbishop Eamon Martin who recently said that Christians are obliged to bring their faith to their politics. Senator Bacik regards this as an unacceptable attack on the separation of Church and State and says that the Catholic Church still has too much influence in...
Atheists and theists typically debate the existence of God, but it is almost as relevant and pertinent to debate the nature of morality and that is what Atheist Ireland’s Michael Nugent and I have been doing lately in a number of blog posts. Michael began by writing a piece about the gender ideology debate. I...
The Irish Medical Council has produced an updated version of the Guide to Professional Conduct and Ethics for Registered Medical Practitioners. The most relevant changes follow the Ireland’s new abortion law. Let’s consider them in detail. Section 48 of the Guide was titled “Abortion” in the previous editions while now the euphemism “termination of pregnancy”...
In a recent blog, the head of Atheist Ireland, Michael Nugent writes: “I believe we should treat every individual person with the same respect and dignity and love.” Well, yes, and an atheist is perfectly entitled to believe this if they want, just as I am perfectly entitled to believe in God, but both beliefs...
In the Netherlands, a doctor has appeared in court after having performed euthanasia on a woman suffering from dementia. She had made a living will in the past and, according to her daughter, she wanted to die. Nonetheless, the 74-year woman had no recollection of it and during the procedure she struggled trying to prevent...
Maria Steen had a column in The Irish Times on Saturday which caused a big online response. The topic of her article is crucial; are liberals as liberal and tolerant as they purport to be? Increasingly, many liberals seek to shut down debate on substantive issues. Instead debates (such as they are) are intra-liberal ones,...
