We have a civil registrar arranged, but will be tempted to go humanist if this works out. Didn’t take any chances on the law being passed in time though.

We had to use a civil registrar, and though it worked reasonably well, that was down to the lady herself, rather than the mechanism. Good to see progress being made on this.

Very few people tend to oppose an ethical philosophy which is based on the idea that humans have intrinsic worth :D

Hardly a bright future if she hasn’t been able to get elected to the Dail, especially in Dun Laoghaire with such a secularist electorate and at an election where Labour did very well in general.

That said, I would support this legislation.

In fact, I would go further – the Catholic Church should no longer administer civil weddings. The State is unlikely to revoke that ability on the part of the Church, so the Catholic Church should itself voluntarily cease to administer civil weddings.

Almar
Even though you and I play on opposite teams I often feel that at the end of the match – while changing shirts might be a step too far – I would certainly come forward to shake your hand!

John – I’ll remind you of that the next time you’re slapping me down about something!! ;-)

Be clear though about why I’m making this point – it is to underline the fact that a Church wedding is not the same as a civil wedding, but just with nicer surroundings (well, sometimes nicer, anyway). There are extra obligations involved in a Catholic marriage. If you don’t wish to take them on, that’s fine, you shouldn’t have to. But if you do, the fact that you would also have to go to a civil registrar in addition to the church ceremony emphasises this difference.

I hope you’ll still shake my hand after that explanation John!

I understood your point perfectly AlMar.
It is my view that if one should chose to marry under RC Rites of marriage there you stand. Likewise, if you send your children to a RC school you abide by the rules associated with your choice and the educational leanings applied, even should you be in the way of being pregnant!
My difficulty is because of the broad reach of RC influence throughout the country the choice for those who want to follow other alternatives was not there and often actively discouraged by law, ridicule and the influence of a foreign state. There are people of other religions and none who want to live, marry, educate their children and be treated in hospital without being assailed by religious iconography or being lectured to about abortion, contraception, homosexuality etc.
I believe in the total separation of church and state where people are free to disassociate from religious influence in all aspects of their lives and likewise those that want to follow the moral and spiritual teachings of a religious code are free and unhindered in doing so. The moral guidance of no religion or spiritual belief should influence or seek to influence the secular matter of the enactments of our state.

Almar glad you support the idea and would go further. We differ on Ivana’s future though. She is in Eamon Gilmores constituency and is also relatively young. Richard Boyd Barret took the last seat because labour already had one. Of course most will vote Gilmore above Bacik. Given the state of the economy not surprised Barret bet her to the last seat. She is going to do well and rise up within labour.

@Almar I don’t think an organisation involved in the physical & sexual torture of children should be involved in anything except maybe breaking rocks in the Antarctic. I don’t think an organisation involved in such obscenities and violations of human rights has any function in civil society.

It should be noted that in that decrepit organisation the only people allowed votes are sexually-frustated, misogynist and homophobic guys in dresses.

Ireland’s head-honcho in that organisation will get a little mention in tonight’s BBC 1 programme [The Shame of the Catholic Church 10:35] – Darragh MacIntyre reveals new evidence of a scandal that goes to the very top of the Irish church. The only way is down now for the guy who forced children, who had been abused by Fr Brendan Smyth, to take oaths of secrecy.

So you’re against gay marriage?

I’m with you Jaynie.
The laws of the land regarding inheritance, taxation etc should relate to the individual as a single person and not be meddled with in the interest of perpetuating a legal entanglement of two people (whether gay etc. or not) that has it’s origins in bartering for cattle.