Dail-Chamber

Robert A Sharpe is quite on point regarding prayer in the Dáil. Paul Murphy’s claim that this oration is anachronistic might be acceptable in Cuba, but it discounts truths applicable even in “modern” Ireland.

The preamble to the Constitution finds authority in “the Most Holy Trinity” and invokes Jesus Christ by name. Article 6 of the same text then acknowledges that all power derives “under God”.

Most fatal to Mr Murphy’s contention, however, is article 44, which clearly nods to “public worship . . . due to Almighty God”. Moreover, the Constitution next bids the State to hold God’s name “in reverence” and to “respect and honour religion”.

Despite Mr Murphy’s allergy, our institutions plainly presuppose the existence of a divine being, and prayer in the Dáil would appear to be consistent with this view.

Dr Sean Alexander Smith,
Sandyford,
Dublin 18.

FIGHT!

The Dáil prayer (Irish Times letters page)

Previously: Without A Prayer

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25 thoughts on “Allergic

  1. Clampers Outside!

    I have a magic cow.

    Now I am going to prove it is a magic cow by pointing at it, and saying the magic words…..

    This cow is “divine”.

    Now, to further prove this cow is divine, I am going to put the names of more famous magic cows from the past in inverted comas….. “Salem Sue”, Fromagerie Bel’s “The Laughing Cow”, “Bessie” / “Hellcow” from Deadpool and plain old “Cow” from the Adventures of Cow.

    This proves everything.

    1. Cheech

      But does it include the titular cow from Cow and Chicken, the cartoon that scarred me and made me the freak I am today?

    1. Goff

      Yep, this. Prayer in the Dail is consistent with the constitution as written. Focusing on the symptom is not the answer. Time to amend?

  2. Ben M

    Wonder how much the Dail costs to run per minute..if the prayers takes 30 seconds every day that’s 2.5mins a week and whatever amount of minuets a year ect. That would be an awful lot of tax payers money set aside for Dail time not being used for Dail time,

  3. Joe Small

    It must be very disturbing for the people who just realised they have lived in a Christian country all their lives.

    1. Clampers Outside!

      Must be disturbing for you that people are becoming more enlightened and capable of thinking for themselves.

      People have known it, it’s just that now there are the increasing numbers of people willing to change it for the better, and put the country on track to treat all religions equally, and have none favoured by the Dáil, as was intended.

  4. gorugeen

    No such thing as a christian country. We live in a country populated by many Christians….and Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Satanists, Pastafarians, humanists, atheists, Jedi, white witches, Mennonites, Mormons and vegetarians. Personally I’m an atheist and that’s on the basis I don’t believe in Richard Dawkins…As a deity..which he plainly thinks he is.
    Something that always amazes me is just how unchristian Christians can be.

    1. Owen O'F

      The current trend for ‘I like atheism but Richard Dawkins is a numpty’ is faintly irritating. Coud it be because of his singling out of Islam as a particularly pernicious example of religion in the modern world? To be properly right-on these days you have to make sure you show how much you loathe the dead sheep that is Christianity, but overlook the plain unpleasantness that is Islam lest you be accused of being, well, fill in the rest.

  5. Cromuel

    a) The fact that the Constitution has God stuff in it doesn’t mean the Dáil has to.

    b) Google “Sean Alexander Smith” to see more of Dr Smith’s opinions.

  6. Trust in the News

    The Authority of the Dail comes from the people and not from God, this
    was only inserted into the 1937 Constitution, if the people so wish they
    can remove it, and a majority in the Dail can at any time stop it’s recitation.
    Or did God when he gave the 10 comandments to Moses put in an 11th that
    we here in Ireland had to have a constituation that mentioned him and a parlimentary body that said prayers to him…..?

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