Not In My Name!

While I hate getting emotional in my posts there is an issue over which I get incredibly inflamed: religion.

 I have never really believed in a God but could only really be said to have considered the subject in depth when I was about 11 or 12. It was only at this age did I realise that there were people in the world who did. I had assumed that it was akin to Santa Claus, everyone being in on the secret. To my dismay however I discovered that religion was not only widespread but also immensely powerful.
Growing up in Catholic Ireland, I received all the sacraments from Baptism to Confirmation (still believing it was a social custom of no real importance), this was mainly due to how it was forced upon us in schools which are predominantly run by the Catholic Church, something I never noticed as a child. When I did turn 11/12 and began to speak out against religion openly (particularly in our religion classes at school) I was a fully-fledged atheist and could take on any of my religion teachers who quickly turned their attention to...less questioning...students.

I never considered myself a Catholic but I never formally left (never bothered). Recently however I had some free time and so decided to go about it and spoke to the priest of the local parish. He said it would he would investigate it. While I have yet to hear back from him I have discovered in the mean time that the Catholic Church no longer accepts formal defections. While I have yet to speak to the priest again (its a busy time of year) this very fact irks me no end.

How dare they count me among their number? Many of my friends ask why I care. Well there is a very good reason as to why I care. The Catholic Church derives its credibility and power from the number of people they claim. When they approach politicians in Ireland and point to the ~87% Catholic population they appear relevant, they appear to be in touch with the people, they appear to be important. It is through these statistics which do not accurately reflect the level of religious belief that they defend the virtual Church monopoly on schooling, that they defend the Church's involvement in the healthcare system.

Well, I say no longer. How dare they hold a politician's ear in my name, how dare they manipulate the health and education system in my name, how dare they systematically rape and abuse entire generations of children in my name. NOT IN MY NAME!