Sir, – Michael Nugent of Atheist Ireland, as quoted in Patsy McGarry’s “A return to paganism or disillusion with the church?” (June 29th), says that censuses underestimate atheism in Ireland. That deserves far more attention.
Mammy is filling out the census and she calls her family. “Gather round, and we’ll fill in the religious section. Because we have so many frank discussions about religion, I could do this without asking, but I thought I’d better check.
“Annie, you’ve been atheist since you were 17. And John, you’ve remained a Roman Catholic, although we know your views on gay rights. Maria, you’re still Wiccan? And Paddy, you’ve hardly been in a church since we married, so we’ll mark you ‘No Religion’ too. And then, I’ll put myself in as Catholic. Right, that’s done.”
Yes, that’s a joke for most of us. We’ve never had that conversation at census time. Many adults are scared to tell their parents that they smoke, let alone discuss atheism with them. So, if Mammy or Daddy is a Catholic, the census form shows a staunch Catholic family. And how easy is it to tell your partner that you do not believe in a god?
So, every census creates bad data about religions, and especially about people with no religious belief. Bad data means failure to recognise change in society, and that very many citizens see no evidence for a god. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL O’MALLEY,
Esker Cottages,
Lucan,
Co Dublin.