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The beginning of westward expansion
The beginning of westward expansion
The beginning of westward expansion
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The Republic of Ireland has a complicated relationship with contemporary human rights laws that many western nation-states have been setting the precedent for, for quite some time. The Republic of Ireland prides itself on its strong Catholic roots, and indeed the adherence to what is essentially Catholic law. Ireland has a unique history that has seemed to act as both an enabler and an explanation as to why for a ‘western country’ it has been able to remain “about twenty years behind the west” (Hug 2001:26). In this essay I would like to focus on homosexual rights and discuss how the laws are changing in Ireland. I want to first focus on the precedent set by the history of law-making and interpreting in Ireland, and then following Ireland’s evolution in gay rights engage in a discussion about religion and secularism as they pertain to Ireland. I will discuss the current legal debate raging between teachers and the Irish government and what activists groups are doing to try to move legislation forward for more equal rights. This essay will culminate in an analysis of whether the Republic of Ireland is trending toward a more secular democratic future, why that may be, and what implications that has other human rights in Ireland.
Chrystel Hug asserts in her 2001 article that “the ‘catholicization’ of Irish law was almost spontaneous. William T. Cosgrave’s showed an eagerness…to use the powers of the state to protect Catholic moral values” (26). Irish law used natural law, as endorsed by the Catholic Church, and majoritariansim to justify the legislation in regards to sexual morality, which includes homosexuality, prostitution, abortion, and contraceptive use; arguing that they would be made or remain illegal because they r...
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Gay+Lesbian Equality Network. Brian Sheehan, Director. “Education Issues: LGB teachers” 15 April 2012. Atlantic Philanthropies. 15 April 2012. http://www.glen.ie/
Haider-Markel, Donald P. and Kenneth J. Meier (1996) “Politics of Gay and Lesbian Rights: Expanding the scope of conflict.” The Journal of Politics 58 (2): 332-349. Stable URL:
http://www.jstor.org/stable/2960229
Hefner, Robert W. Review of Asad, Talal, Formations of the Secular: Christianity, Islam,Modernity. H-Gender-MidEast, H-Net Reviews. March, 2004.
http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=9077
Hug, Chrystel (2001) “Moral Order and the Liberal Agenda in the Republic of Ireland”. New Hiberna Review 5 (4): 22-41.
Merry, S. (2001) “Changing Rights, Changing Culture.” In Culture and Rights: Anthropological Perspectives. J. Cowan et al, eds. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
“ It remains to be noted that none of the great constitutional rights of conscience, however vital to a free society is absolute in character. Thus, while the constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion goes a long way, it does not serve to protect acts judged to be morally licentious, such as poly amorous marriages. Children cannot be required to execute the flag salute which is forbidden by religious belief… Similarly freedom of speech, often defended by the courts, does not extend to the seditious utteran...
After the Act of union had been passed, Daniel O’Connell worked effectively in addressing Irish grievances; his actions were significant in contributing to the changing nature of the Irish question. Even though O’Connell tried to address the same issues as the society of united Irishmen, he abandoned the use of violence and instead took a constitutional approach such as the use of monster meetings and working alongside parliament in order to gain catholic emancipation and repeal of the union. O’Connell’s zeal for reform influenced parliament in passing the Catholic Emancipation Act in 1829. Even though in the short term the Act had been insignificant in Ireland as the British government purposely reduced the Irish electorate by increasing qualifications from 40 shillings to £10 in an attempt to retain Protestant dominance, it was the prime cause for the d...
...ays Proposals May Challenge Religious Freedom." Irish Times. 29 Aug. 2011: 4. eLibrary. Web. 31 Aug. 2011.
...ehind leaders such as Wolf Tone, pledging their support in the form of the United Irishmen. Even though the 1798 Uprising would ultimately fail, this milestone in Irish history had the other citizens of Ireland that the Catholics were willing to lay aside their past differences for the betterment of their nation. This begs the question that will they continue to work together in the future. Based off the past evidence, Protestants and Catholics have little to lose in assisting each other and having Ireland progress into a nation that is one unified completely. What needs to happen though is that each side has to lay out the terms with no outside influence. There can be no ambiguous statements surrounding these terms and officials have to free of bias, as much as a person can be, to effectively write equal terms that ensure economic progress and religious tolerance.
Tatchell, Peter (1992). Europe in the Pink: Lesbian and Gay Equality in the New Europe. London: GMP.
Hilāl, ʻAlī Al-Dīn. Islamic Resurgence in the Arab World. New York, NY: Praeger, 1982. Print.
"Timeline: Milestones in the American Gay Rights Movement." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2013.
Singleton, Dave. "40 Years Later: A Look Back at the Turning Point for Gay Rights." AARP. AARP, June 2009. Web. 26 Sept. 2013.
Gay and lesbian people should have the same rights as everyone else in America. They are being driven away from their rights due to some rumors that Christian observationalists have assumed because of their own religious morals. I feel as though gay and lesbian people should have their rights because they are not as horrid as they assumptions that Christian officials have made them out to be.
Even up until now, the controversial issue of homosexuality is still apparent and widely discussed in many countries all over the world. Although many people are becoming more open minded and less skeptical about homosexuality, many more are still reluctant to accept the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) communities as equals. Whilst many may argue that their religion absolutely forbids same sex marriages, thus, rejecting the idea of homosexual relationship, many of them feels it is their right to make the gays and lesbians straight again. For instance, in South Africa, many males practice corrective rape. It is a form of hate crime towards lesbians in order to ‘cure’ them of their homosexuality in order to change them into heterosexuals (Strudwick, 2014). This proves how sick and twisted the minds of homophobes are. As a Catholic myself, even though I was taught that same sex relationship is wrong and not natural, I do not condemn homosexuals or look down on them. In fact, I even have friends that are gay or bisexual. It is good that more countries have now implemented new laws to protect the LGBT community. This ensures the lower crime rate and discrimination of the LGBTs. Despite the fact that a few European countries and several others have legalized same sex marriages, there are still rejection and objection from some parties particularly from the Roman Catholic Church (Bingham, 2005). Why does the Church have such strong objections? Through my research, I will discuss on the views and teachings of the Catholic Church on homosexuality and same sex marriage.
" Moral and Physical Force: The Language of Violence in Irish Nationalism." Journal of British Studies 27 (1988): 150- 189. 23 Sept. 2003 <http://www.jstor.org>
The continuous military defeats of the Arab countries against Israel (1948, 1967, and 1973) have caused a heavy burden in the psychology of the Arab Muslims. These defeats confirmed the loss of Muslim power. This led to abandoning the idea of secularism and going back towards the commitment to Islam to regain the former ...
As a result, the famine is an event still discussed and debated today; influencing Irish politics and its position within the British Isles. Questions about morality and blame have led to historians to attempt to critique British and Irish response during the famine, whilst cataloging the short term and long-term consequences. Although most blame is primarily placed on the regional and national governments response to the famine crisis, the actions of the State do not provide an adequate analysis of early nineteenth century social structures which would shape Ireland both economically, socially and politically in the years before the famine. The establishment of the Union in 1801 led to a free market system and s...
As of 2015, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community continues to struggle for equal rights held by their straight counterparts. Socially, LGBT persons are subject to discrimination, hate crimes, and stigma, while legally, LGBT persons encounter obstacles that preclude them from basic rights afforded to every other subculture in America. One of the most divisive issues related to LGBT rights has been same-sex marriage, which has been creating conflict both politically and socially dating back to the 1970’s (Finnis, 1997). Those in favor of same-sex marriage argue that regardless of gender or sexual preference, marriage is a basic right that the government has no legitimate interest in blocking. Opponents argue that same-sex marriage is ethically and morally wrong, and they cite reasons spanning from religious beliefs to the creation of a slippery slope that would lead to the demise of the institution of marriage (Volokh, n.d.). Faced with the difficult task of balancing both sides of the equation, President Bill Clinton signed into law the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the policy that will be analyzed in this paper.
Religion in James Joyce's Dubliners Religion was an integral part of Ireland during the modernist period, tightly woven into the social fabric of its citizens. The Catholic Church was a longstanding tradition of Ireland. In the modernist spirit of breaking away from forces that inhibited growth, the church stood as one of the principal barriers. This is because the Catholic faith acted as the governing force of its people, as portrayed in James Joyce’s Dubliners. In a period when Ireland was trying to legitimize their political system, religious affiliations further disillusioned the political process. The governing body of a people needs to provide a behavioral framework, through its constitution, and a legal process to make delegations on issues of equity and fairness. When religion dominates the government that is in tact, it subjects its citizens to their religious doctrines. In terms of Catholicism in Ireland, this meant that social progress and cultural revolutions were in terms of what the church would allow. The modernist realized that this is what paralyzed the Irish society of the times. In the stories of Dubliners the legal system is replaced by the institute of religion, and it is the presence and social context of the Catholic Church which prevents the Irish community from advancement. ...