The first-ever papal visit to Iraq should raise awareness about the challenges facing Iraqi Christians – a majority of whom are Catholic. In the past two decades, the Christian population in Iraq has fallen by over 80%. The 1987 Iraqi census reported that there were 1.4 million Christians in Iraq, and today it is estimated that the […]
It is an interesting thing that the family squabbles of the rich and well connected should be of such universal and compelling interest. When RTE, along with networks across the globe, screen a two hour long interview with two exiled royals on prime viewing time, it must say a lot about the extent of our interest […]
Yesterday in the Dáil the Taoiseach was questioned by a number of TD’s on his dialogue and meetings with the various churches, faith groups and non-confessional bodies. These meetings are part of what is termed the Church State Structured Dialogue Process, which was established in 2005 and forms part of what the Government calls […]
Legalised euthanasia is only a few weeks away in the Australian state of Tasmania. The End-of-Life Choices bill passed through the lower house of the Tasmania Parliament this week and moved to the upper house, where it is expected to pass easily. It will be the third of Australia’s six states to pass a euthanasia […]
Quietly, this is one of the most significant stories in global politics today, but (probably understandably) it’s not going to make headlines in most Irish media outlets: China’s military executed a coordinated test launch of its top anti-ship ballistic missile into the South China Sea last August to send an “unmistakable message,” the head of […]
By far the most terrifying aspect of the transgender phenomenon is the spectre of government intervening to force parents to allow their children to “transition.” As young people increasingly inhabit digital communities populated exclusively by their peers and impervious to adults, transgenderism is becoming a social phenomenon. I have spoken to many parents who have […]
PODCAST: Listen to John Aidan Byrne, Irish commentator based in New York, talks Dick Bove on the return of 1970s style inflation in the US Odeon Capital Group’s Dick Bove sees US prices soaring 70s-style as US money printing hits new records, and national debt exceeds $28 trillion Dick Bove, the famed bank analyst […]
The dying process is an under-examined aspect of euthanasia and assisted suicide. Most people assume that it is swift and painless, but this is not always the case. In Oregon, for instance, which publishes very informative statistics about its “Death with Dignity Act”, the longest reported time to die was 104 hours – 4 days […]
It has recently emerged that Amazon has decided to ban books – and a documentary about Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. They say they will not sell anything containing “hate speech,” though they haven’t defined what they mean by that. Sometime from late last year, it appears they have quietly been removing titles from their […]
The polyamory world is abuzz with excitement. Next Tuesday sees the release ofThree Dads and a Baby, a memoir about three gay guys in San Diego decided to begin a family. Dr Ian Jenkins, a doctor and the author, Jeremy Hodges, a zoo-keeper, and Dr Alan Mayfield, a psychiatrist, regard themselves as just your average, […]
A remarkable decision, and one that will be closely watched around the world. For good or ill, we’re about to have an enormous laboratory test on whether facemasks really are making any difference in keeping the pandemic contained: Texas is lifting its mask mandate, Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday, making it the largest state to […]
The issue of transgenderism has moved into the very centre of politics, culture, education and healthcare. It is the subject of much argument, activism and controversy. Historically, .01% of the population were affected by, what was then called, gender identity disorder and it predominantly affected males. In 70% of cases, the condition was temporary. Today, […]