Freedom of religion still does not mean freedom from religion. The BBC has a news item today<\/a> about a an atheist in Co Donegal (Republic of Ireland) having to be buried in Co Londonderry (United Kingdom) because all the graveyards in Donegal are church owned.<\/p>\n

A Donegal atheist had to be buried in Londonderry because the county has no facilities for non-religious burials.
\nJournalist Roy Greenslade’s mother was buried in Ballyowen cemetery in Derry on Tuesday after a humanist service.
\nHe said he was told atheists could not be buried in Donegal because the graveyards are church-owned.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Strikes me as being a touch petty and very strange that this appears to have been the first<\/strong> atheist \/ humanist burial in Co Donegal. I know the Republic of Ireland teeters on theocracy, but surely…<\/p>\n

Once I got over the farce of a whole county being unable to bury the non-religious, I did wonder a touch. Why did an “atheist” family want a Church burial in the first place? I certainly dont. And, reading the article something else struck me as slightly odd:<\/p>\n

“Therefore unless one is willing to compromise one’s beliefs by agreeing to a religious service, it is impossible to be buried,” [Roy Greenslade] said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Here we see atheism described as a belief system again. I find it hard to compromise my lack of belief<\/strong>, simply because it is a lack. If I wanted to bury my atheist mother in a church graveyard, I would pretend she was what ever religion is required. If I want my children to go to a church shool, I will pretend to be what ever religion is required. This is not immoral – if I needed to get my kids into Santa’s school I would pretend to belive in Father Christmas. It is all the same to me. Dying for your religious beliefs is the act of a religious believer.<\/p>\n

Where there is a difference is the issue of choice. Should, for example, a law be passed saying I have to belive in Faeries, I will stand up against it. To me, these are two very different things.<\/p>\n

On a final note of black comedy, the BBC have a delightful example of Irish (Northern Irish in this example) reasoning regarding religions:<\/p>\n

“When I [Roy Greenslade] rang up and asked Derry City Council’s cemeteries department if it was possible to bury an atheist in a municipal cemetery they said it was possible because there were different sections for Catholics, Protestants and Muslims.<\/p>\n

“My wife asked if it meant they were going to start an atheist section and the woman said, ‘oh no, she can go in with the Protestants’.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It really is a joke that just keeps giving.<\/p>\n

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