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'Banks are out of touch': Bank of Ireland criticised over ad about couple moving back in with parents

The tweet about a couple who returned home to live with parents to save for a mortgage has received a huge backlash.

HOMELESSNESS CHARITY THE Peter McVerry Trust has claimed that banks are “out of touch with reality” after Bank of Ireland posted an advertisement about a young couple moving back to their family homes to save for a mortgage deposit.

The bank posted a tweet yesterday with a photo of a young woman, which read:

Orla and her boyfriend stopped renting and moved back with their parents to save the deposit for their 1st home.

The tweet accompanied a blog post by Orla, which details how she and her boyfriend returned home to save up money for a deposit. They eventually used the money saved to purchase a home in Swords in north Dublin.

The tweet was met with criticism from social media users last night, and has since been deleted.
https://twitter.com/newschambers/status/900412958378995712

Francis Doherty from the Peter McVerry Trust said the blog post was disappointing.

“It’s pretty disappointing to see the financial institutions return to the practices that happened just before the property crash, enticing people to stretch as far as they can in order to get a property that’s highly unaffordable,” Doherty told TheJournal.ie. 

It’s part of a bigger problem with the housing system at the moment. It does nobody any favours to be pushing people to stretch themselves beyond their means.

The latest Daft.ie quarterly rental report showed that rents jumped to a record high for the fifth quarter in a row between April and June of this year.

Rents nationwide jumped 11.8% in the first six months of the year, with the average asking price for a rental nationwide now €1,159 per month.

The average rental price in Dublin meanwhile is €1,707 per month.

Orla’s story

Irish banks should be lending their voice to call for more affordable housing, Doherty said.

He criticised BOI for ”telling people ‘here’s a roundabout way of stretching as far as you can to get on the property ladder’”.

In the blog post, Orla (who is a real person – she grew up in the northside suburb of Sutton) outlines how she studied marketing in university, joined an architectural company and eventually moved out of home to live with her boyfriend.

“We wanted our own place. We were both in our careers a couple of years by then and we both had the money to move out but didn’t want to move too far away from friends and family,” Orla wrote.

After living in the two-bed apartment for four years, Orla wrote about why they decided to return to their parents’ homes.

That gave us the opportunity, from January 2016, to get a MortgageSaver account, start saving and to kind of chip away at the deposit. As much as we loved having our own place it just made so much sense to move home and see how much we can save.

Stressing his concerns, Doherty told TheJournal.ie that the fact that young couples have to return to live with their parents points to “a strategy from the banks to entice people to borrow as much as possible to buy houses that are as unaffordable as possible”.

“It’s people’s personal choices to take measures in order for them to secure or buy a home, should they wish to do that,” he said.

The fact that people like Orla and her partner are having to take measures like moving back into her parents’ house shows housing fundamentally simply isn’t affordable for many people, particularly young people trying to get onto the property ladder.

Backlash

The tweet provoked a large amount of backlash from Twitter users last night with many people expressing their despair at the current state of the Irish property market.
https://twitter.com/glennthefitz/status/900402248475398144
https://twitter.com/garyfleming7/status/900635602185596928

The backlash to BOI’s tweet was a result of the “public frustration and anger” around the housing crisis, Doherty contended.

Latest figures show that there were 5,046 homeless adults in emergency accommodation in June.

Of that number, 2,131 were placed in private emergency accommodation, which includes commercial hotels and B&Bs across the country. There were 1,471 homeless adults in this type of accommodation in Dublin alone.

In a statement this morning, Bank of Ireland said:

“The ad featured one couple’s deposit saving experience, it wasn’t intended to cause offence and wasn’t intended as advice for customers.

We’re focused on supporting first-time buyers at all stages of the home buying journey and our MortgageSaver product helps first time buyers who are saving towards a deposit.

Read: ‘A loss of dignity’: Homeless children are living on takeaways and dining on the floor

More: Silent bids and avocados: Are house prices really out of the reach of Irish millennials?

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    Mute molly coddled
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    Jan 30th 2015, 1:12 PM

    I may not agree with their choice, but I respect and admire them for the courage of their convictions.

    A couple of months ago I spent quite some time in the company of one such person, they were caring, gentle of spirit, kind and a calming presence for me, never once mentioned god. This all came about as I sat with my mum and watched as she died from cancer in a hospice. I had no idea this lovely person who became a good friend was a nun until a week before my dear mum passed.

    She was there for me when I needed comfort and consolation in a strange town many miles from home.
    I will be forever grateful.

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    Mute joanie
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    Jan 30th 2015, 9:43 PM

    Molly your comment hit a nerve with me when I read it , a lovely lady used to come and visit our family when my father was dying from cancer . We enjoyed her visits , she was really there for us . it was only after my dad died and we visited the hospice to thank them , that we realised she was a nun !

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    Mute molly coddled
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    Jan 31st 2015, 1:04 AM

    Have been atheist since I turned 15, now I wonder.

    19
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    Mute Carl Johnson
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    Jan 30th 2015, 12:09 PM

    Fair play to them. I’m far from religious, but to have so much faith so as to commit to your religion is commendable.

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    Mute Vincent O Mahony
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    Jan 30th 2015, 12:23 PM

    I’m not religious either and i dont agree with all the positions of the CC but agree with you – it must take some strength of conviction – especially in the face of all the unwarranted anti-religion vitriol you can see.

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    Mute Vincent O Mahony
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    Jan 30th 2015, 12:50 PM

    Ok Pontius – agree that Parents should decide what their kids are taught on social and moral issues rather than any religious organisation or other third parties. Let me ask – what are the CC teaching kids in schools *today* that you dont agree with? ( i know we were all taught some BS from them in the past, just dont see kids today getting the same dose of it)

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    Mute Carl Johnson
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    Jan 30th 2015, 12:53 PM

    In fairness Pontius, the Catholic Church is almost irrelevant in modern Irish society. They don’t have the means nor the influence to teach kids much, if anything at all.

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    Mute Mary Lyons
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    Jan 30th 2015, 1:04 PM

    Disagree there with you Vincent, they are getting taught the very same thing today.

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    Mute Martin Bishop
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    Jan 30th 2015, 3:46 PM

    Fair play to them?

    Why?

    They join an organization that comments on everyone else’s sex life but they deny themselves sexual pleasure…they then have the cheek to call gay people unnatural?

    51
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    Mute Catherine Mill
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    Jan 30th 2015, 4:33 PM

    You mean the Roman Catholic church , dont you?

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    Mute joanie
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    Jan 30th 2015, 9:59 PM

    Well said .

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    Mute tom
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    Jan 30th 2015, 1:19 PM

    We need to stop all the church bashing. Sure there was much wrong done but there are many very good people who have given their lives to their faith and helping others. Give them a break.

    There seems to be a frenzied hatred of the church which is very prevalent especially on this forum.

    I wish these people well. They are dedicating their lives to God and helping others.

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    Mute Alien8
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    Jan 30th 2015, 6:29 PM

    that’s the problem, tom – we need to be able to live our lives without having this or any other religion making survivors of their teachings hate them. The vitriol you see is because they have interfered in every element of our childhood, and as we become more educated in an equal, secular world, we realise that not only was the whole thing a lie, we realise that we were used. This is notwithstanding the men and women who misused their position for physical or sexual gratification, this is a more general statement.

    The sooner that churches are not forced on every school and hospital in the state, the sooner we will leave these poor souls to their own devices, to become or believe in whatever they want, without any hate.

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    Mute Tony Le Blanc
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    Jan 30th 2015, 8:36 PM

    Who is ‘we all’ Tom’? If you’re at it then stop it if you like. Me, I’m more than happy to continue to find the RCC oh so very silly, sometimes vaguely amusing but yet, like most apocalyptic cults, dangerous.

    But then you’ll find one of the main problems with the RCC, in this country at least, was the ‘we all’ attitude. In reality it was ‘you all’, as in ‘you do as we say, not as we do. So, thanks all the same but I refuse to follow your order.

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    Mute Proinsias Ó Foghlú
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    Jan 30th 2015, 11:59 AM

    I expect I’d feel very sad if one of my offspring announced they wished to join any religious type of life. I’d be wondering where I went wrong!

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    Mute Vincent O Mahony
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    Jan 30th 2015, 12:26 PM

    If one of mine told me that I would respect it and be happy for them. Same if they told me they were gay. Or a lefty.

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    Mute Fearghal
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    Jan 30th 2015, 12:32 PM

    You sure about the lefty thing? Eek!!

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    Mute Vincent O Mahony
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    Jan 30th 2015, 12:34 PM

    No, good point. I might have a re- think about the lefty thing.

    33
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    Mute Rob Cahill
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    Jan 30th 2015, 3:37 PM

    I’m left handed and take offence to this statement.

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    Mute Martin Bishop
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    Jan 30th 2015, 3:48 PM

    Vincent,
    Being gay is who you are, if your gay you are gay. If you are not then you are not. You are born the way you are.

    Choosing to join a religion (any religion) is a choice…or you’ve been indoctrinated into the religion from a young age

    38
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    Mute andrew
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    Jan 30th 2015, 7:06 PM

    You’re right. Commiserations on your not being able to choose your own name

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    Mute David James Field
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    Jan 30th 2015, 11:58 AM

    Once a nun wears reebok classics, there is no going back.

    146
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    Mute andrew
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    Jan 30th 2015, 7:14 PM

    Why don’t they devote themselves to something else along the same lines. An old Addidas trainer or a stick or a piece of driftwood or an old coke can. I could well imagine myself respecting somebody like this who showed full on devotion to the absurd

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    Mute Joe O'Brien
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    Jan 30th 2015, 11:56 AM

    I feel sorry for them really…. Such a waste of life!!

    144
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    Mute Joey Teehan
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    Jan 30th 2015, 12:12 PM

    Did they come across as miserable to you? It’s called freedom of expression. An important right that everyone should respect.

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    Mute Frank
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    Jan 30th 2015, 12:15 PM

    Perhaps If they read the Bible they could.

    “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach” 1 Timothy 3:2

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    Mute Caillte
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    Jan 30th 2015, 1:31 PM

    Frank,

    Timothy was obviously on the piss with the lads when he apparently wrote that.

    13
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    Mute UM
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    Jan 30th 2015, 1:49 PM

    They might not be miserable but they’re definitely delusional. The bread turns to the body of Christ!! Do people really still believe that bs

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    Mute Joe O'Brien
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    Jan 30th 2015, 2:06 PM

    @Joey You’re right they don’t seem miserable, gullible perhaps! Normally I’d say each to their own but in this case they’ll be spreading hateful ancient nonsense…

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    Mute up down
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    Jan 30th 2015, 4:05 PM

    I don’t think that’s fair. If you don’t look at the overall picture and try focus on individuals, I reckon the vast majority of these people will spend their lives teaching forgiveness and love etc… The system can be anywhere between good and bad, and some individuals might be bad, but like most ordinary people, the vast majority are good, decent people.

    58
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    Mute shay
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    Jan 30th 2015, 5:12 PM

    Waste of a life??, a life of free education, a life shared with colleagues who can offer companionship, that’s no waste of life, not everyone wants or needs to have children, and many who have them probable shouldn’t

    51
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    Mute andrew
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    Jan 30th 2015, 7:08 PM

    And, even if Heaven turns out to be a myth, at least they will never have had to end up going on social welfare

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    Mute Condorcanqui
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    Jan 31st 2015, 1:37 AM

    Yep!

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    Mute Dave
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    Jan 31st 2015, 1:33 PM

    Well Joe, you are entitled to your opinion, but who are you to judge if this is a waist of life. Everyone has to make their own decisions in life.

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    Mute Mary Lyons
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    Jan 30th 2015, 1:19 PM

    Always felt that people who went off to become a priest or a nun must have an awful feeling of inadequacy.

    They enter an order where they never have to get a mortgage, never have to pay a utility bill and never have to worry where their next meal will come from.They never have to worry about relationships or get up in the middle of the night to feed or look after a sick baby.

    It is why in my opinion. all the bad things happened in later life for many of them. Child abuse, sexual and physical, and a complete lack of empathy for a class full of small kids that they might be in charge of.

    I feel as they are way down on recruits they have to start promoting to boost up their numbers and a couple of mad looking nuns in weird red habits doesn’t cut the mustard for me!

    It goes without saying that of course there are the good ones out there as well>

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    Mute Vincent O Mahony
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    Jan 30th 2015, 1:23 PM

    I think they should drop the celibacy thing that would do a lot of good there.

    51
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    Mute UM
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    Jan 30th 2015, 1:41 PM

    Mary agree with you totally. They have copped out of life and the sad thing about it is that many of them have alot to offer and would make great parents if only they would give themselves a chance at normal life. Devoting yourself to a fairytale is nuts.

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    Mute John Campbell
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    Jan 30th 2015, 3:14 PM

    Mary Lyons, just a point of clarification, 3% of child sex abuse was done by priests, the 97% was done mainly in the children’s own home and mostly by a father, near relative or family friend.
    Celibacy is not the root of paedophilia. Not excusing abuse but let’s not throw out patently false details. Life choices can be taken for a variety of reasons. It’s nice to think that some people take selfless ones.

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    Mute Martin Bishop
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    Jan 30th 2015, 3:56 PM

    John, yes you are of course correct Celibacy is not the root of paedophilia.

    What makes the catholic church such a sickening organization is they know about the paedophilia in the parish’s up and down Ireland and numerous countrys. Instead of weeding it out and getting rid of the priests they swore victims to silence and simply moved around the abusers.

    So while yes you can have a father or mother that abuses their child, they don’t tend to get moved around to other towns so they can abuse 30, 40 or 50 other children during their lifetimes.

    The Vatican knew of the abuse and rather then deal with it, they came up with rules to keep everything under the carpet so the truth would be hidden. By moving priests around they simply allowed them to abuse more and more children.

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    Mute Stiofain Murray
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    Jan 30th 2015, 12:01 PM

    A life of celibacy?
    What kind of f***ery is that?

    58
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    Mute Al Beebak
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    Jan 30th 2015, 12:03 PM

    Ain’t no f”"”ery, I think that’s the whole point.

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    Mute Grace Jeaney
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    Jan 30th 2015, 3:13 PM

    Good luck to them with their vocation, it’s a big sacrifice and a very lonely life.

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    Mute andrew
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    Jan 30th 2015, 7:07 PM

    Still. You could make good headway at table tennis

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    Mute Hal Pacino
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    Jan 30th 2015, 11:46 AM

    Imagine if you were standing outside the door when the nuns were playin table tennis, you’d he wonderin like!

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    Mute Bigus Diccus
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    Jan 30th 2015, 11:56 AM

    I’d be wondering furiously.

    51
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    Mute Sir Allister
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    Jan 30th 2015, 12:02 PM

    That would be quite common you know Dougal. The favourite son would become a doctor and then the idiot brother would be sent off to the priesthood….Your brother is a doctor isn’t he Ted?

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    Mute O Swetenham
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    Jan 30th 2015, 12:14 PM

    I’d say it’s a lot easier to become a priest than it used to be. Probably just have to complete a bible word search and you’re in.

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    Mute Pharmyco
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    Jan 30th 2015, 12:56 PM

    Not calling them liars but the drop in religious callings correlates interestingly with increasing acceptance of homosexuality in society.

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    Mute William Grogan
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    Jan 30th 2015, 3:38 PM

    Stonewall, a UK based gay rights outfit estimated a decade or so ago that 25% of all vicars in London were gay. Now that I think of it, the only vicar I know is gay :)

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    Mute Martin Bishop
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    Jan 30th 2015, 3:58 PM

    I think you’ll find that drop in religious callings correspondences exactly to the massive drop in people who actually practice religion….which in Ireland is around 20% of people who regularly go to catholic mass.

    The sexual abuse in religious organizations has also done nothing to attract new members. After all, would you like to work for a organization that knew about sex abuse, child deaths, abuse of women etc? I know i wouldn’t, most right minded sane people wouldn’t

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    Mute simon shewster
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    Jan 30th 2015, 12:44 PM

    Nutcases

    35
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    Mute David C
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    Jan 30th 2015, 3:39 PM

    Tragic :-( devoting your life to the biggest lie ever told

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    Mute Exit Stage Left
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    Jan 30th 2015, 3:47 PM

    Santa Claus?

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    Mute Catherine Mill
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    Jan 30th 2015, 4:37 PM

    Maybe a video from George Carlin might help them? lol

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPOfurmrjxo

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    Mute Martin Hayes
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    Jan 30th 2015, 12:04 PM

    Where are the varying denominations? Propaganda piece for the RCC.

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    Mute Kanye East
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    Jan 30th 2015, 3:35 PM

    Can’t even fathom what type of mental state they’re in to commit their whole lives to that. Strang, strange people.

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    Mute Seán L
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    Jan 30th 2015, 3:38 PM

    How sad. Brainwashing 2015.

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Jan 30th 2015, 5:21 PM

    Because life is more than the image it portrays and things are deeper than what is on the surface?
    That each of us have questions and some find that a spiritual side can answer them for us, that life and reality has a meaning and a purpose through the spirit. That a spiritual life can be more fulfilling because it helps us to understand who we are and gives us a lifes purpose?

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    Mute William Grogan
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    Jan 30th 2015, 3:39 PM

    In this day and age, they have to have mental health issues.

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    Mute Alien8
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    Jan 30th 2015, 6:17 PM

    While they might think in their heads it is “a calling”, I would be taken aback if their parents were not the sort to go to church at least once a week, with the notion of a “calling” was instilled as normal during their childhood.

    Their god never seems to “call” atheists, protestants, hindus, bhuddists, muslims, jews or any other belief (or lack) systems, even if some of those people would be the kindest, altruistic, thoughtful and articulate people that would be of benefit to that god – it only ever afflicts the kids of catholics – strange that.

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    Mute CitizenSmith©
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    Jan 30th 2015, 12:17 PM

    I don’t tell you how to play wiff-waff you don’t tell me who to sleep with, deal?

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    Mute simon shewster
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    Jan 30th 2015, 4:43 PM

    It would make you wonder if its just a phase…Religious debates really bring out anger in us bloggers.

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    Mute Atticus the Accuser
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    Jan 30th 2015, 4:46 PM

    Persisting in delusion so sad.

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    Mute Pasceasy
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    Jan 30th 2015, 4:30 PM

    Are they allowed to hav sex toys in there.?

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    Mute Mysterion
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    Jan 30th 2015, 4:34 PM

    This is the funniest thing I gave EVER seen.

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    Mute Tom
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    Jan 31st 2015, 7:27 AM

    Must admit that I like most priests and nuns. Their selflessness amazes me.

    But at the end of the day human intelligence and logical reasoning proves that God does not exist.

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