AIBU to say well done Ireland!

[onalongsabbatical]

AIBU to say well done Ireland! I feel immensely moved. A real sign of positive and enlightened change on this planet of ours where so much is awful. You lovely people. Let’s have a thread of celebration – all welcome, of course. Dissent will be discussed if necessary. But, for the moment I want to cheer. Hurrah!

[onalongsabbatical]

Nobody celebrates abortion. A massive improvement in enlightened health provision for women is a cause for celebration. If, hypothetically, a cure for cancer was made available and freely distributed to people who needed it, would you describe this as celebrating drug taking, or celebrating cancer? No, that would obviously be ridiculous. As is calling this celebrating abortion. We’re celebrating women’s rights and healthcare. Not to speak of the potential freedom form fear this gives women in hitherto desperate situations. HTH.

[RoseWhiteTips]

There is just cause to celebrate the news. Anyone who says people are “celebrating abortion” is being offensive.

[MiggeldyHiggins]

I am pleased they have voted yes but abortion is nothing to celebrate so have a biscuit it’s. Nessairy evil in My view

Who do you think is celebrating abortion?

[TheBogWitchIsBack]

No one is celebrating abortions.
We are celebrating a huge victory for the women of Ireland who now have a choice, victims of rape who now have a choice, women who's pregnancies become life threatening, who now have a choice!
So here, have your biscuit back

[Repealthe8th]

onalongsabbatical

Exactly right. Lucky them that have never had to make the awful decision to have one or medically need one.

[peachgreen]

It's not true that the British government couldn't overrule the NI Executive on this issue. It's a human rights violation and that's not devolved.

More: twitter.com/AmandaFBelfast/status/1000726849369059328

[Metoodear]

I am pleased they have voted yes but abortion is nothing to celebrate so have a it’s. Nessairy evil in My view

[RoseWhiteTips]

Great decision, Ireland.

[onalongsabbatical]

@Repealthe8th, I’ve been thinking about your post, and I think you’re right. Because basically if anyone says they’d never have an abortion, are they saying that even if they were raped they’d never have an abortion, and if they were dying in childbirth like Savita they wouldn’t have an abortion? Doubtful. So all they’re really saying is that they don’t actually know in what circumstances they’d feel that they had to have an abortion and luckily for them they’ve never been faced with the decision. For the record I’ve never had an abortion, and I’m very grateful never to have been in the position of having to consider whether to or not. I can absolutely say that I can imagine many circumstances in which I’d feel I had to make that choice.
There but for the grace of god, really… although I don’t believe in a god.

[Repealthe8th]

To all the women here saying

"I would never have an abortion myself but I'm happy at the results..."

Why can't you just say about your delight at the results? It sounds a little bit condescending to me when I did have to have an abortion.

[KittyVonCatsworth]

Flying elbows I think we have priests in common...I haven’t celebrated this as I’m on FB and so is he and obviously very vocal. My H is a non practising but confirmed catholic. He wanted a yes result and asked me not to put anything on FB so I won’t.

I just hope this doesn’t start raising tensions. I agree, it’s more cultural belief more than religious however I think if things got bad there are still too many generations that will always default to religion.

[QuizzlyBear]

I wouldn't have an abortion myself, it's not for me, though I'd never inflict my worldview and opinions on anyone else. Like (hopefully!) many others though, I support every woman's right to choose what's right for her when it comes to her own body so I am over the moon at the result!

Hopefully this paves the way for more oppressive, outdated, misogynistic, religion-based laws to be overturned in favour of more progressive, enlightened views.

We can only hope!

[Orangecake123]

I would agree.

[Moonkissedlegs]

Some of my parents brothers and sisters in Ireland are still as religious as they ever were, prayer cards, getting stuff blessed at Knock, saying mass for this person or that person but..... I have always wondered how much of even that stuff is out of culture and how much of it is because they truly believe in it.

My Mum never misses Mass, ever. If they go on holiday they find the Catholic Church for mass. But I think a lot of it is just guilt, I have never known if my mum is actually a true believer.

One of my dad's sisters is super pious, I think she does believe in it.

[TheBogWitchIsBack]

Totally agree about the 'cultural catholic' thing. I've moved away and my dcs haven't been baptised, still getting a hard time from certain family members over it even though they never set foot in a church except for weddings and funerals.

[Sprinklesinmyelbow]

I’m second generation too and i think that’s really different (and same for Indians/ Pakistanis) our parents left in the 60s/70s when Ireland was a very very different place and in many cases have continued to mirror that lifestyle in the U.K. Ireland is different now, but our parents haven’t kept up. They’ve just stayed in their bubble

[Moonkissedlegs]

It's true about the 'cultural Catholic' thing though. I am 2nd gen Irish living in England and was brought up Catholic, but I now have zero belief in God or any of that. English DH is staunchly atheist.

I got married in a Catholic church, had my kids baptised, not because I believe in it, but because in my family that is what you do.

I was going to mass for a while while the kids were young, we were thinking about schools etc(as it now happens they don't go to a Catholic school), and quite enjoyed the sense of community etc but was getting a bit lax with it, largely because of the abuse scandals, the Tuam babies thing, and the abortion issue: I was struggling to reconcile it.

The final nail in the coffin for me was during mass one week when this woman, who was quite active in the church, youngish, a couple of kids my age stood up and gave an anti abortion talk. I was horrified and was looking around to see other people's reactions. I never went back after that. DH totally doesn't get it, and is like 'what do you expect, that is the Catholic stance on it' but when you are a 'cultural catholic' these things can be tricky. A couple of my friends said the exact same about anti abortion campaigning at their churches too.

[FlyingElbows]

My husband's family are of the Priest fearing variety and they're in Donegal. My fil puts holy water in the car and round the boundaries of the property. He goes nowhere without his rosary beads. It's the only place I've ever seen a priest get out a gold Mercedes, go in to a shop and buy a lottery ticket! You couldn't get more Father Ted. I absolutely accept that they're in the minority. The younger generation are certainly more culturally Catholic but the adherence to the old ways is still there.

[Prawnofthepatriarchy]

My friend is living in a tiny village in the middle of nowhere and it's all happening now. She told me all about it when she was back over New Year.

[glitterfarts]

Fantastic result for Irish women and well done to the general public acknowledging that a woman's body should be under her own control.

[Sprinklesinmyelbow]

Also That image could just be a memory from only 10, 5 years ago. The change has been rapid

[TheBogWitchIsBack]

As an irish person I know I have a tendency to play up the stereotypes when it suits me, sometimes it's just self deprecating humour.

Perhaps it's true, maybe your friend lives in some remote, rural village where it is like that that.
The Ireland I know is much more secular now.

[JaneJeffer]

That sounds very scary Prawn but I personally find it hard to believe.