I personally think Ireland would be better off today if Christianity had never been introduced to the island. I realize that even as pagans the Irish didn't always get along with each other. But Christianity, and its different sects of rituals and beliefs, seems to have done more than its fair share of tearing the occupants of Ireland apart.
How different would the political spectrum of Ireland be if everyone there suddenly became atheist? They could still hate the British. But I think they, as a people and a country, would be more unified. If a fellow Irishman walked down the street wearing Ulster orange, it would no longer mean he was Protestant. It would just mean he liked orange.
The recent spate of killing soldiers and police officers seems to be bringing "the troubles" to the forefront of Ireland's problems again. They've had a peace for as long as my memory serves after the Omagh bombing. And I have to wonder if religion is really a blanket for the economic chill that Ireland is now experiencing. Economic hardship can always act as a catalyst for protests and retaliations. But religion serves to soften the blow. Religion makes the cause more just, the offenders less murderous.
The shamrock serves as a symbol of Ireland after Saint Patrick used the three-leafed clover to explain the Holy Trinity to a pagan who didn't understand that Christianity claimed it only worshipped one god when it actually worshipped three. To me, that's when the troubles began. Ireland would be better off if the pagan had told Saint Patrick that the three leaves represents the way a man should live -- eat (brown bread), drink (Irish whiskey) and be merry. Maybe the Irish could change their official holiday from St. Paddy's day to Fair Laddies day. The men would have to dress like women for the day -- skirts and high heels with makeup and hair curlers. That act alone might bring more peace to any nation than any prayer ever spoken.
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