Alan B wrote:There are others...

Following revelations that an estimated 796 children were buried in a mass grave in Tuam in Co Galway, the Irish Daily Mail has brought to light the fact that there is a similar grave at what was known as the Castlepollard Mother and Child Home (later St Peter’s).

According to the organisation Adoption Rights Now (ARN), there may be as many as 500 babies buried in the “little angels” plot at Castlepollard.

ARN claims that 2800 to 3000 babies were born in Castlepollard. Of these, “2,500 were adopted out and between 300 to 500 died although this figure could be higher (no one knows the actual numbers)”.

Weaver wrote:They died at rates 5 times the general Irish rate - this isn't just about high infant mortality, this is severe neglect.

And they didn't "bury" these corpses - not according to their own standards of what a proper burial is. They took the expedient measure of chucking them in a septic tank - presumably because tossing them out with the rubbish would attract attention.

Beatsong wrote:

campermon wrote:

Strontium Dog wrote:I too am unclear.

I thought, as atheists, we don't consider dead bodies to be endowed with special qualities? They're just organ sacks, aren't they? A "collection of cells which will soon begin to disassemble and rot away". Not a person, but a "lump of meat".

Once again, zero consistency being displayed on these forums. And people claim that Mick is trolling...

You raise an interesting point SD.

Perhaps we associate the 'special qualities' that our loved ones had in life with their corpses?

I think it's reasonable of SD to highlight the double standard. The pure physicality of dead bodies, and the lack of any special or spiritual significance pertaining to them, has been expressed before here in relation to a range of subjects. To suddenly see so much outrage at the fact that they didn't get a Christian burial does seem odd.

Beatsong wrote:I just don't think it's very clear exactly what people are so angry about here. If it's the fact that the kids didn't get a proper funeral and burial, then as I say it does seem at odds with normal attitudes here. If OTOH it's the fact that they were probably neglected and many died of malnutrition, all because they were born out of wedlock and didn't grow up in proper families - then sure, that's terrible.

Beatsong wrote:But I think I thought it was saying that the Church had deliberately killed these kids or something, or thrown them in there alive to hide the shame. Drilling down to what the story actually says, and what it adds to the historical picture we already had, it seems nothing like that. Just that illegitimate children in religious societies had a shit life and an anonymous death. Incredibly sad, but we already knew that.

Beatsong wrote:It seems like just another excuse to reiterate how much we hate the christians.

Weaver wrote:Those still weren't "proper" burials by Catholic standards. Mass, unmarked graves, no coffins, etc. - damn hypocrites.

Animavore wrote:

Weaver wrote:Those still weren't "proper" burials by Catholic standards. Mass, unmarked graves, no coffins, etc. - damn hypocrites.

I wonder were they ever even Christened in cases.

The children of these women were denied baptism and segregated from others at school. If they died at such facilities, they were also denied a Christian burial.

DaveD wrote:The mode of disposal of the corpses is indicative of a lack of care in life, just as your posts are indicative of a lack of empathy.

Animavore wrote:

Strontium Dog wrote:

Animavore wrote:The records? What records? That's the point.

And nevermind what the records show, it's what the autopsy shows that will be vital in this case.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27710206

County Galway death records showed that most of the children buried in the unmarked grave had died of sickness or malnutrition.

Are you being obtuse? Did you even read the headline and first paragraph of the article you linked?

Beatsong wrote:I think it's reasonable of SD to highlight the double standard. The pure physicality of dead bodies, and the lack of any special or spiritual significance pertaining to them, has been expressed before here in relation to a range of subjects. To suddenly see so much outrage at the fact that they didn't get a Christian burial does seem odd.

Strontium Dog wrote:

Animavore wrote:

Strontium Dog wrote:

Animavore wrote:The records? What records? That's the point.

And nevermind what the records show, it's what the autopsy shows that will be vital in this case.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27710206

County Galway death records showed that most of the children buried in the unmarked grave had died of sickness or malnutrition.

Are you being obtuse? Did you even read the headline and first paragraph of the article you linked?

No, I'm not being obtuse. As you can see, I read more than the headline, I read the whole article.

Animavore wrote:

Strontium Dog wrote:

Animavore wrote:

Strontium Dog wrote:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27710206

County Galway death records showed that most of the children buried in the unmarked grave had died of sickness or malnutrition.

Are you being obtuse? Did you even read the headline and first paragraph of the article you linked?

No, I'm not being obtuse. As you can see, I read more than the headline, I read the whole article.

So did I. The article confirms what I said. So what's your point?

Strontium Dog wrote:

Beatsong wrote:I think it's reasonable of SD to highlight the double standard. The pure physicality of dead bodies, and the lack of any special or spiritual significance pertaining to them, has been expressed before here in relation to a range of subjects. To suddenly see so much outrage at the fact that they didn't get a Christian burial does seem odd.

That's really all I'm saying.

Agrippina wrote:

Made of Stars wrote::waah:

Yes that too. I hate the bloody RCC, and the goddamned cloud they came in on, and their nuns.

Ironclad wrote:

Agrippina wrote:

Made of Stars wrote::waah:

Yes that too. I hate the bloody RCC, and the goddamned cloud they came in on, and their nuns.

I was schooled in a RCC convent. They made me hate Jebus

campermon wrote:

Ironclad wrote:

Agrippina wrote:

Made of Stars wrote::waah:

Yes that too. I hate the bloody RCC, and the goddamned cloud they came in on, and their nuns.

I was schooled in a RCC convent. They made me hate Jebus

What? With nuns and that?