IRELAND TODAY ?

Trevor Morrow

This article appeared in yesterdays Irish Examiner and offers one view of contemporary Irish society. Coming hotfoot on remarks in a similar vein made by the German ambassador maybe its time we woke up and took note !

The almighty euro — Ireland’s new religion?

IRELAND has become a country obsessed with sex, money and new technologies to the detriment of values that might make us happy, according to one of the country’s leading Christian commentators.

Dr Trevor Morrow said success, status and enjoyment of life were measured only in economic terms and workaholic parents were sacrificing their children and their health in order to "make it, financially".

He questioned the morality of debating the impact of immigration purely on the basis of financial costs and gains and further cautioned against the kind of liberal sexuality that placed no value on the stability of relationships.

Dr Morrow, a Presbyterian pastor in west Dublin and former moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, made his comments in an address for the second annual CS Lewis Lecture — held in the memory of the author who was also a respected religious scholar. He appealed for a critical examination of the social implications of the country’s current obsessions but said it was very difficult to critique them because they had become "Ireland’s version of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness".

Dr Morrow said: "Even though it is a truism that money cannot buy one happiness, there is a seductive belief that money, pleasure, things and happiness are inseparably related. "All this has contributed to our individualism, social alienation and lack of civil involvement," he continued, adding that the "god of financial success" had caused hardworking, gifted and idealistic politicians to become greedy, corrupt and shameful. Dr Morrow lamented the pursuit of liberal sexuality without restraint or judgement."We need to encourage legislation in the Dáil that encourages marriage and family life but also recognises that in a pluralist society, for those who do not hold our views, we need to support that which is less than the ideal.

"Here I am thinking of civil partnership. Whatever one’s sexual orientation, if we choose not to be celibate, it is better to be in a committed relationship than to be promiscuous." Dr Morrow also highlighted what he called the "unthinking acceptance of new technology"."Simply put, our motto must be that people matter more than devices," he said. The CS Lewis Lecture, hosted by Evangelical Alliance Ireland, was scheduled to take place in Dublin last night. Dr Morrow will also be delivering his address in University College Cork on Thursday, October 4.

Caroline O’Doherty