The pro-choice speaker in the Nolan show the other night got it bang on, people in NI vote based on orange and green (there's little other choice) and serious issues get buried. The public are ahead of the politicians on social issues.
This is very true. Until people stop voting tribally, nothing will change in Northern Ireland. Sadly, I think we are probably a few generations away from this.
You are quite right in that both adultery and homosexuality are sinful in God's eyes.
I have a strong believe in God I do not believe this bollocks. I do not believe in a vengeful God, I believe in a forgiving God who welcomes all people, including 'sinners'.
I have a strong believe in God I do not believe this bollocks. I do not believe in a vengeful God, I believe in a forgiving God who welcomes all people, including 'sinners'.
This! ... very much this, to be honest if the god I believe in would think falling in love is a "sin"... then I don't have much time for him/her.
If the OP was making a general point about the need for wider political issues to drive voters more he would have a point. Unfortunately he is instead stuck in his own narrow set of obsessions about homosexuality and abortion.
Wouldn't go as far as to say I was obsessed but yes, I do think they are very serious and very important especially if you have been reading the news recently. And I don't see how they aren't valid points.
Well, you have to take into account the substantial disengagement from politics by a large portion of NI. The problem is it's the loudest, most motivated and most organized faction that sets the agenda for politics
So all you need is a bloc of the population organizing itself for these orange-green culture war fiascos, and if the rest of the populace turn their heads away and can't be bothered they're the ones left politically invisible. At which point it's going to be the orange-green that sets the tone for the region's politics. It's why the flag protest was treated as a joke by the people who weren't involved in it (i.e. the vast majority), yet still got all the media attention and set the tone for everybody for a while.
I personally think you're going to still get enclaves where unionist/nationalist belligerents go at each other for a while yet, but at the same time you're going to see a normalization of everyday administration and life in NI as the political old guard shuffles off. People voting for DUP/Sinn Fein is more a function of those two having better PR, better electoral machines, better constituency work, and a more mobilized electoral base than the other parties imo.
Basically that's why the anti-gay, anti-abortion and creationist whackery is still around. You have a section who rabidly cares about these things, and who have the force of social inertia on their side, and then a section who really don't give a shit - well guess whose agenda is going to survive in that situation?
NI is genuinely more staunchly conservative than the UK though, which is plainly thanks to the troubles. When you think your identity is under threat you do what you can to strengthen your identity, and this obviously breeds a more conservative mindset. The troubles also meant much fewer people wanted to visit or settle in NI, so there were less incoming elements to dilute the two camps.
I'd agree that there is general apathy in the voting public once you step outside the whole Ireland/UK agenda. I even forgot to return my voter registration form but they've been going around door to door chasing them up. I'm not very excited about voting as where I live in North Belfast it's always just a big run up between Gerry Kelly and Nigel Dodds. Might just spoil my ballot out of protest.
The non-unionist/republican parties in Northern Ireland like the Alliance party have always struck me as being quite wishy washy but I don't even think they have any representation in my area anyway.
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0/10 trolling.
This is very true. Until people stop voting tribally, nothing will change in Northern Ireland. Sadly, I think we are probably a few generations away from this.
I have a strong believe in God I do not believe this bollocks. I do not believe in a vengeful God, I believe in a forgiving God who welcomes all people, including 'sinners'.
Wouldn't go as far as to say I was obsessed but yes, I do think they are very serious and very important especially if you have been reading the news recently. And I don't see how they aren't valid points.
Also, I'm female.
I'd agree that there is general apathy in the voting public once you step outside the whole Ireland/UK agenda. I even forgot to return my voter registration form but they've been going around door to door chasing them up. I'm not very excited about voting as where I live in North Belfast it's always just a big run up between Gerry Kelly and Nigel Dodds. Might just spoil my ballot out of protest.
The non-unionist/republican parties in Northern Ireland like the Alliance party have always struck me as being quite wishy washy but I don't even think they have any representation in my area anyway.