Do
you think that religion will always make a difference to the way people
feel about each other in Northern Ireland?
NB: Square brackets indicate where the text was edited.
If young Catholics and Protestants keep working together the community
will become a little better when relating to each other but there
will still be rioting on occasions e.g. parades and football matches.
I think that people should not exclude others or not speak to them
only because of them being a different religion. I think that N. Ireland
would be a better place if Protestants and Catholics mixed more regularly.
People of different religions and races should mix and get along
with one another, this would make N. Ireland a better place for future
generations.
It would be a better place if people from different religions bonded
more.
I think that people in Northern Ireland should try to get on better.
It gets none of us anywhere fighting all the time, we would want better
for [the] children in years to come.
[The communities] don't interact with each other enough. Many people
keep [themselves] to themselves especially in mixed areas and areas
of high crime. I find that many people discriminate against people
of different religion, race etc. In most areas in NI people are generally
friendly.
Protestants and Catholics should come together and forget about fighting
at the end of the day we are all going to die regardless of religion.
I would like to see the two communities come together and work together.
I would like to see both communities come together in years to come,
e.g. my children generation. I wouldn't want them to grow up always
fighting with Catholics. Not like it is now.
I think that relationships between people of different religions
in N. Ireland can be improved fairly easily. However this requires
the focus and dedication of the people concerned. If they don't fully
wish to integrate with others, nothing can be achieved. In order to
move on we need to accept the fact that other religions really aren't
very different and we need to be willing to make the effort.
Personally I think if Protestant and Catholic people mixed more there
would be less prejudice towards each other. I think all schools should
be mixed especially primary schools so children understand that Protestants
are no different to us really.
I feel that more integrated schools would help.
Community relations are tense due to the minority who understand
very little about the history of the troubles. Fear breeds violence
and this attitude has lead to some of the worst sectarian attacks.
Ignorance is the weapon used by these people in order to instil a
passion of hatred which is misguided. Small minded people make the
world the place it is today despite the determined efforts of those
who wish to move on around them. Education is the key to a future
where understanding & tolerance reign. Without it life is set to continue
in this downward spiral.
I think there need to be more integrated schools, as it is where
young people get to mix and understand each other better.
I feel that it is very important that more cross community projects
are set up and there should be better inter-denominational contacts
between the churches, to enable people to grow up with a better understanding
of other people's religions. I feel that this would reduce prejudice
between communities and enable future generations to grow up in a
friendlier and safer environment.
Many people judge others [by] their religion, but if they met someone
in a pub they wouldn't ask [for] it. Schemes like key programme bring
communities together and break down barriers. When i went to this
everyone is the same regardless of religion, these type of schemes
should be more available to all pupils in all schools.
There needs to be a lot more organized projects in smaller and larger
communities aimed at young people to erase the idea of divisions between
religious denominations. If attention is aimed at young people they
may change the views of their parents, teachers and adult circles
generally in today's society. It may take the power of the children
- the new generation - to ensure that mistakes of [the] past are not
repeated in [relation] to fighting [about] religion and that […] an
evident integration [of] the youth of today [can be] seen.
We should all class ourselves as one big community and then we would
all be happy without fighting and trying to cope in N. Ireland. The
politicians should do more for us as we are the next generation. There
should be a central point for a youth club so anyone can go without
being frightened […].
[…] Having researched and studied politics, I feel that I am capable
of making my own decisions about communities in Northern Ireland.
I feel that no matter how hard people in Northern Ireland try to build
bridges and relationships between people here, we are quite capable
of making our own decisions about our attitudes and there will still
be hostility and hatred between religious groups. I hope there will
be peace some day, but I don't understand why we should be pushed
to see and understand another religion's point of view.
[I] don't think Catholics and Protestants will ever stop fighting.
They can't accept each other. We are all the same, we are only humans
with a different religion, I don't see the problem. Most of the time
those that are fighting don't even realise what they are fighting
for. They don't want to listen to each other and each side is always
right and no-one will give in first.
Community relations would work better with the co-operation of both
sides. Both sides are agreeing to peace agreements and disbandment
but this isn't happening. The paramilitaries have too much of an influence
as to what happens in both communities.
I don't like the fighting and tensions between communities in N.
Ireland. It all has to do with the past, people need to learn to forgive
and let go of their stubbornness and pigheadedness. I know it's not
easy, and they also need to learn to see past religion. The only difference
between Catholics and Protestants is their beliefs in god. They need
to COMPROMISE.
I think the continuing rivalry between differing religious communities
is due to the trend in which people are brought up in and how they
are taught, and it never really is anyone's personal decision. Because
religion is an important part of politics in this country it has made
it more of an issue among communities. I also think that communities
are becoming less united but this is probably more applying to higher-class
suburban areas.
I have been brought up in a mixed community and feel no bitterness
towards Catholics. My best friend is one. I believe it is down to
the parents to introduce their children to different religions. […]
It tends to be the case that if the parents are bitter it usually
rubs off on their offspring, so unless we do this I can see no difference
in N. Ireland cross community relations.
Today we live in a society that no longer cares about religion or
race. There are few places and people that do. I was brought up to
be a Catholic but find that religion plays a very little role in my
life and because of that I am not sectarian and have been able to
make friends with Protestants. The situation in N. Ireland is a joke.
The people who hold the grudges are holding them because their parents
or older siblings told them to. Peace would happen if they would just
forgive and forget.
I think the differences between religions is only skin deep and the
media place too much emphasis on the differences, on the whole there's
a lot of contact taking place between different groups and I think
they get on quite well.
[…] I don't think community relations will change because no-one
is going to open their eyes to change and development or to those
who they are fighting with/against. Also there is too much prejudice
for it to change.
I agree that religion will always be the dominant factor which contributes
to the sectarian war field N. Ireland is today. The local news brings
only words and deaths and parliamentary attacks on opposite religions.
Violence is becoming a part of normality in this state, it has become
a tradition for both parties involved, and violence is not a religious
practice of the Catholic and Protestant religions.
Most of the religious tension appears only to be in Belfast and close
border areas where religion seems to matter more and [where] segregation
occurs. Where I live […] there is very little religious tension. Most
of it seems to be in deprived housing estates that display murals,
flags and kerb paintings.
Segregating the communities between Protestants and Catholics only
makes the country worse. We should raise our children to tolerate
others instead of bringing them up in areas of no religious difference.
If we do this the boundaries between Protestants and Catholics could
eventually break down, although there will always be some who do not
want this for the country.
The church has a certain amount of influence as to how people feel
about other religions. It doesn't have the same control as it used
to because people no longer trust it. Why fight with others over something
which has lost all credibility. The church is losing support which
will lead to better cross-community relations.
I feel that the main problem with the feuds between Catholics and
Protestants is that religion has got mixed into it. Religion is used
as a cover for murder, mutilation, prejudices and inequality. The
main problem is that some people just want to hurt others, and need
a good cover, so they blame it on the religion. If these people were
actually Christians, following the Bible, they would not kill, it
does not say kill your neighbour, it says love your neighbour.
The whole division between the communities is based on very trivial
issues as I think Catholic and Protestant people basically believe
in the same things.
Just keep in mind that it is not only religion that starts trouble.
Religion is just used as an excuse to earn money and to punish people.
This survey seems to point the finger at religion for these troubles.
If everyone was 100% religious there would be no trouble.
There are communities of people with different religions within Belfast
and Northern Ireland who live together without a problem. Some people
place too much emphasis on the 'religion' of others, on whether they
are Catholic or Protestant, when in reality religion brings it down
to the simple fact that they are both Christian and both worship the
same God. It is said that the peace of many can be destroyed by the
excesses of a few and I feel that this is relevant to the situation
in Northern Ireland. In comparison to the number of people in the
country who wish to live peacefully, there is a small minority on
both sides of the 'religious' barrier who cannot accept this and people
die because of this. These deaths incur retaliation and therefore
more deaths occur.
I feel people need to be made more aware of why there are religious
differences, ie different beliefs inside the church.
The poor relations between Catholics and Protestants [are] due to
the fact that neither understand or recognise the practices of each
other.
A religious person, the other day, talked about labels and how people
were comfortable with them. He said when we labelled people it made
us comfortable inside ourselves. So in NI we have the labels Catholics
& Protestants, and if we aren't sure about someone we meet we are
not comfortable at the back of our mind, maybe because we might say
the wrong thing in front of them. Community relations will be better
in NI when we find that the labelling doesn't matter and that we are
comfortable with each other no matter whether the person is Protestant
or Catholic.
Community relations in N. Ireland won't improve as long as a difference
is being made in favour of the Catholic people. They have been given
too much of everything e.g. grants, removal of flags etc.
I hope that after a few generations all of the sectarianism within
N. Ireland will have disappeared. I believe that there should only
be one Ireland, not North and South. If people cannot learn to live
peacefully with one another then this will never happen. In order
for the people of N. Ireland to live in harmony with one another all
the social barriers need to be removed. I think people should be allowed
to be of any religion and that they should not be constantly asked
[about] their religion.
[I] think that Catholics should realise that by living in N. Ireland
they are under British rule and not Irish. […] Catholics in England
are able to recognise [this] and do not put up Republican flags. If
[Catholics in Northern Ireland] like Irish rules then why don't they
live there [in the Republic of Ireland]? I think as terrorism starts
growing that problems will get worse in this country.
There is much division in Northern Ireland due to religion. It is
a bad sign that the Stormont Executive can't even agree amongst themselves.
How can they expect people to change and agree if they can't themselves?
They are like a group of kids fighting in a sweet shop.
Northern Ireland politics is very bad. Assembly members get paid
a lot of money from the tax payer so they can cancel the assembly
and disagree with other parties views. I believe relations [between]
Catholics and Protestants will never be good because of the way NI
children are brought up. […]
Politically people are polarising. The DUP and Sinn Fein will soon
be the target parties. This can only lead to a deterioration in community
relations.
Until such times that politicians stop arguing about who is to blame
and get on with what they were elected for i.e. proper government
within our country, we will never move forward.
They are out of control and should be dealt with. Just because people
are fighting less than 30 years ago does not make the situation better.
People and children still feel intimidated by the opposite religion
and we are subjected to this unease because of this. If MP's would
quit arseing about and fighting with each other they may be able to
work something out for the better. It seems to me that they are more
concerned about digging up dirt on their opposition than working together
with open ears.
I feel that there will always be weak relations between the main
religious communities in Northern Ireland, this being due in large
part to the running of the parliamentary systems at Stormont.
I believe community relations in N Ireland are very over-rated.
Most people are indifferent to those with a different social/religious
background and those who do hold strong opinions are aggravated by
the antagonistic, money grabbing politicians of today who invent problems
with little or no meaning for the people of N. Ireland and argue aimlessly
about events which took place over one hundred years ago and hold
little relevance for the important issues and topics which need to
be dealt with. The past cannot be changed, but the future can be developed.
Politicians and church leaders say in public both religions must
work & pray together, yet in my hometown […] where some of my Catholic
friends attend a Catholic school the headmaster forbids soccer as,
in his words, it is a foreign game.
There are many young people in N Ireland who can look past the religious
divide of Catholics and Protestants however there are others who learn
prejudiced feelings towards other denominations which causes them
to discriminate. I personally don't believe there will ever be peace
between communities in N Ireland, even though much effort has been
made.
There will always be conflict between Loyalists and Republicans.
I can't see the feud between Catholics and Protestants ever being
solved.
The majority of Catholics I know I get on with, however there is
a small minority that ruins relations. I think this is the problem
for N. Ireland as most people are trouble-free apart from the odd
exception. Only in the N Ireland situation are there paramilitaries
around. […] I think it won't ever change as too much hatred has already
been shown.
To me it seems as though the Loyalist and Catholic community are
as bad as each other. It would be better for all of Northern Ireland
if they could settle their differences but it doesn't seem like that
is going to happen.
Nobody in the community will get along unless there are some dramatic
changes. Years down the line people will still be killing each other.
Nothing will change, families feel scared, they leave the estate,
but are still hunted down. Community relations suck because not enough
is being done.
I think that community relations are unlikely to improve in my generation
and in the near future.
The community relations between Catholics and Protestants are more
likely not going to get better. If there is a change in relations
it will only be a slight one. Catholics and Protestants are still
going to be hostile towards each other. They have conflicting ideologies
and believe in different things and celebrate different events. To
be perfectly honest, I could live near Protestants and have nothing
against moderate ones who are not a member of the Orange Order and
who show direct hatred of Catholics. Community relations may get better
or worse in Northern Ireland. Unionists don't like change so therefore
there will be hardly any difference in community relations.
I think that the community divide will always influence the way
that many people feel about each other and that nothing can be done
to help this.
Don't think it will ever be perfect, but I wish it was.
Protestants and Catholics are never going to see eye to eye as a
result of the conflict within the two communities.
There is always friction when there are parades or Rangers and Celtic
matches. I feel very intimidated by this. Both sides are to blame.
N. Ireland will never be peaceful.
Due to political instability, young people become accustomed to their
belief. This is driving the community apart. The community will never
be fully interlinked and this is a basic fact. The two communities
can be friendly to one another but there will be a divide which won't
disappear.
I think some people of both Protestant and Catholic communities will
always disagree with the other religion, but I believe that most of
Northern Ireland will come to peace someday, but never the whole of
Northern Ireland because Loyalists and Republicans could never become
one community because of their beliefs.
With a sustained suspicion, indeed hatred, between the two main religions
in N. Ireland, increased by the issue of a United Ireland which would
divide Northern Ireland from the UK, and a constant barrage of criticism
from political parties for each other, Northern Ireland can never
resolve these affairs, and a continuing mistrust between religious
groups will never be mended.
[I] don't think having Protestants and Catholics get together will
do any good. Don't think things will ever be ok. There is too much
history of sectarianism in the province.
Catholics and Protestants don't relate and I don't think they ever
will. It's not as bad as it used to be and hopefully won't get any
worse.
In my opinion there will always be a small element of Protestant
and Catholic communities that will continue to practice sectarian
violence.
I find the situation in Northern Ireland infuriating but unfortunately
I don't think it will change, I wish it would!
I feel that the Protestant and Catholic relationships may be improved,
but through the years of violence scars have been made, and may never
heal. Due to this fact it will only be improved, [but] never taken
away.
I believe that relationships are getting better, but will never be
completely equal.
We must remember there is bad on both sides of the community. I think
if people could ever agree we could have a good future.
At times I feel that the divide in Northern Ireland is completely
uncalled for as everyone has to walk up the same streets and work
alongside one another. Yet I have a strong loyalty to my own religion
and I feel a great sense of pride towards Protestants. However I feel
at times people should live together in Northern Ireland in peace
and in friendship with on another.
I personally feel that religion should not come into the politics
of our country. I know nationalist Protestants and unionist Catholics.
I feel that religion is a totally different subject, but I have to
accept that religion has been dragged into the politics of our society,
mainly due to stereotyping. I think more should be done to stamp out
sectarianism and to promote open mindedness. I feel that if this was
done community relations within N. Ireland would improve.
At present, I feel like they are quite bad. They have been for some
time but I feel like people will, and probably already have been,
growing tired of hearing about attacks, riots, murders and bomb scares.
The Country is growing weary and is very gradually coming to the realisation
that what is happening is pointless. Everyone has freedom of religion,
but it should be obtainable without worrying about what other people
think. People have to be taught at a very young age not to hate or
disrespect the other religion. Children also see the actions of adults
around them and hear about it in the media, they imitate what they
have seen and can be very impressionable. We need to take this fact
and use it to our advantage. I'm not suggesting brain washing, but
simple informative data, that people can take and draw their own opinions
from. I will listen to you and respect your religion, beliefs, creed,
colour, sexuality, even fashion sense, but you must do the same for
me. Equal rights. I may disagree with you, but differing opinions
can make people more interesting, but always respect and obviously
there should be no intimidation.
It's stupid, other countries don't seem to have the same problem
and if they do, not as bad. The feuding in Northern Ireland seems
continuous, just because people believe in different things.
Community relations within N Ireland are destined to be worse off
than those in other countries. However statistics show that as sectarianism
goes down racial attacks increase. I feel that there will always be
problems with people getting along in N. Ireland however the important
thing is to what extent it is happening and to fix it is within our
power.
[I] think there is too much sectarianism in my community. It would
be a much better place if people could just learn to respect each
other for what they are.
Can't understand why everyone has to fight and disagree, they should
concentrate on world peace and poverty. People pay too much attention
to what religion people are and not the person.
People should be more open-minded and accept people for who they
are.
I think people should stop thinking about if they are Protestant
or Catholic, We all bleed red. There are more important things to
worry about.
To be blunt it is rubbish, it's not just religion that people don't
understand, there is also sexuality, other cultures and everything
that other countries have moved on with in the last 50 years. Living
in this country is like living in 1952, utterly ridiculous. It all
happens because people don't understand. No one teaches that being
homosexual is okay and not a choice. No one teaches that there are
different religions in the world, that people of the other religion
live in this country and that everyone's entitled to their own beliefs.
No one teaches that you have to grow up and be mature about things
if you want to survive in a world outside Northern Ireland. No one
teaches the fact that people express themselves in different ways.
When Religious education is taught at school they don't teach anything
other than Christianity. Community relations are quite pathetic.
Some people are very discriminating against others no matter what
religion they are.
The majority of children in Northern Ireland are not bigoted towards
other religions/races. From what I have seen, it is only a minority
of hoods who give this poor impression of us. At least that's what
I would like to think.
People's personality counts more than religion, depending if you
want to get along with them.
Feel that there is only a minority of people who are creating the
friction between different religions.
In my opinion I cannot see why people are worried or threatened by
somebody's religion. At the end of the day we are the same regardless
of what we believe. I feel people should accept the views of others
even if they do not share them, as people we are entitled to believe
in what we want to and I think everybody should accept that.
I think as Northern Irish citizens we are all equal and issues of
religion and identity should not cause violence and disagreements.
The 'Troubles' in NI have been going on for so long that perhaps many
people see peace as an impossible objective. However, I would wish
that by the time I'm a grandparent my grandchildren would be unaware
of the existence of bad community relations and that their generation
could start afresh. Many people feel very strongly about being a republican,
loyalist or WHATEVER, but it's a pity these groups can't hold their
beliefs in a peaceful way. Protestant or Catholic - we are all people
who deserve to live happily without danger and bloodshed.
[I] don't think that it is right that people have problems with other
religions because i really don't see the point.
If people weren't so bad and stopped acting like children they would
get on better and it would be a more peaceful world for us all. I
just hope one day before it's too late people will come to the same
conclusion as me.
[I think] that all different communities should help and respect
each other. Religion shouldn't matter to anybody, as it doesn't matter
to me.
I think that if the section in history that is about O Neill, NICRA
and all, up to the present situation was compulsory, then relations
would improve.[…] We have been taught it and […] we were taught to
be unbiased and to respect all opinions towards what was happening.
Too many people in Northern Ireland are living in the past. They
are still using things that happened over 30 or more years ago to
spark violence and cause hatred between the two main religious groups
in N. Ireland, and this affects the community relations.
I think that people have been opposed too long, that they have been
hating each other for too long. I think that they should move on and
stop living in the past. Everyone is the same no matter what their
religion or their stand in the fate of the country and if people could
realise that it would be a large step towards the end of Northern
Irelands problems.
[…] Religion doesn't mean anything to decent people. It only matters
to people who want to fight and have no other reason to do so.
I hope that in the future Protestants and Catholics can live together
with no hassle, that all so-called groups will not exist and that
life for each would be easier, with no deaths and no attacks - just
peace for all.
In my opinion people in NI are very pigheaded, in that they refuse
to want to socialise and befriend people of different religions to
themselves. I've also noticed that the communities of Northern Ireland
are quite small in comparison to those of different countries. Because
of this, I think, people who come from the same community tend to
get on better.
The problem used to lie within sectarianism, however more and more
groups fight within themselves showing a destructive element to their
personalities rather than hatred for the other side.
Community relations in N. Ireland will never be solved until people
accept difference. They say variety is the spice of life, so why not
enjoy it? Until people think for themselves and stand out from the
crowd things will never change. There must be the realisation that
the majority of people want peace, so why can't the small minority
accept this.
Everyone should be treated the same whatever their religion.
I think people should realise that no matter what religion you are,
each individual should be treated equally and with respect.
Catholics and Protestants cannot become closer until they know more
about the people from other sides of the community. Then they may
be more willing to compromise. It will take some time because people
have done a lot of damage and have a lot to make up for.
The problem between these two communities lies with those who are
not interested in religion as Christians. They simply see it as a
status. The roof of our problems are the sectarian organisations -
not the Orange Order as many people may think. For example, why have
the orange marches only become a problem in recent years? The sectarian
Catholics are using this as a weapon to get their own way, as [far
as] the North - South division is concerned. The sectarian Protestants
and Catholics do not have any problem with each other, they simply
hold different Christian beliefs. Too much spotlight is put on the
negative relations. I have grown up watching news and assuming Catholics
will hate me which I have realised is not true. My family has no problem
being friendly towards Catholics.
Relations need to improve as religious differences are the key source
of violence and disturbance in N. Ireland.
People need to forget religious differences and begin to take on
board non-bigoted attitudes. If everyone learned to accept each other's
religion and let each other practice it peacefully, N. Ireland would
have a much more open community spirit. If everyone practiced their
faith peacefully and quietly N. Ireland would be a nicer place to
live.
It's a small majority in Northern Ireland who are very biased. I
think people should stop using religion in political disputes.
