Maria Doyle Kennedy- atheist actress, speaks on religion!

Music to my ears, that the lovely actress & singer Maria Doyle Kennedy is an atheist, welcome to reason Maria! This video is in tribute to a famous fellow Irish citizen whom I have admired these past twenty years and more, for her acting roles and music, but best of all turns out that she's not into religion; well done on all fronts Maria, unlike Andrea Corr, you are such a breath of fresh air! I knew you wouldn't let me down. Coming out as an atheist is almost impossible for an Irish female; due to the mother effect.

[@KDCO92]

WOW that was a shock, she was a really good actress on the Tudors, one would think she is actually religious. Even though I'm not a Christian but when she doubts god for what is happening in the world like "Syria" i can say this to her: God created us to be un-perfect, he gave us free will to do and think.. If he would strike all the dictators and unbelievers down no one would doubt him thus faith becomes irrelevant, and any believer would say that faith is the main test from God in this life...

[@jervilopez1844]

But then again if God is all good, omnipresent, omnipotent and onmiscient, why would he, she or it allow it to happen?

[@KDCO92]

@@jervilopez1844 This question comes back to the element of free will in this life. I believe the role of God is not to interfere with how humans act but rather judge them for it.

[@roder51]

If God created us in his image how come we're not all invisible. You need to move on without your crutch.

[@Pussycatfeathers]

she`s not an Atheist, more agnostic, she doesn`t really know what`s there and is a person who needs proof of existence, she is open minded about it and that`s the best way to be because we all have to choose for ourselves what we believe and question everything.

[@skyzthelimi7]

Thanks for the comment; I met Maria years ago on a film set; quite sure she doesn't remember me? But she is lovely to me, meaning sincere; I'm a sucker for sincerity. Cheers.

[@skyzthelimi7]

Absolutely! Thanks.

[@skyzthelimi7]

Thanks.

[@artsHscience]

She's not really an atheist; she's more deist or apotheist. For a pantheist or deist have belief in sacredness of the universe. Apotheists have belief that humans are sacred beings which is found in Gnostic Christians, Sufi Muslims, Advaitan Hindus or Zen Buddhists and some esoteric new age beliefs.

[@Raqy22]

Nice video Sky, thanks for sharing. What did you say - "Religion is invented by men and then garrisoned by women". I could not agree more...those words should be carved in stone somewhere, because sadly it's true. Well done.

[@skyzthelimi7]

Thank you for the feedback; I'll respond to your excellent comments hopefully with something intelligent when I have a moment. Cheers.

[@michaelglynn3340]

Her views were honest and heartfelt. All people of belief have those same doubts. Hope is the mental mantra. It's full of holes in a scientific mind but a by product of our evolutionary journey. So who knows conclusively? Dying will reveal the Truth. Faith may triumph or we'll just never know.

[@practicalmagic9]

2)I cannot separate out if it is nature or nurture why women are more susceptible to religion and spirituality.From early on we are encouraged or assumed to be ruled by emotion.Boys are encouraged or assumed to be driven by the physical and supress the less tangible things.I struggled with that a lot,as I worshipped my father who was quite analytical.He often made derisive comments about my mothers emotional outbursts,so when he would intone "You are just like your mother"It hurt a lot.

[@practicalmagic9]

Oh my,I haven't watched "The Commitments" since forever-ago!I loved that movie!Actually,as far as life after death,I think I could love it if it were more like "What Dreams May Come" with the addendum if at some point you wished to just wink out you could.As for women and the church,it's so common here in USA to have a high women to men ratio among singles, and even somewhat in married couples.There are usually more women attending past Sunday services, also,and volunteers are mostly women.

[@c4feg4r44]

nice one

[@PacalB]

Agreed, Burns just seem to sit there judging her whilst questioning, no part of his smiling felt real to me.

[@suffist]

reminds of Mrs Doyle in father Ted "would you like a cup of tea father"

[@smallies7154]

very beautiful irish woman

[@Darwinsgift]

Yep! On the toilet talking about a crush on Maria! I love the way Mr Burn looks disappointed at her lack of religion.

[@Pushtrak]

Luckily for the US, most of the population are non religious, and avoid buying in to any superstition. I'm envious ;)

[@GodVlogger]

Very interesting video, Sky. Thanks for posting it. I wonder.... where will atheism grow faster.... in the Bible Belt of the United States, or throughout Ireland?

[@roder51]

in the Bible Belt? Not a chance. It's the only crutch they know.

[@Pushtrak]

That was the joke. Ireland isn't alone in having many people believing in the absurd.

[@roxee57]

She oozed honesty and integrity.

[@skyzthelimi7]

Yes, well Gay Byrne close buddy of his peer group Terry Wogan, gained respect in Ireland over forty years broadcasting, radio/TV; for bringing the country into the 20th century & taking on the church; but as seen in this and other interviews in the series, he still likes to play it both ways; he should be neutral but then uses body language and stupid comments to punish his guests if they're atheist. But in the next moment he's Mr liberal. I've never understood the man.

[@UniversalRee]

I think there's a little over-generalization about women and belief - I'm pretty sure, that if the research were done, there would be very little difference in strength of belief, although the actual types of belief may diverge quite widely between genders. That wouldn't be entirely surprising. Just in observing how religions operate, now, it seems that a larger percentage of men are cult leaders, than are women. I don't know what that says about women or men, just glad to out of it all.

[@alipitogen]

I'm a god-fearing man. People who believe in god scare me.

[@skyzthelimi7]

Cheers, good question; there is a mutual connection; I have so long offered that the bible-belt south is a lot of well-meaning good folk confusing their love of America with Christianity, that is the problem in Ireland also. The marriage of nationalism and religion - in the south Catholic, in the north Protestant; pure and simple sectarian hatred- for Jesus ironically!

[@eupraxis1]

You're not tubing on the loo are you?

[@GodVlogger]

Yes, I have recently noticed a parallel "exceptional-ism"... many in the USA believe it is God's chosen nation, blessed by God with superpower status. In recent Irish abortion debates, I heard some sentiment of Irish "exceptional-ism" as a modern exceptional stand being taken for "life". Folks love to think there is a god who likes them best.