Is it wrong to support the IRA?

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Are the modern IRA (1960’s to present) freedom fighters or terrorists? What is the Church’s position on the IRA?
 
I just want to thank OP for posing a morality question that does not go into explicit detail about one’s bedroom behavior or personal vices. how refreshing.
 
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Nick:
Are the modern IRA (1960’s to present) freedom fighters or terrorists? What is the Church’s position on the IRA?
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Can’t speak for the Church on this one, but IMHO:
Do they bomb innocent people, wreak havoc, and resort to violent tactics to get their point across? Terrorists.
Do they work within the political and judical confines of the laws to change perceived or real injustices? Freedom fighters.
Seems so simple to me…
 
Peace be with you!

Had I been alive back in the early 20th century when the IRB (which turned into the IRA) was fighting in the Anglo-Irish War, then yes, most definitely I would have supported them. I don’t now, though. However, the IRA has now disarmed…hopefully for good this time. They have always been conscious about public opinion, and with all this stuff with Sep. 11th and the war on terror, they have stopped their attacks.

But just to clear things up, the IRA has never targeted civilians (some splinter groups have, but not the real one). While civilians have often been killed or injured in some of the bombings, they were not the targets. The Protestant paramilitant groups (you know, the ones no one EVER hears about) have killed more innocent civilians during the course of the Troubles than the IRA has. That’s because groups like the UVF and UFF actually target innocent civilians.

In Christ,
Rand
 
A few months ago the IRA renounced violence and declared that it would henceforth be a peaceful political party. Since then it has put it’s munitions out of useful reach. Immediately I began to hear reports on Vatican Radio of a surge of attacks on Irish Catholics. Churches, homes and businesses were being firebombed at a frightening rate. These reports spred to the other international news sources, including German and French. But nothing appeared in the US news media? The week before last the BBC (!) began reporting the Protistant violence against Catholics quoting the highest police official (English) in Northern Ireland as saying that the ORANGE ORDER was solely responcible for a rash of sectarian violence. Again, nothing in the US press. Earlier this week the BBC (Brittish Broadcasting Service!) quoted another high ranking Brittish police official as saying that he himself had seen known Orange Order (the Protestant “political” party in Ireland) officials, in their orange sashes of office, directing men in black hoods in the attacks upon Catholic properties and people, and that he had seen men in the sashes bombing and otherwise attacking Catholics themselves. Again, nothing in the US press. The IRA has not responced to the provications. Obviously, only Catholics can be terrorists in the eyes of the American press, even when the Brittiah themselves own up to the truth! It’s time that the truth be exposed, that all the troubles in Ireland have been entirely the fault of the Protestant Scotch who were moved into Ireland generations ago to diaplace and eleminate the Catholic Irish so that England could impose the Church of England and rule Ireland, and that they are still at it. Is it wrong to support brother Catholics in defending their own lives, those of their families, and the right to practice the Holy Catholic Faith? So far the Provos (the Provisional Wing of the IRA) have not responded, inorder that the truth might be exposed. Everyone in the world but Anglophelic America has seen it, and that only because the American Press has insisted upon publishing the Fundamentalist line. Still, there is no doubt that Ireland will again be entirely free and entirely Catholic. Demographic projections show that the Scotch Protestants will be overwhelmed, as they are not replacing themselves, thanks to their barbaric use of birth control and abortion, while God’s own Catholic Irish are repopulating the land, which has never recovered from the genocide the Britts inflicted upon it (history in US schools insists upon calling it the “potato famine,” the crop failed, but the Britts, who had created the Irish dependence upon the potato, systimatically shipped food OUT of Ireland and prvented any relief except to Protistants during it). The history is there for anyone to read, but you will have to push past Protistant predgidous in the US to get to it. :irish1:
 
Desert Father: I am one with you in regards to what the British did. They rounded up my ancestors and locked them in a church. Didn’t burn it like they did in Mel Gibson’s movie The Patriot. That was the Acadian diaspora when they sent my Acadian ancestors here to Louisiana. And then, even though the warehouses were full of food, they starved my Irish ancestors and dumped them on the levees of New Orleans. It is my most fervent wish that Ireland be made whole. And that day will come. That day WILL come.
 
i did my final paper for history on this conflict my soph more year, and i most def. support the IRA - as another poster noted, THEY do not target civilians (whereas the Protestant paramilitaries do), they tried to work for a peaceful settlement in a legislature, but it was the protestants who refused to even show up, and for so many catholics in north ireland, where they are forced into poor ghettos, the ira is their only protection. violence in all forms i detest, but i believe that at least the ira as a whole does not want violence, they just want their country back.
 
Firstly i would like to state that the fact the IRA even has to exist is a true tragedy. I do and always will support a united 32 state Ireland and the brake up of the British state. Obviously i would like to see this attained in a peaceful way which is going to be near impossilble due to the problems already formetioned. For me any organisation which responsibly tries to oppose the British occupation of the North of Ireland will always be Freedom Fighters, after all its their country which is currently occupied by foreign troops.
only Catholics can be terrorists in the eyes of the American press, even when the Brittiah themselves own up to the truth
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I can safely say that the terms British and truth dont go together very often. Personally i have never been to America to comment but history shows that America has been in many ways just as regressive towards Catholics as the Brits although perhaps not as blatant. I am sure the Ku Klux Klan was founded by an Orange Man who wanted to maintain Anglo Saxon Protestant Supremecy in America , and the Klans resurrgence in the 1930’s was aimed more at the Irish than blacks. So to here that the American press dont side with the Irish struggle against Brit imperialism does exactly knock me over with astoundment.
Demographic projections show that the Scotch Protestants will be overwhelmed, as they are not replacing themselves, thanks to their barbaric use of birth control and abortion
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I agree that the Catholic population in the north is increasing, but i think its more because of anglo saxons leaving to work in England than due to catholic principles. I mean i love Ireland etc but the church are not seen as being as important as it was. The youth of Ireland are just as likely to get up to all sorts as the youth of anywhere else, although at least abortion is still banned which is a good thing, but even that now hangs in the balance i believe. I dont know maybe someone from Ireland can confirm this for me but i dont think the % of Irish going to mass and following catholic teachings is near as high as it once was.
are repopulating the land, which has never recovered from the genocide the Britts inflicted upon it (history in US schools insists upon calling it the “potato famine,” the crop failed, but the Britts, who had created the Irish dependence upon the potato, systimatically shipped food OUT of Ireland
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Yeah no doubt the potato famine was the fault of the Brits, as the old Irish saying goes, ‘The almighty sent the potato blight, but the English created the famine’
 
So to here that the American press dont side with the Irish struggle against Brit imperialism does exactly knock me over with astoundment.
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That should say does instead of doesnt. Plus on a final note i should add that the problems of the North will only ever go away when people can love their neighbour regardless of their religion, Catholic or Protestant shouldnt matter.
 
Celtic: The KKK was founded by Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest (Git there firstest with the mostest) and I believe, although I am not certain, he was an Episcopalian. Most of the planter class in Mississippi was Episcopalian. I live in a parish (county) well known for its KKK activities. Ours is the first family to move on a street in which most of the neighbors are fervent fundamentalists (all belonging to a non-denominational church - whose pastor lives just across the street from me). Needless to say, we are Catholics. The other two families are Methodists, good neighbors who don’t have “no truck” with them others. Our good pastor across the street has spread the rumor for years that we are “witches” because we burn candles. (Visions of a Monty Python sketch always pop into my head). They watch us like a hawk. I have been tempted to plant a sign in my front yard stating "Evil Catholics are: Mowing the Lawn. So we just ignore them.

The KKK has gotten far more insidious. On the back of a pick-up truck at the gas station the other day, I saw a sticker. It had a picture of Nathan Bedford Forrest on one side with the remark “Ride with the Best on the Other”. Very, very subtle. Unless you are steeped in Civil War history (and a lot here are) you wouldn’t have known that it was a recruiting add for the KKK.

I’ve been reading Morgan Llewellan’s series on modern Irish history. I think you make some good points on the need for the IRA. The media may be pro-British and Orange but 40% of the American people have Irish ancestry (and, hey, my Scot ancestors were Catholic too). We’re not fooled by the media but it is frustrating.
 
I wasnt too sure of the KKK foundings, you kinda always get a lot of rumors with stuff like that. Was one of the founders a Scots Orange Man maybe? If not then like i say it must only be a unfounded untruth.
 
There were two groups right after the American Civil War. One was the Knights of the White Camellia (which was founded in New Orleans and accepted Catholics) and the KKK (which didn’t). All these guys were Confederate veterans of the war and the groups were initially founded to oppose the REAL (hear that Cindy Sheehan?) occupation of New Orleans which began in 1862 and ended in 1877 when the Confederate veterans of the war fought a pitched battle at the foot of Canal St. which caused the end of Reconstruction. The racist activities were present from the beginnings but evolved much more fully after Reconstruction. There are definite similarities between the movement as first intended and the IRA.
 
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Nick:
Are the modern IRA (1960’s to present) freedom fighters or terrorists? What is the Church’s position on the IRA?
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The Churches position is and was, about 12 years ago they issued a statement advising Catholic Nationalists that it was immoral to vote for Sinn Fein.(not the exact words, hey ! it’s been a long time) 🙂
It’s Ironic, but the people didn’t listen, and if they had there wouldn’t have been a peace process, why ? well Sinn Fein started to see the power of the ballot box.
When PJP2 came to Ireland, the IRA wanted a meeting with him, it never happened.
I think they were talking about a Holy war, the Pope although not saying it directly to the IRA said. “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but suffers the loss of his own soul”.
 
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CelticCatholic:
I dont know maybe someone from Ireland can confirm this for me but i dont think the % of Irish going to mass and following catholic teachings is near as high as it once was.
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It’s not as high as it was, but young people still goto Mass, IMHO it depends on who is motivating them, if they don’t know they don’t do it, it’s not their fault.
With all the sexual scandals I’m not surprised about the attendance, “do as I say, not as I do” :cool:
I think some of the preaching from the pulpit now is pitiful, it’s hard to keep awake.
Hey we don’t want to scare anyone now, everything is rosy in the garden :nope: hell don’t excist anymore. :rolleyes:
Father Peter Mary Rookey from Chicago was a fine preacher, heard him many times when he came to Ireland, he makes me listen, sad to say but many preachers don’t.
 
Ivornotion: Welcome to the forums! It’s always good to have the perspective of a person actually there who knows the country and the people.
 
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CelticCatholic:
I wasnt too sure of the KKK foundings, you kinda always get a lot of rumors with stuff like that. Was one of the founders a Scots Orange Man maybe? If not then like i say it must only be a unfounded untruth.
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Just to put my oar in here, sorry 🙂 but the Orange order is masonic, and it’s ironic to, but they wern’t formed until 100 years after the battle of the Boyne. Iv’e seen it in the newspapers, were someone has died, being a member of the masonic orange lodge.
Only reason I brought that up is so we can know what were dealing with, (Masons)

homepages.iol.ie/~fagann/1798/orange.htm

op267.proneteng.com/
 
The first masonic temple in New Orleans had to be built outside the city walls. They would not let it be built within the city. My high school stood on the site of one of the forts of the city. Part of the city wall stood on the side of the school. The masonic temple was right next door. Even with all the heat of New Orleans, in all my years I never saw that building unshuttered. I often wondered why they never opened those shutters to let in light and air. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?
 
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brotherhrolf:
Ivornotion: Welcome to the forums! It’s always good to have the perspective of a person actually there who knows the country and the people.
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Thankyou brotherhrolf, and thankyou for your informative information about N.O. it seems to smack of plantation stuff, so we have something in common after-all. I’m not a racist, but youv’e probably never heard this, but the Irish are sometimes called the blacks of Europe, and probably the reason when we go-to England that we gel with them so well.
I’ll try and keep you informed, even though Ireland is always going to be a political hot potato.
 
Ivornation: Yes I knew that. We weren’t treated too much better when we were dumped on the levees in New Orleans in the middle of the summer. Just east of where the levee broke during the hurricane is a broad swath of land which covers the remains of the New Basin Canal. This canal was dug by the Irish because slaves were more valuable. 5,000 Irishmen died of yellow fever and malaria in the digging of that canal. There mass grave is now marked by a 10’ high Celtic cross and memorial.
 
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