He thinks that the reason the Labour party were hammered in the recent Meath East by-election is because voters are sick of Labour's attack on the Catholic Church and on Christian ethics. Although it's impossible to say who makes what decision in a coalition overnment, it seems pretty clear that the Labour party have been behind the closing of the Irish embassy to the Vatican, the attack on denominational education, and the push for abortion to be legalised. Well, it is a lot easier to bash Christians and the unborn than to achieve social democracy.
When he first put forward this theory, I scoffed (politely). I find it hard to believe that the Irish voter cares about anything except money.
But he pointed out later that Eamon Gilmore and his henchmen, reacting to the result, chose to make their statement to the media outside a place of worship. My father says that they entered the Unitarian church after speaking to the cameras, though I don't see that on the report. Perhaps it was a non-religious event they were attending. But even if it was, that doesn't mean that "spin" was not involved.
I don't think there is anything uncharitable or un-Christian in hoping that Labour get crushed at the next election. But I hope even more that Sinn Féin-- the most virulently liberal and secular party in the country-- don't benefit from any losses that Labour sustain.
P.S.: If this theory is correct, then it's amusing that they posed outside a Unitarian church-- as though that was as much as they could stomach!
Funnily enough, the moment I heard that Labour had taken a pounding, I thought it was evidence of the fact that people have had enough of their secularist agenda, particularly their attempts to push religion to the margins in many areas, especially education ... so, obviously, I think your father a wise man indeed! :-)
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