When Gill Met Joe Part 2

The second part of guest appearance by Joe the Human Substack author, Joe Armstrong, at North West Humanists, Sligo, Ireland, on 3 March 2024, invited by Gill Bell, Convenor, Humanist Celebrant and Biodynamic Psychotherapist. Relaxed interview format, with readings from the second book, Saved by a Woman, in the memoir series Losing Religion, Finding Myself, by Joe Armstrong. Available in Kindle, Paperback and Hardback editions. This is a slightly edited version of the second half of the public event. Both the first half and second half, and the full event, can be seen in three separate videos on YouTube. As well as readings from the second memoir, the Q&A session led to interesting discussions about the indoctrination of children into religion and how hard it is to rewire one’s brain after indoctrination. A member of the audience had himself been a student for the Catholic priesthood in the early 1960s, and his experience was difficult; as was the experience of seminarians of that vintage who didn’t get ordained. Their was a feeling of shame and embarrassment in the era of the so-called ‘spoilt priest’ (someone who left before ordination). There was also an interesting discussion on the word spirituality and its ambiguity; how it is meaningful if applied to feelings or moods of the human spirit but meaningless if applied to a so-called ‘Holy Spirit’ or supposed ‘spirits’.