Some interesting numbers when you look into the #800babies story.
The allegedly 800 babies (some were as old as 9 so technically no longer babies) died over a 40 year period. That's 20 babies/children per year.
Taking the current, much lower infant mortality rates and the current birth Irish birth rate (both being much lower than during the period that this institution was open) the national infant mortality rate in Ireland current stands at just over 272 per annum.
So we're talking about a figure of less than 10% of the current mortality rate.
While any child that dies because of neglect is one too many I think the 800 "babies" in this case are being bandied about as more of a horror than it really was. Some commentators would have one believe that there was a mass killing of 800 babies.

What's far worse is that these children were apparently disposed of in a slurry pit. But then again it was the common belief at the time (not just by the church but by the majority of the population) that non-baptised children could not have a burial in a cemetery (holy ground).
So they were disposed of in a rather insensitive manner. Terrible yes, but those were different times and luckily we have all evolved and stuff like this doesn't happen any more in most of the world.

What is far, far worrying is the way that certain anti-religion campaigners are using this as a stick to not only beat the catholic church with but also anyone who is of the catholic faith. It's pushing their own agenda of intolerance over the bodies of 800 innocent children. While people living between 1920 - 1960 might be considered somewhat less enlightened there is no excuse for this type of ignorance now.

Focus on the really important facts; giving the remains of these children a worthy burial and keep your hate-mongering to yourself.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_the_Republic_of_Ireland#Infant_mortality_rate

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