It is not about the absence of religion but the absence of religious power, a freedom from patriarchal straightjackets that might stifle our lives, dreams and aspirations.
The disproportionate power of the executive to stifle debate is a widely recognised shortcoming of the Dáil, most starkly illustrated by Kenny's recent refusal to permit a free vote among his party colleagues on the contentious matter of abortion.
The technology industry loathes regulation, in part because of the knowledge that government interference can stifle innovation and the speed to market.
It's all of these things are combining to stifle people's conversation.
The real spur behind the coalition's attack on the working time directive is to be seen by business to be cutting the much hated but vastly over-hyped "red tape" that is supposed to stifle entrepreneurship.
Meanwhile, the Conservatives' plan to raise the threshold for public sector strike action, which O'Grady takes as "a desire to stifle any dissent in the workplace against pay unfairness".
"I have myself witnessed repeated instances where there has been a denial of responsibility, corrosive suspicion, deliberate delay and a practice of hiding behind values in order to deflect or stifle criticism and protect self-interest.
Actually, it sounds different enough already to stifle the purists, though doubtless there will be rumbles.
Niamey in Niger, Bamako in Mali, Antananarivo in Madagascar (in southeast Africa) and Conakry in Guinea are all victims of conflict, terrorism, political instability and ethnic tensions, which stifle their potential for growth.
Outside the court, Anwar accused Badawi of orchestrating the prosecution to stifle his growing political power, a charge denied by the government.
Peter Law said the country had attempted to stifle dissent by indefinitely suspending opposition members from the Nauruan parliament, and had failed to demonstrate any commitment to the rule of law.
