Sir, – Stephanie Nouailhetas rightly attests that the contempt displayed by social conservatives in Ireland in earlier decades was “shocking” (November 17th). It certainly was.
However, I strongly dispute her claim that Ireland is now a tolerant country.
Ireland has merely substituted one intolerant ideology for another. Theocracy has given way to aggressive secularism. In 2018 any opinion that doesn’t conform to a socially liberal worldview is derided as “hate speech”. And so “tolerance” simply describes the attitude of a liberal-metropolitan elite towards anyone who agrees with them.
That’s quite a narrow definition.
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It’s rather like a men-only golf club claiming that they’re tolerant because they regard all men as equal. – Yours, etc,
RONAN SCANLAN,
Leopardstown,
Dublin 18.