Sir, – If Margaret Lee (Letters, December 23rd) wonders why so many of our public figures tell us they have given up on religion, a useful starting point might be to consider why citizens such as our presidents and members of the Council of State take an oath invoking Almighty God.
In a modern republic, the notion that all authority derives from that obscure entity, “the Most Holy Trinity”, seems beyond bizarre. Where a maturing of attitudes to God is concerned, perhaps an incidental passing reference in an Irish Times article is not the place to start. – Yours, etc,
PADDY McGOVERN,
Dublin 8.
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A chara, – I agree with Margaret Lee that public figures these days feel the need to declare that they “have given up on religion”.
Perhaps it’s empowering? Liberating as it may be to divest oneself of what we saw as the shackles of church power, sadly, we appear to also have divested ourselves of the moral, ethical and, yes, principled teachings of Christian philosophy. A glance at the news headlines from 2023 is quite enough to show how these, along with religious belief, are also in rapid decline. – Is mise,
PETER DECLAN O’HALLORAN,
Belturbet,
Co Cavan.