Madam, - Your front-page report of August 25th quotes Cardinal Seán Brady as saying he was "intrigued to discover last weekend that it was quite natural to expect the US presidential candidates to answer direct questions about their commitment to faith, their willingness to support faith-based organisations, their position on moral issues and how it would affect their appointment of public officials".
Perhaps Cardinal Brady is unaware that such behaviour is unconstitutional: "No religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States Constitution". This includes the office of president.
Quite what evangelical pastor Rick Warren thought his recent, unconstitutional public interview with Senators McCain and Obama might achieve is open to debate. I would be more interested in hearing the two candidates speak on important global issues on the basis of reason, logic and critical thinking.
For as Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1787: "Question with boldness even the existence of a god; because if there be one he must approve of the homage of reason more than that of blindfolded fear." - Yours, etc,
GARY J. BYRNE, IFSC, Dublin 1.
Madam, - Cardinal Brady really has no cause to worry about the status of Christianity in the EU. The "Eldest Daughter of the Church" and the "Defender of the Faith" are both big EU players who can be totally relied upon in this matter. In addition, RTÉ rings the Angelus bell daily on radio and TV (and I have to say the bell is so much more musical than the muezzin).
If all of this doesn't dispel the good cardinal's fears the following might be a more practical solution: as arguably the richest per capita nation in Europe, with a reputation for boxing well above its weight and an enviable record in political intrigue, why doesn't the Vatican apply for membership of the EU? So much more can be achieved when one is actually inside the club and the cause of democracy in the EU would be spectacularly enhanced. - Yours, etc,
VINCENT MacCARTHY, Cloncat, Fordstown, Co Meath.
Madam, - Those who are concerned about the absence of "Christian values" in the Lisbon Treaty would do well to remember that Hitler and his Nazis were purportedly Christians, both Catholic and Protestant, while the Czar of Russia, deposed in the revolution of 1917, was another whose "Christianity" was never in doubt but who did little to benefit his country's serfs.
The 20th century saw the most horrendous crimes against humanity devised and implemented by alleged Christians.
However, Christianity in its real and positive sense is at the core of the European project, without having to be spelled out in capitals in a Treaty.
It is good to see, at last, a senior politician indicating the way forward. Dick Roche has recognised the inevitability of another referendum, presumably with a different wording.
The No campaigners did not win the first referendum - they got a walk-over. Next time around, real facts will emerge to counter No vote advocates such as Cóir, which distributed literature at the Humbert Summer School claiming that the people of Europe cheered as Ireland voted No. They and others neglect the fact that the majority of EU citizens and who had the opportunity to vote on the Constitutional Treaty actually voted "Yes".
Next time, other high-profile No advocates such as Ulick McEvaddy will be asked to justify his statement at Humbert that the US-dominated Nato is the preferred method of defending Europe, rather than the creation of an EU-controlled defence organisation.
He and other vested interest groups will not have a walk-over again. - Yours, etc,
DECLAN MacPARTLIN, (Independent member, Wexford County Council), Camolin, Co Wexford.
Madam, — Raymond Deane's letters to The Irish Times seldom cause even a modest outbreak of mirth but his latest missive, complaining about the latitude and privilege offered to Alan Dukes, demonstrates that he has a fine sense of humour. After all, how many letters from Raymond Deane do you publish per year? - Yours, etc,
BILL GRIMSON, Rathgar, Dublin 6.
Madam, - By my rough count, Mr Deane has had 34 letters published in your columns over the past 18 months, attacking a wide variety of people, institutions and opinions.
Is this privilege accounted for by Mr Deane's status as a composer? Or is it simply because The Irish Times agrees with every word he writes on every possible subject? — Yours, etc,
BEN TONRA, Delbrook Manor, Dublin 16.
Madam, - Most mature adults, at some stage in their lives, have made judgments which they sincerely believed to be correct at the time but, in the light of subsequent events, were proved to be wrong. In those circumstances the responsible thing to do is to admit your mistake to affected by your judgement.
Given that it is now clear the Lisbon Treaty will not be renegotiated as a result of the Irish vote, that the other member-states will proceed without us and that Ireland will lose significant influence as a member of the EU, should the people who led the No campaign not admit to the Irish people that they made a mistake in claiming that a better deal was available and work with the Government to find a solution to the problem?
Naïve maybe, but one lives in hope. - Yours, etc,
BRIAN WALSH, Wheatfield Road, Portmarnock, Co Dublin.