Madam, - Let's get this straight. Archdeacon Gordon Linney links Catholic teaching on homosexual acts to its handling of the child abuse issue, and Archbishop Diarmuid Martin is the person who lands himself in trouble for objecting to such a gratuitous linkage.
For a start, it is not just the Catholic Church that has this problem - for example, Anglican dioceses in Canada face bankruptcy because of child abuse claims. But secondly it is an ad hominem argument. The arguments for and against homosexual acts stand or fall on their own merits.
The person who should really be the target of public ire, however, is Senator David Norris who used incredibly intemperate language in attacking Archbishop Diarmuid Martin who did not even discuss his Church's teaching on homosexuality when responding to Archdeacon Linney.
Is it ironic, surely, that Senator Norris should have used such inflammatory language in condemning a speech that was in no way inflammatory. In addition, he made utterly unverifiable claims about the Catholic Church's responsibility for recent attacks on homosexuals.
What Senator Norris is trying to do here is to close down rational debate of the issue. His tactic is to accuse anyone who doesn't adhere to his line on homosexuality of incitement to hatred. He is a bit like those pro-lifers who like to accuse anyone who disagrees with them of being "baby-murderers".
We need to see through his tactic and condemn it for the ruse that it is. - Yours, etc.,
AUDREY DILLON, Main Street, Ballymahon, Co Longford.
Madam, - Senator David Norris is urbane, witty, articulate, intelligent and courageous. It is for this reason that he is the darling of the media, is always good for a quote and will readily speak or write paragraphs at the press of a button. He is not, however, always right.
When he speaks about the Catholic Church and its attitude to gay people (March 17th) he seems to lose the run of himself. Methinks he doth protest too much and is becoming a bit of a pest.
Like your columnist Kevin Myers, when he vituperates too much, he loses impact. Give Mr Norris a bit of a rest, please. - Yours, etc.,
ANDY DEVINE, The Mall, Ballyshannon, Co Donegal.