Sir, – For all I know the point of view represented by Breda O'Brien in her latest Saturday column ("Removing 'religious spirit' from schools an act of desperation", Opinion & Analysis, December 12th) and by the Rev Patrick G Burke in his most recent letter to you (December 12th) may be correct.
Yet I have to ask whether any one of us, whatever our worldview might be, should be allowed to compel, no matter how kindly, another person to subscribe to it. It does not matter whether the worldview is theistic or atheistic, agnostic or pantheistic – and yes, I could go on. There is a bewildering variety of answers to the fundamental questions we ask. It is surely wrong that any educational system worthy of the name should indoctrinate our very young children into just one of the creeds with which we endeavour to give solace to our ignorance and suffering. – Yours, etc,
PETER KENNY,
Churchtown,
Dublin 14.