Madam, - Patrick Molloy (June 13th) makes a timely and articulate defence of the beliefs of people of faith. Many in this country believe that homosexuality is indeed against the "natural law", and hence God's law. Leviticus 20:13 makes the point very clearly and there can be no argument. If these practices were to become widely accepted in society, Genesis 19:24-25 demonstrates how "detrimental to the State" such a situation would be.Perhaps there could be a "referendum on the subject".
Fortunately, there is hope. Like Mr Molloy, Lot was a good man who obeyed God's law, and was spared. Perhaps we could all look to his example on how he ran his family in Genesis 19:5-8.
There is now a large and growing minority in this country who believe that the religious should stop trying to dictate their values to the entire population - values based on ancient texts and the teachings of sexually repressed preachers.
Why don't we have an honest and frank discussion on this subject based on facts and not relying on dogma? - Yours, etc,
DAVID BEATTY, Knocklyon, Dublin 16.
Madam, - Religious Affairs Correspondent Patsy McGarry suggests that Ian Paisley jnr should consider "growing up" and being more like his father in his attitude to gays and lesbians (Rite & Reason, June 12th) .
He quotes Ian Paisley Snr, who when asked in a Sunday Tribune interview how he would have responded if a child of his had been gay, said: "A child like that needs more love and affection, not less."
But why would a "child like that" need more love and affection than a heterosexual child - unless of course the child was considered disabled in some way by its parents.
Did Mr McGarry really consider this a "grown-up" comment from Paisley Snr?
But he is right about one thing. Paisley Jnr could learn from his father - he could learn how to conceal his homophobia with patronising religious sentiment, which, it seems, is capable of fooling many people, in this case even the normally insightful Patsy McGarry. - Yours, etc,
DECLAN KELLY, Davis Court, Christchurch, Dublin 8.